Off Hours: Ring in the Lunar New Year with a lesson in dumpling making (2024)

Elle Wignall|Des Moines Register

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The Deal

Here’s the deal: Tradition is beautiful. I’m a sucker for a connection to the past and future through the honorable act of repetition — especially when it involves food. There’s no better time to observe tradition in action than the holidays, and this week marks the peak of the celebratory period known by different names all over the world: the Lunar New Year.

Perhaps the most well known of these celebrations is the Chinese New Year, which correlates with a symbolic animal. Welcome to the Year of the Tiger.

In a quest to find out what celebrators are eating as they gift lucky red envelopesto children and spend quality time with family, I headed to Kitchen Spaces where the owners of Dumpling House DSM, Xin Song and Rainie Liu,prepare jiaozi, a Northern Chinese-style dumpling eaten every holiday.

Song and Liuimmigrated to Iowa from Changchun, China, with their now 18-year-oldson Eric Song in 2010. Settling in Des Moines, they noticed a lack of dumplings made the way they know and love them: a couple tablespoons of minced meat mixed with vegetables cocooned in chewy flour skin and pan-fried golden and crispy on the bottom. So in 2019, they decided it was time to show Des Moines what we've been missing.

More: Lunar New Year 2022: What does the holiday and the Year of the Tiger represent?

I watch as Liu and Song stand opposite each other over a metal workbench already brimming with uncooked dumplings.Song quickly but gently rolls pre-portioned balls of dough with a small pin until they are nearly see through. He hands them off to Liu, who even more quickly swipes the fillingacross the center of the round with a wooden spoon, stretching the skin around it then folding and pressing until the dumpling seals. Blink and you'll miss it— the entire process takes about six seconds.

In a day, the two of them alone can make between 700 and 800 dumplings.

Eric, now 18, remembers watching his grandmother do this process in China. During the Chinese New Year, he tells me, whole families crowd around to make dumplings together. They make enough for a week's worth of feasting culminating in a midnight meal on the New Year (this year that fell on Jan. 31). A family of four would prepare around 300 dumplings, Eric estimates. He helps translate his parents'comments as I continue watching the magic unfold in front of me.

“Back in really old China, the currency was kind of shaped like this,” Xin Song says, gesturing to the perfectly identical pale pouches, pinched and fanned to hold any number of filling combinations. "In China, everyone knows how to make dumplings, and when you're out on vacation or visiting somewhere else, you'll always want to eat dumplings to ensure good health and safety."

More: 10 fun ways to celebrate Lunar New Year with kids

Once formed and frozen, Song drops the dumplings into a large pot of boiling water. When the dumplings float, Liu adds a pitcher of water and they wait for it to boil and lift up the dumplings again. This refill and float process happens three times before the now edible dumplings move to a hot frying pan for a quick sear.

Liu asks if I'd like to try making a few of my own, and how could I resist? Standing by her side, she hands me the skin, incredibly soft to the touch— I'm immediately sure I am going to rip it apart. Following her lead, I dollop some of the pork and cabbage filling in the center. Easy.

Then, she slowly pulls the bottom of the skin up to meet the top and pinches the whole edge closed. Suddenly my hands feel very big and uncoordinated. A bit of pork oozes out of my not-quite-sealed dumpling. We march forward nonetheless, but she loses me at the fanning technique. Fold, fold, fold, fold, tight but gentle full-palm squeeze.

I present my misshapen creation for all to see, and we sharea giggle at the attempt.

"You get better with time," Liusays, smiling behind her mask. A few more tries result in a few more lumpy dumplings, even as she folds her hands atop mine to guide them. It won't be the day I master dumpling making, but I am touched and grateful to get to experience this centuries-old tradition alongside the experts.

More: Off Hours: Explore West Des Moines through the eyes of a newcomer, plus cupcakes, workouts and more

My top three places to eat your way throughthe Lunar New Year

1.Dumpling House DSM, 1139 24th St.: Stand down, soup dumplings. These Northern Chinese jiaozi are a whole different experience. Liuand Song sell half-dozen and dozen bunches of dumplings in seven varieties; the most popular is pork and chive. Once you bite through the chewy, thickened skin, the soft filling releases captured steam and a wonderful aroma.Each order comes with soy sauce and homemade chili oil for dipping. Order online for takeoutevery Sunday from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

2.Mandarin Grill & Sushi Bar, 1250 N.W. 128th St., Clive: The Mandarin Grill has an extensive specialty menu of Chinese, Japanese and Korean favorites. To celebrate the new year, try a whole steamed fish. It's said that enjoying a fish served head to tail on the Lunar New Year will bring good fortune and abundance. Stop in Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., or Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

3.Lucky Lotus, 2721 Ingersoll Ave.: The team at Lucky Lotus is debuting a monthlong Lunar New Year menu for February to keep the celebrations rolling. Try Cantonese-style wok-fried rice noodles and tofu or pork stuffed steamed buns.Wash it all down with a hibiscus orangeade, combining hibiscus tea, orange juice and lemonade. Lucky Lotus is serving Mondays from 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5to 8 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m.

Lunar New Year celebrators: I want to hear your traditions! Tell me what you've been eating this holiday season at ewignall@registermedia.com.

