7 Garden Dumpling & Noodle House has been a little buzzy on the intertubes as of late. Not that that means much these days. (The prevailing intertube personalities seem to be... less than discriminate.) But definitely seemed worth checking out. So I grabbed the Doux Deux and took them out for some lunch.
It's a little storefront joint, and whether a matter of design or frugality, I kind of love that the walls are still unfinished pressboard
![Very Happy :-D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
Anyhoo, the menu is pretty much self-contained within the name of the restaurant, as is the style of the time. Dumplings, noodles, and the unnamed section, claypots. But more on that later.
Can't say my first pass at the dumplings was very satisfying. We tried these, the "Spicy Chili and Onion Dumplings," and the "Snow Pot Stickers." They appear to be the same dumpling, one of them in a slightly spicy but mostly indistinct brown sauce.
There's a large section of "rice rolls," which bear more than a passing resemblance to Cantonese cheong fun, though I'm unsure whether these are considered a variant or a different dish entirely. We sprang for the $1 upcharge to get them "with egg," not realizing that the egg would be *in* the noodles. Though that certainly quashes any question of whether or not they're making the noodles fresh. I want to like these more than I do. It's difficult not to compare them to the cheong fun I know, and on that count they don't compare favorably. But A) I might be bringing an experiential prejudice to the table, and B) I'd like to try them again without the egg.
Beef chow fun fared a little better. A little oily, a touch underpowered. But perfectly tasty.
THIS however...
...was flipping DYNAMITE. There's a section of rice claypots on the menu, and we went with the standard Chinese sausage, which also includes some Chinese bacon, slivered ginger and a bit of bok choy. On the top, it's pretty much standard issue, if a little nicer than most. Packaged sausage and bacon is packaged sausage and bacon. Just don't screw it up. The bok choy was pleasantly crisp and juicy. Done just so. The magic, though, is underneath.
*chef's kiss*
Honest to god sizzling, crispy rice. The texture on this was fantastic. I'm so often disappointed when you get a sizzling rice claypot or a Korean dolsot and the undercarriage is just kind of oily and tough. Honestly, the photo says it all. I'd like to try some other items on the menu, particularly the noodle soups. But I'll come back just for this.
7 Garden Dumpling & Noodle House
7gardenhouse.com
480-687-7068
1818 W. Baseline Road
Mesa, AZ 85202