Mama Dough — Restaurant in Kent

Since discovering this restaurant in January, 2020, I have eaten here about 22 times and gotten takeout food from here about 39 times. This is an extraordinary restaurant and the chef and her staff really know a lot about food that tastes good, and they serve it. I am not an expert, but I think this is food from the region of China around Shanghai. When one eats at the restaurant, one is served a tiny little “Barbie’s appetizer” of the sort that in many European restaurants is called a throat/ mouth/ tongue amusement or something similar, in any one of a dozen or more languages. This little dish containing three items is very entertaining and it says a lot about the restaurant: one is slightly sweet, one is slightly sour, and one is slightly piquant. Consume it slowly and thoughtfully. With most orders, you will be served a small dish with minced not pressed garlic in it, covered with a darker liquid than soy sauce. This is so-called black vinegar, and I really like it served this way. I had never had a “soup dumpling” before, and, truth be told, I am not sure that I could’ve envisioned their existence until they confronted me, but they are spectacular and delicious, especially the pork ones. Do not get these soup dumplings to carry out or be delivered. Wait for the pandemic to pass so that you can eat them just as they are served in the restaurant. Other dishes that I consider delicious to the point of having spectacular characteristics are the pork pancake rolls, beef pancake rolls, egg & chive pancake rolls, the hot and sour tofu hot pot (!), every kind of dumpling that they make, the pork wonton in spicy sichuan sauce, and today, to my great satisfaction, I was introduced to the Chinese sausage with a handmade noodle that they call vermicelli, but it is rather wide. I have not eaten much fried rice since I first ate Chinese food a very long time ago. I ordered fried rice here and it was wonderfully toothsome and delicious. The pancake rolls are difficult to eat, but they are so tasty that they can be forgiven. The app that they use for takeout orders is rather buggy, and I find I prefer to order in person and sit down and read a book while they prepare the food. The warm, alert, and friendly staff are liable to recognize you if you eat there more than once, even if you wear an elaborate mask. This detail quite took my breath away. A slight preponderance of the clientele appears to me to have Asian ancestry. At my house, we can usually make four to six “person-meals“ from three orders of food from here. Overall, my feeling about this restaurant is the feeling I would have if I found a bag of gold dust on a forest trail. July, 2020: A new special, off menu, written on construction paper on the wall is “salt and pepper shrimp.” This is very lightly batter-dipped shrimp, in its shell, fried with assorted peppers, red, green, black. It is delicious. Since my first visit in early 2020, I have continued to eat here 1 to 4 times a month. I strongly re-endorse my...

I recently visited Mama's Dough on a Friday night to a decent late-dinner rush. I had made a reservation in advance, just in case, but there were a few open tables when I arrived. The restaurant is in the Great Wall Shopping Center. I hadn't been there for several years, so many of the places I remember had been replaced. I don't remember what it was before, but I'm glad Mama's Dough is there now. The décor inside is typical Chinese décor - somewhat no frills but I personally do not care too much if the food is really good. I was greeted by who I think is one of the owners. She was very magnanimous and friendly. They have a lot of dishes to choose from. I had a plan in mind and went with the pork soup dumplings and the pork and chive dumplings fried. While waiting, a tray of pickled daikon, cold garlic peanut noodles, and another pickled vegetable were presented to us. They were a nice appetizer. It had a balance of acid and crunch along with the raw garlic and rich peanut butter. To the main course, I have had the soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung and was very disappointed. The Mama's Dough version is far and away much better. The wrapper is chewy and encases the rich, meaty broth and filling. The pork was nicely seasoned and the dumplings were delicious. This was followed up by the pork and chive dumplings that were just as delicious. I would definitely get the fried version over the boiled version because the fried version is presented with a thin crepe-like layer that you break through to get to the dumplings. The filling was meaty and the chive flavor assertive and fresh. I went out of my way to visit Mama's Dough and left satisfied and wanting more. I'm going to have to make...

I’ve had xiao long bao at many locations on the west coast but if there is one place I’ll remember most fondly, it’s Mama Dough.

Upon entering the store, you’re immediately greeted by staff and can see them crafting dishes from behind a screen. The atmosphere is comfortable and genuine, no snootiness or pretentiousness usually attributed to their counterparts.

I personally ordered the pork xiao long bao, spicy pork xiao long bao, braised beef pancakes, and the boiled beef dumplings. While waiting, I had some delicious green tea while I chatted with some friends and watched the chefs prepare my meal.

First came the braised beef pancakes. While greasy, it was packed full of flavor. Well seasoned and complemented by the veggies packed inside.

The pork xiao long bao was delicious. Packed with meat and delicious broth. Served at the perfect temperature to immediately eat (although I like it pretty hot).

The boiled beef dumplings were slightly bland compared to the rest of the food. But combined with the vinegar and soy sauce, it was nice.

The spicy pork xiao long bao was my favorite part of the meal. The heat didn’t detract from the flavor in the slightest, but instead brought about a true umami.

I cannot wait to come here again. Do not hesitate to make the trip if you’re in the area, you...