More: Lunar New Year symbolic foods are based on Chinese hom*ophones: A USA TODAY reporter explains

Eat This, Drink That

Mapo tofu ramen —$16:This Sichuan-style ramen takeout from Ramen Club DSM came deconstructed to keep all the ingredients fresh. In went the fresh made noodles and cubes of silken tofu dressed in a punchy, peppery Sichuan sauce. A note on the noods — Trish Myers and their team have been perfecting the recipe for years using a high-gluten flour for lots of bite.They're heaven in a bowl.

A pour of deeply savory roasted vegetable broth helped loosen the noodles from each other. On top, a layer of bright green pickled baby bok choy, bean sprouts and scallions added color and crunch. I am obsessed with the mouth-numbing effect of Sichuan peppercorn, which I took up another notch with an extra drizzle of Ramen Club’s homemade chili oil. I was audibly moaning with each chewy slurp of noodles, catching soft bites of tofu and spoonfuls of broth along the way. 10/10 will eat again.

Get it: Ramen Club DSM is a pop-up shop started in 2019, operating on Wednesday nights only at Kitchen Spaces, 1139 24th St. The menu rotates monthly, so forgo your FOMO and order for carryout or limited dine in online. Reach them at515-205-6524.

More: Off Hours: Feel like a kid again by painting some pottery in Des Moines, plus Middle Eastern food and more

Soda chanhsữa hột gà — $5:Part-beverage part-dessert, Vietnamese egg soda mixes club soda, egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk for a velvety, golden drink. I got mine at A Dong with lime juice for a little kick of acidity to offset the sweetness. It’s super creamy and custardy from the fatty egg yolk, but there’s still a sparkle of carbonation that makes it feel light and refreshing.

Get it:Vietnamese staple A Dong at1511 High St.servesegg sodas over ice either plain or with lime. Get it to complement a hearty bowl of pho, or grab one to go like I did for an afternoon treat. A Dong is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reach the restaurantat515-284-5632.

What's the best thing to eat in town that I haven't tried? Hit me with your suggestions on Twitter, @ElleWignallDMR.

48 Hours Off

Friday night: Head to Hawk Heaven Tavern at 805 17th Ave., Altoona, for a grown-up game night. On the first Friday of every month, this Iowa Hawkeyes-themed bar breaks out the board and card games starting at 7 p.m. Get competitive with the classics including Monopoly, Yahtzee and UNO. Admission is free, and attendees are encouraged to bring their favorite games and some friends. Tables will be spaced 6feet apart to encourage social distancing.

Saturday morning: Take the kids to the Franklin Avenue Library, 1326 Forest Ave., to pick up a freeTết party bag full of Lunar New Year goodies. The bags come stocked with a dragon dance craft, a "Gourd Crab Shrimp Fish" game and a red envelope traditionally given to children for good luck during the new year. The library opens at 10 a.m., and bags are limited.

Saturday afternoon: Grab your ticket to Saturday's 11 a.m. show of Step Afrika! at the Des Moines Civic Center,221 Walnut St. The hour-long show performed by the San Jose Taikoperformers features body percussion and traditional Zulu dance mixed with contemporary stepping. Inspired by traditional Japanese drumming, the group blends Asian American movement and music with other world rhythms including jazz, Brazilian and Filipino. Tickets range from $12 to $24.

More: Up-and-coming country star Hailey Whitters returns to her Iowa roots with a show at Wooly's

Heart Warmer

Local nonprofit The Supply Hive is planning its year ahead, and it's full of opportunities to help provide mutual aid to your fellow citizens of Des Moines. Started during the social justice protests of 2020, The Supply Hive originally came to fruition to help provide sustenance and supplies to protesters. Now, cofounders Zakariyah Hill and Aaliyah Quinn have raised and distributed more than $60,000 in cash and supplies such as food, clothing and cold-weather backpacks loaded with necessities.

"We're reaching a milestone in our journey that we can identify what it is that we do well, like hosting fundraisers, collecting supplies and dispersing supplies," Hill said.

As they grow, they could use your help. Here are three ways to get involved:

Volunteer at The Supply HiveCommunity Garden. Located inEdna Griffin Park at the intersection of 13th Street and College Avenue, the community garden provides free produce for the community and hosts a variety of events including seed swaps. As the weather begins to warm, Hill says, volunteers will start planting a variety of vegetable seeds. Sign up to volunteer here.
Grab a group of friends and coordinate a supply bag stocking day. Reach out to The Supply Hive to spend a few hours packing essential supply bags that are distributed to domestic abuse survivors, youth in the foster care system and people who are unhoused. The packs include hygiene items and other gear like gloves, first aid packs and reusable eating utensils. Last month, the synchronized swimming club at Roosevelt High School helped pack dozens of bags for distribution. Reach out to The Supply Hive to coordinate a supply packing day.
Give a cash donation. No time to volunteer but still want to find a way to help out? The Supply Hive is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and cash donations help the groupcoordinate supplies and provide community resources. As a charity organization, none of the board members take a salary, so all donated money goes toward fulfilling their mission of community nourishment."Nobody should get paid just to do the right thing," Hill said.

More: Want in on secret spots to have fun in Des Moines? We've got a newsletter for that.

Around Town

My Day Job

Here's to a happy, healthy and lucky new year. If you want to keep up with Des Moines' everchanging dining scene, follow my work here. Some big changes of note include RC's Diner's new name, look and ownership situation as well as a tasting room coming to the East Village from Table 128 chef Lynn Pritchard.Next week, Anne Ducharme-Jones of the rock bandDucharme-Jones explores whether Des Moines with its extensive local music scene is the new Austin.See you later, Des Moines!

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