Milt and I spent the last 2 days in New York City hanging out with Siobhan and Steve. Siobhan is an MBA student at New York University and Steve is a Law student at St. Johns University, both staled to graduate in May 2006. Even though this week is officially the start of MIT spring break, I can't really afford to spend too much time away from town. There is simply too much things I need to get done this week. So I only stayed for the weekend before driving back to Boston. Both Steve and Siobhan are doing well, each thriving in their own environment. I can see that they will eventually become the power couple that I know.

On our first night in New York, we went to Rickshaw Dumpling Bar for dinner. I think Siobhan had wanted to try this place out since the founder of this company is an NYU Stern alumnus and the company won 2nd prize in a business plan competition at NYU Stern School of Business last year. Rickshaw Dumpling Bar is a trendy but fast-food style restaurant that serves Chinese dumplings. However, I have a very different opinion of the place (and both Milt and Steve agree with me). I feel that:

1. The ordering of food at this place isn't as easy as ordering a Happy Meal at McDonalds. The ordering proces is fairly complicated as you can mix and match different options to get the final order that you want. To make things worse, the menu at the counter is confusing. For instance, the menu isn’t clear about ordering the dumplings as deep fried or steamed. If it is ordered steamed, it comes with soup, while deep fried dumplings come with dipping sauce. It also doesn't tell you that noodles are $3 extra. This makes it hard for first time customers to order what they want. Moreover, the staff wasn't helpful in explaining how the ordering process works.
2. Dumplings are mediocre at best. I ordered the Peking dumplings, which I thought they tasted very bare and the texture isn't as good as I have expected what good Chinese dumplings should be.
3. Last but not least, the prices are way too expensive. A bowl of Peking duck dumplings in Shitake mushrooms soup with noodles and a side order of salad cost me $16!!! I hardly tasted the duck or the Shitake mushrooms.

I dislike restaurants that look trendy on the outside but lack the substance in providing good value and tasty food to customers. Sadly, this place seem to fit this description so it gets a thumb down from me. Oh, go to Chinatown and get the real thing for $6. As for Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, I'll give it a 3.5/10.

3/21/2005 12:03:45 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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