Big Ass Dumpling—that was the email subject line that our friend Mike fittingly employed to coordinate our outing to San Gabriel’s Wang Xing Ji.
Famous for its enormous dumplings, Wang Xing Ji is “the first American branch of a popular dumpling house in Wuxi,” according to Jonathan Gold in his review of the restaurant. “Actually, Wang Xing Ji is the dumpling house in Wuxi, almost a century old, the one restaurant every guidebook seems to mention.”
What’s most interesting about Wuxi-style cuisine is its intrinsic sweetness. According to Wikipedia, “the [region’s] common cooking method is characterized by the addition of sugar and soy sauce to many savory dishes, often in the form of hongshao (literally ‘red braised’). This often results in a fragrant, caramelized flavor. In addition, Wuxi cuisine often has sweeter versions of dishes found in its neighboring regions.”
On Wang Xing Ji’s menu, the rare unsweetened dishes are denoted with a star. The sweet, signature dishes are given a thumbs up icon. We stuck to the “recommendation” offerings this evening.
