We had some tickets to attend one of those Fever “Candlelight” concert events that was located at a church right next to the “Court St” R-stop in Brooklyn. There was not too many options in terms of food within close vicinity. I looked at the prices for this soup dumpling place, and to my surprise, Din Soup Dumplings seemed not bad. My partner was also in a dumpling mood, so it was convenient to go check this place out. This place is located right across the street from the church on the second level above another Chinese restaurant. We were able to walk in without reservations for 2 at around 5:30 PM on a Friday.
Ambiance & Service
The ambiance is pretty no frills and nothing super unique. They seated us at a very small table for 2. The noise level was fairly loud, and it seemed there were a lot of students or families that came here. We sat in front of where 2 women were hand wrapping dumplings.
The service is extremely fast and efficient. This place reminded me heavily of trying to turn tables around, so don’t be surprised if they are really fast in serving food. It’s also a small place too.
Food
The Mango Yakult ($4.75) tasted like yakult and came in a hefty glass. Yakult is basically a sweetened pro-biotic milk drink that has a slight sour taste to it. The mango flavors tasted artificial.
The sauces came with a very garlicky soy sauce-like and a very gingery vinegar-like. My partner enjoyed the garlic one (top) more than the ginger (bottom). The ginger vinegar seemed much lighter compared to other restaurants.
The Crab Meat & Pork Soup Dumplings ($11.50) came with 6 pieces. These seemed larger than other places, and they were quite good. The dough is a little thick, but it was chewy and filling.
The Bean Curd Skin Roll ($6.50) came with 2 pieces. This is basically thin sheets of tofu skin, and many women especially seem to enjoy this. My partner loved this. It was wrapping a pork and wood-ear mushroom mixture and was seasoned already.
The Pickled Chili Cod Dumplings ($12.00) came with 6 pieces. This had a little kick, and I was a bit surprised by what this was. This was actually fish ball meat with a little of that pickled chili. I was expecting this to be flaky fish meat. Fish ball meat tends to be very bouncy and dense. It is often used in soups, but it can also be used as thin pancakes since it stays together well.
The Steamed Shumai ($7) came with 4 pieces of pork and shrimp. This was pretty good.
The Chicken & Cabbage Dumplings ($10.50) came fried (+$1.00) and had dried butterfly pea flower on it. The skin on this was a little thick and chewy, so my partner didn’t enjoy it that much. I did like it though because I tend to like thicker skin. The chicken and cabbage tasted pretty good.
Final Verdict
Din Soup Dumplings was quite good, especially for the price, and it makes me wonder why Long Island City doesn’t have something like this. The food all tasted great, and the service was commendable. If you’re in the Brooklyn Heights area, this is a restaurant that will surely satisfy your dumpling cravings.
Yelp Jabs
I’m usually very skeptical of Chinese food in places that feel more upscale, but Din Soup Dumplings really surprised me.
If this place felt more upscale, this Elitist really hasn’t been outside of their home.
Experience: the service was all automated ordering from your phone and the decor was just meh. The servers brought dishes out quickly and were attentive with water. Nothing special about the ambience here, but that’s ok.
When we went, the waiters took our order, so this must’ve changed with a few months of this Elitist coming here. I don’t particularly mind ordering from my phone, as that means I typically would pay less in tip.
Revisions
- Oct 27, 2023 - Initial revision.