Props to MìLà for getting inventive with their soup dumpling flavors. They have more to offer than even Din Tai Fung, arguably the king of soup dumpling land right now. Each bag contains a whopping 50 pieces, so you’re going to want to make some space in your freezer…or throw a massive party. Here’s our definitive ranking of every flavor.
Despite the fact that I’ve dumped the vegan option at the bottom of the list, I actually think they were quite good, considering what they are: jackfruit and vegan gelatin. The texture was honestly not bad, and Chiu’s vegetarian partner raves about these. Obviously, it’s missing the umami that meat would lend to the broth, but that’s the trade-off. However, this was where the dipping sauces came in clutch to help add some flavor (but more on those later). Overall, every dumpling had a good soup-to-filling ratio, and the wrapper was great. Not too thin, not too doughy. Goldilocks!
I hesitate to call this a pho soup dumpling because the broth just didn’t have the signature punchiness required to merit the title. Instead, pho-inspired would be more accurate. The broth had a lot of onion and cilantro coming through, but what really gives pho its signature zing is the star anise, cinnamon and cardamom, which were noticeably absent both on my tongue and in the ingredients list. The meat—beef this time—was also a bit chewier than the other flavors. It’s worth noting, though, that my (non-Asian) roommate came and sampled these and loved them, so it’s really about preference.
In terms of salt, the pork and shrimp dumplings fell between the pork and the chicken ones. I appreciate the foray into seafood, but didn’t totally love the texture of the mixed protein ball. I would’ve preferred a pork ball studded with shrimp pieces. This dumpling also had no need for sauce—its own savoriness clashed with the dipping sauce.
For something more mild, the chicken soup dumpling was the ticket. It’s definitely less salty than the pork version, and the broth was herby but not in-your-face. This also pairs well with the dumpling dipping sauce, which offers vinegary, salty tang to the rather bland soup.
These were my favorite and the most common iteration you’ll find if you seek soup dumplings in a restaurant. I thought these had the best broth flavor and texture (in regard to both the meat and the dumpling skin). I like these because they’re simple, salty and flavorful—the pork really shines. When it comes time to replenish my supply, these will be my top choice.
