You might call them an appetizer. I say these dumplings are so good, they’re a meal

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I admit that I don’t have what foodies might call a complex palate.

My tastes run toward the basics — with sufficient room (I’d like to think) for an exotic spice here or unfamiliar flavor there.

But one dish at a local Chinese restaurant brings more joy and pleases me more consistently than any other. And it’s the essence of simplicity.

I’m talking about the steamed pork dumplings at Bo Lings.

Ahhh … little pillows of pleated perfection. Delectable dough babies born to bathe in simple, sympathetic dipping sauces.

For me, a basket of them (eight for $10) makes a meal in itself. Whether the food pyramid approves or not.

You, however, might show better dietary resolve. And limit yourself to one or two to accompany an entree like green beans Sichuan style or maybe the bok choy with garlic. That works, too.

Steamed dumplings, it should be noted, are also available at Bo Lings in dim sum — the Chinese version of a small plates presentation.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I wanted to know why such a simple combination of familiar ingredients — flour, water, napa cabbage, green onions, ground pork, ginger and a few other seasonings could taste so darned good.

Richard Ng (he’s the Bo, his wife, Theresa, is the Ling) told me the recipe is the same one the couple started with in 1981 at 91st Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park. The same one still used at all five Bo Lings locations around the metro —including the Country Club Plaza, where I happily consumed the subjects of this story.

The most important thing, Ng said, is that Bo Lings’ dumplings are always handmade.

“Nowadays, labor is such an intensive thing, but we still make the dough in-house instead of buying it,” he explained. “So in our process, we put a lot more meat in. The meat is juicy, the dough is light. So the way they feel is different. When you have something like that, you feel good eating it. And you remember.”

I’ll vouch for that. But what about the dipping sauces? Maybe they’re more complicated?

“No, it’s just soy, ginger and onion. A little bit of chili and a touch of vinegar.”

Ng does concede that cooking the different types of dumplings for just the right amount of time is an important part of the equation. For example, the pan-fried kind (Bo Lings’ bestseller) is heated for a different length of time than the steamed variety. And newer filling options like shrimp, chicken or chives have their own timetable.

“It really is a team process,” Ng pointed out. One that requires trimming and grinding the meat, prepping the produce, then filling, wrapping, and pinching every single dumpling quickly and efficiently. Hundreds at a time.

It’s a process Chinese families have undertaken for centuries — particularly for big celebrations and holidays like the Lunar New Year (which starts Jan. 22 this year).

“Yeah, it takes a little practice,” he chuckles. “You know, it’s like riding a bicycle. You don’t do it on the first try.”

Speaking of practice, I’m still better with flatware than chopsticks when it comes to snagging the slippery, plump prey off my plate.

I do know that trendy new dumplings keep popping up all the time. Cutting-edge recipes and cross-cultural hybrids. I’ve tasted some, and they’re pretty good.

But if dumplings are the ultimate comfort food, I’m comfortable knowing that a dinner date with these is still my happy place, plain and simple.

Pass the dipping sauce, please.

This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 6:00 AM.

Randy Mason

The Kansas City Star

Randy Mason is a former journalist for the Kansas City Star, The Star, KC Star