Yen Fung Ding is a little shop on the edge of Chinatown that is part-store and part-home. I've seen their frozen dumplings in a few Asian groceries in the city and have even bought a few in the past. However, I've never been inside the store, despite passing it many times over the years.
I got the chance to visit recently. The inside is homey with knick-knacks everywhere. There's only one small table for 2 in the shop but patio seating next to the shop. The lady who took our order (and made the dumplings I think?) was friendly and warm.
Hoping the dumplings would taste better than how we made them at home (usually, if made commercially, they're juicier and crispier), we bought the pan-friend dumplings with Napa Cabbage ($10.99) and the Shanghai Buns ($9.99). Unfortunately, we were disappointed.
The pan-fried dumplings turned out soggy, drenched in oil, while the meat in the Shanghai Buns was lacking in quantity and overly seasoned. Neither items were juicy (and in my experience, they should be), with many of the dumplings coming out with broken skins. As well, one of these items came with a chicken soup that tasted like oily salt water sprinkled with green onions.
In my opinion, it'd be cheaper to buy their frozen dumplings and prepare them at home. You could probably do about the same, if not better. If you want freshly-made dumplings, however, I'd recommend going somewhere else. read more