By Maddie McComb 

On a recent calm Sunday afternoon, I visited Dumpling and Noodle Cart alongside Kate Smigelski (‘25). We walked through Carytown and found the restaurant with a “Now Open” sign. 

When we first entered, the restaurant was tranquil, with only two other customers and two employees visible. The downstairs had a few tables, but overall, there was only a little decoration and seating. The restaurant was mostly decorated with wood, including a wood counter, seats, and tables. 

As Smigelski and I looked over the menu, we realized that the menu was minimal but also very affordable. The menu, which was displayed on a chalkboard, only had seven items, with four main headlines: Cold Noodles, Dumplings, Hot Buns, and Soup. The most expensive items on the menu, for six dollars, were the dumplings and the soup. Smigelski and I ordered pan-fried pork dumplings and sweet and sour spicy noodles. We also asked the employee taking orders which Hot Bun was better: the Steamed Pork bun or the Steamed Veggie bun. From her recommendation, we added the Steamed Pork bun to our order. Together, these three items were only $14 before tax and tip. 

We then waited near the counter for our food. Behind the counter is the kitchen, easy to access for the staff. We waited for less than five minutes before being handed our food on a tray. 

We then walked upstairs to try our food. As I walked up the stairs, there was a beautiful, colorful painting of a tree alongside the stairs. This painting was very different and intriguing, as nowhere else in the restaurant had art. Smigelski and I also noticed the chandelier upstairs, which was very modern and beautiful. Since this is a new restaurant, we wondered if they would be adding more artwork like the tree in the near future. When reaching the top of the stairs, there were a few tables in a row.

First, we tried the Pan Fried Pork Dumpling. Seven dumplings were filled with pork, leek, and ginger, with homemade soy and spicy sauce underneath. Smigelski commented that “the dumplings’ sauce was really good by adding a lot of extra flavor to the dumplings.” As the dumplings were golden brown, they had a perfect crunch to them and just the right amount of pork in them.  

Then, we tried the sweet sour spicy noodles, which were thin, long noodles topped with sliced apples, cilantro, green onions, and roasted sesame seeds. The homemade soy sauce and spicy sauce were also underneath the noodles. After mixing the noodles with the sauce, we tried the noodles, which had an interesting flavor to them from the sauces. Smigelski rated the noodles a “seven out of ten. I liked the sauce they were in.” My favorite part of the noodles was the stemmed apples with the sauce, as the apples were sweeter than usual. Apples with soy sauce might sound unpleasant, but the apples were very tasty with the added sweetness.

The Steamed Pork Hot Bun is a soft-stemmed bun that creates a very fluffy outer layer that holds the barbecued pork inside. The sauce is carefully drizzled on top. This was the first hot bun I have ever had, and I thought that it had a very interesting texture and taste. I liked the pork inside; however, I did not love the soft bun around it because the fluffy outside created a weird texture in my mouth. 

In 2018, the Dumpling and Noodle Cart opened as a food cart near VCU. In an article for WRIC, Tannock Blair interviewed the owner, Choega Dhondup. Blair examined how “Dhondup said his food truck mainly operated on university campuses, meaning that it was required to close during semester breaks.” In November 2023, Dhondup opened a restaurant in Carytown to avoid the difficulties of regulating around a college. The cart is still operating in downtown Richmond. 

Overall, Dumplings and Noodle Cart was a positive experience. The new restaurant was very affordable with tasty, delicious food. They had quick, friendly service. For me, the dumplings were my favorite, as they continue to savor in my mouth. If you ever find yourself in Carytown wanting a quick and easy yummy lunch or dinner, I would recommend giving Dumplings and Noodles Cart a try.

All photos by Maddie McComb.