Mama's Dumpling Coffee - Richmond

Hidden in the industrial park behind Steveston Highway 's Ironwood Plaza is Mama 's Dumplings and Coffee. It has some roadside signage but if you didn 't know they were there, you would go looking for them. That 's a shame because they seem to be turning out some tasty eats. No doubt those employed in the area are aware and I 'm guessing they are busier during the week than on the weekend when we ordered for takeout (which is all that is currently available). We started with their Xiao Long Bao which were certainly decent. We have had better but under the circumstances, they were impressive. Inside was tasty soup and a nice little pork nugget. Considering the abuse they endured (take out), the wrapping stood up well. It was neither too thick nor did we lose a lot of soup. Well done!Next up was Deep Fried Pork and Veggies in Clay Pot. We would later agree that this was the star of the show! The soup itself was peppery and amazing with a generous amount of a clear noodle that I would have guessed were Korean sweet potato noodles (but were probably not). They had a nice chew. There were a few greens and then in a separate container came the deep-fried pork pieces. We love deep-fried morsels with just a quick dip in soup. Excellent!Last on our 'eating in the park ' menu were the vegetarian dumplings. These were a little plain although they had good texture. Inside were some greens and I am not quite sure what else. It might have been small pieces of radish and onion. They came with soy sauce and malt vinegar which helped but we felt like something more impactful was necessary such as a hot sauce or chilli oil. Still, they were one of the two vegetarian offerings we tried and there were quite a few other items available.The second vegetarian dish that we tried (vegan actually), was Ma Po Tofu. Usually, this dish includes ground pork but this was a very good version without it. The highlight is the Szechuan peppercorn slightly numbing quality and I could not leave it alone until it was finished.. Perfect with rice.Finally came Stewed Beef Noodle Soup. Again this came in multiple containers and we combined it at home to stellar results. Fatty tender beef pieces in beefy stock with some greens and noodles, another succulent dish. All in all, this turned out to be 2 meals for us at just over $50.The dining room is a little lonely right now with chairs up waiting for when things get back to normal. In the meantime, especially if you are nearby, this is a place to support by getting your lunch or dinner to go. Check out their decently extensive menu on their website. We really enjoyed what we tried.

If you were to ask what one food item seems to cross cultural boundaries, it’s probably the humble dumpling. Whether you call it a dumpling, gyoza, perogy, ravioli, or samosa… every culture has some form of dumpling. And, if you ask someone, they’ll usually say that no one makes dumplings like Mama (I don’t know from experience because my mother never made dumplings – but that’s another story).

Mama’s Dumpling Coffee has been on my list to try ever since I randomly read about it. What’s not to love? Hole in the wall, random industrial spot specializing in dumplings? You know I’m down. Signs from the street. We dropped in on a Tuesday afternoon (around 1:00pm). The place wasn’t too busy but it was about half full. We missed the lunch rush; apparently, they cleaned out all of the Shanghai-style fried pork buns. More ridiculous is that they make these fresh and it can take up to 30 minutes to prepare!

I really love Mama Dumplings! All the dumplings and noodles are made without MSG, which means I can sleep well after my meal. Thank you, Mama!

The food is fantastic, the coffee is excellent, and the service is exceptional. I will definitely come back!