Dumpling Galaxy, 2-35 Main Street Flushing Queens, NY 11355 Second Stop on the #GreedyGirlsUnite Foodie Tour #NYC

Dumpling Galaxy was the second stop on our second quarterly #GreedyGirlsUnite Foodie Tour #NYC. 

We were extremely excited about all of the possibilities being that they offer an enormous number of varieties.  See a few of the most interesting varieties listed below (we sampled the ones with an asterisk):

Signature Dumplings:

Shrimp, Scallop & Crab Meat

Duck Meat with Mushroom

Chicken in Broccoli

Pork with Shrimp, Egg, & Chives

Cod Fish with Fish Roe

Pork & Chives *

Beef with Carrots

Lamb with Green Squash*

Tofu with Crab Roe

Lamb & Cilantro*

Preserved Egg and Pine Nuts

Seafood Dumplings:

Shrimp & Green Squash

Fish Meat

Shrimp, Egg, & Asparagus

Squid Meat

Dried Octopu & Chives

Shrimp & Chinese Yam

Shrimp & Corn*

Shrimp & Cucumber

Fish with Lotus Root

The dumplings are fried in a batter connecting the six while creating an amazing crunch on the edges and crisp little bits to pluck from the plate.

Unfortunately, the flavor profiles of the majority of the six or so varieties we sampled, left much to be desired.  I found them bland and uninspired with flat, square seasoning.

Pork Dumplings:

Pork with Scallion*

Pork with Pumpkin

Pork with Bok Choy

Pork with Dill

Pork with Potherbs

Pork and String Bean

There are also a variety of beef, lamb, and veggie varieties.

The best part of the meal was sans dumplings.

We had enjoyed a tender, unctuous, large tilapia fish head in chili sauce. It was colorful, full of flavor from peppery to sweet, to rich.  A beautiful dish in every aspect:

Tilapia head with chili sauce BEFORE

Tilapia head with chili sauce AFTER

Another stunning dish was the Lobster with chili sauce.  A whole disarticulated lobster fried and slathered in chili sauce imparted tender, sweet meat and a shell worthy of savoring.

This being our second stop, #GreedyGirlsUnite Foodie Tour of Queens was saved by the real dishes at Dumpling Galaxy!

Another Great Meal at Union Republic, Jersey City, NJ (Now Closed)

Once again, Chef Ryan and family at Union Republic showed us a great time while providing eats that transcend the norm.

On our last visit, the bar at the far end of the restaurant was being built behind a tarp.  It was a pleasant surprise to see it up and thriving.  Adding another layer of character along with the cafe/upscale bodega style space in the front and the internet cafe feel of the central space, the bar can easily pass as a mid-day imbiber's cove and a nightcap zone.

Photo Credit: Union Republic Facebook Page

We decided, once again, to order the salad du jour and different ramen bowls.

Butternut Squash Salad: Roasted Squash, Pomegranite Seeds, Avocado, and Mixed Greens, tossed in Ginger Vinaigrette

Carolyn order the Bacon & Eggs Mazeman-a brothless breakfast ramen featuring toothsome noodles bathed in rich miso butter, topped with a poached egg, lardon, scallion, and pea greens.

Bacon & Eggs Mazeman

Because we loved the crisped, sliced pig's ears that comes on the Nose to Tail Ramen on our first visit

 (read all about it, here), we simply had to have them as a 'side dish'/snack.

Pig's Ears

Nose to Tail Ramen with crisp pig's ear slices, pork belly, and seared heart.

A bowl of ramen has been notoriously difficult for me to finish.  Even when I show up with an empty belly, I struggle to consume all of its goodness to the last drop.  I'm proud to say that I finally reached that milestone at Union Republic on our second visit, so it was a total photo opp.  

Thanks to Ahsan Anwar for your photog genius!

Yep, I used a straw...don't judge me!

I love my home state of NJ and UR is like a favorite cousin!  Thanks for another great meal!

Succulent Sundays (Tres Gatos): A Weekly Celebration of My Favorite Personal Food Photography

One Autumn evening in JP at Tres Gatos...

Chickpea Fritters over Dill Yogurt, Fresh Cucumber, Cilantro, and Halved Chickpeas

Boquerones-Spanish White Anchovies, Grilled Toast, Paprika

Chorizo, Cheese, Apple Butter

Toro NYC: Part II Winter 2015 #GreedyGirlsUnite NYC Food Tour

It should be noted that because I love the original Toro (Boston) so much, my girlfriends and I have officially made Toro NYC the last stop for all of our quarterly NYC food tours going forward.

Our March 2015 #GreedyGirlsUnite NYC Food Tour covered Queens this time around, but we still made our way to Toro NYC before heading back to our respective cities.  Check out our first massive meal here back in September 2014, here.

This time around we ordered a few staple favorites like the Asado de Huesos-roasted bone marrow with radish citrus salad and beef cheek marmalade, Mollejas- grilled veal sweetbreads, Maiz Asado con Aioli y Queso Cotija-roasted corn on the cob with aioli and cotija cheese, Potatoes Bravas with aioli and romesco sauce, Tartare in a sardine can, and our signature sparkling Spanish rosé-Joseph Foraster Rosé, Trepat Penedes, Spain.

Previous photos:

Roasted bone marrow w/ beef cheek marmalade

Tuna tartare

Veal Sweetbreads

We also enjoyed a most of the newer items.  None of us were remotely a fan of the chicken and potato empanadas.  I personally found the filling to be flat and over minced, though abundant.  They lacked flavor and character.

The Carabineros-massive scarlet shrimp where drop-dead-amazing-served aside a charred, halved lemon, the ritual of pulling off the juicy heads and relishing the rich, savory liquor triggered more orders.  I couldn't get enough!

Carabineros

We enjoyed an order of Ostras en Escabeche-briny, plump, creamy Island Creek oysters served with a green strawberry, mustard seeds, chives, and verjus.

Before moving on to dessert, we introduced Sylvia to her very first bone luge with Sherry and the bone marrow bone...

Chocolate Cremeaux (Dark Chocolate Cremeaux with Olive Oil Ice Cream and Coffee Crumble), Crisp Cinnamon-Sugar Churros with Orange-Chocolate Sauce, Vanilla Semifreddo with Olive Oil Cake, Blood Oranges, and Pistachios

Another fantastic evening at Toro NYC.

You can read my Toro Boston reviews here and here.