"There’s a lot happening at the Great Wall Shopping Mall, including multiple hair salons, a massive Asian grocery store, and a boba shop with real sugar cane being shucked with the flair of a live Vegas show. But the most exciting place is Mama Dough—a Chinese restaurant making outstanding dumplings. Located in a quiet corner of the mall, this little spot with stark white walls and fluorescent lighting can appear a bit sterile at first. But the warmth from bamboo steamer baskets and watching dumplings being delicately crafted by hand make it a soothing escape. The food is exceptional, comes out quickly, and with plenty of empty tables you won't have to wait two hours for xiao long bao. (DTF we’re looking at you.) Food Rundown photo credit: Kayla Sager-Riley Pan Fried Pork Dumplings With Chives These juicy parcels are the best thing happening here. Each one is stuffed with a meaty pork filling and bright chunks of chives. If you order them pan-fried, which you absolutely should, they get a delicate cornstarch mixture on top. Pork Wonton In Spicy Sichuan Sauce Order these compact wontons that look like little Pop-It firecrackers, except they burst with a tasty filing instead of an annoying noise. The Sichuan sauce is sweet, light, and a little spicy with lots of umami.They’re not as extraordinary as the pan-fried dumplings, but still worth sharing. photo credit: Kayla Sager-Riley Spicy Eggplant Each piece of eggplant is candied in a sugary sticky sauce and deep-fried until it gets a nice puffy crust. It’s great, but heavy. And not at all spicy as the name suggests. photo credit: Kayla Sager-Riley Shrimp Fried Rice This is relatively straightforward, with just the right amount of egg and pops of soft peas and carrots. But because it’s not totally drenched in soy sauce during the cooking process, you can choose your own adventure with other condiments (it’s good plain, too). And if you’ve been scarred by dry shrimp in fried rice before, you’re safe here." - Kayla Sager-Riley
