Every once and a while one of the ML flickr pool images catches my eye. Such was the case with this pic of the Shrimp and Avocado Rice Box from Lunch’r CarbZombie. While the price tage for that dish ($11.95) was just north of the ML limit, perusing their menu online I discoverd that they have a steamed dumpling box for $9.95 that was calling my name.

The box come with your choice of two kinds of dumplings from the following list: pork & cabbage, chicken & woodear, mushroom, chicken teriyaki with 7-grain wrap and soupy pork dumplings. It looks like it’s an additional dollar surcharge if you want vegetable or soupy crab & pork dumplings. I went for the soupy pork dumplings and the chicken teriyaki dumplings. You get 5 of each choice.

The soup dumplings seemed to be a bit smaller than the ones I’m used to from Joe’s Shanghai and the wrapper was slightly thicker (but not overly chewy). The chicken teriyaki didn’t taste very much like teriyaki to me (fortunately they did taste like a good regular chicken dumpling). Their multigrain wrapper was thinner and more delicate than the soupy dumplings. These came with a slightly sweet, creamy miso sauce that I wanted to bottle and take home. The boxed lunch was rounded out with edamame and a house salad dressed with carrot ginger dressing. It’s not a gut busting amount of food, but most lunchers should be reasonably filled.

The restaurant which doubles as a bookshop has a very chill vibe. Service was somewhat slow, so you might want to preview the menu online so you can get your order in asap. I considered adding a tea to my order (it is a teahouse after all and their tea list is extensive), but with prices ranging from upwards of $6 for a one person pot, I decided I couldn’t afford it, despite however good it was.

With tax and tip you’re going to run a few dollars above the ML limit, so I can’t recommend it for an every day lunch, but if you are looking for a relaxing, low key, every once in a while sit down lunch Radiance Tea House fits the bill.

Radiance Tea House 158 W 55th St (Btwn 6th & 7th Ave), (212) 217-0442

For Korean dumplings (or mandoo) there is the well known “Mandoo Bar” on 32nd btw. B’way+5th . But the other day I read something in the forums about a new mandoo bar in Cafe Charlie, an otherwise generic Midtown deli on 41st btw. Mad+5th. Clearly an investigation was in order.

Cafe Charlie’s “Mandoo Bar” has no connection to the actual “Mandoo Bar” in Koreatown- but in many ways it’s interesting they decided to call it a “mandoo bar”. I love how Korean owned delis have started offering Korean food right along side their pay by the pound salad bars and standard pre-packaged sushi. But you have to wonder whether using the word “mandoo” is going to interest the average Midtown office worker (who probably has no idea what the word mandoo even is.)

I worked on me though. I might have been interested in a “Dumpling Bar”, but “Mandoo Bar” sealed the deal. Mandoo is just the Korean word for dumpling, and they can be served boiled, steamed or pan fried. The kind you see at the actual “Mandoo Bar” in K’town are more round and plump than say a Japanese gyoza- which tend to be thinner and longer, and the mandoo skin is on the thick and chewy side (but not as thick as some of the 4 for $1 Chinatown options.) Cafe Charlie’s version are only served boiled, and they have four options to choose from: pork, shrimp, chicken & vegetable. You get 8 pieces for $7 ($6 for the vegetarian) or you go for the combo of all 4 (12 pieces for $9).

I’m all for variety, so I want with the combo. Each of the dumplings are shaped and colored differently according to filling. Square white = shrimp. Long white = pork. Square green = chicken. Long green = vegetable. (I think anyway. They all kind of look the same in the photo!)

Pork and shrimp were my favorite (obviously), but if you’re looking for something a little more healthy tasting the chicken is the way to go. The vegetarian was ok, but the filling was more vegetarian mush (think standard veggie burger) than having any real discernable vegetables. In fact, all of the dumplings appeared to have some kind of non-meat filler. It wasn’t as noticeable when they were hot, but as they cooled down the consistency became less and less enjoyable (of course, that problem is easily fixed by eating them fast!) As for the wrappers, they were fine- although some were cooked a little bit better than others. And if you like your dumplings pan fried, you probably won’t be in love with these.

All in all I still enjoyed them. (I’ve never met a dumpling I didn’t like just a little bit.) Not as good as the Mandoo Bar (although I did like their shrimp dumplings a little better than M.B.’s weird seafood dumplings), but Cafe Charlie is a little cheaper and surprisingly filling. Plus if you work in the 40s it’s a lot closer than Koreatown, and for a generic Midtown deli I’ll take these over an $8 turkey sandwich any day of the week.

Cafe Charlie, 9 E. 40th Street (btw. Mad+5th), 212-725-1420