Easy there, no need to be so down in the dump…ling.
Of course you must be sad knowing that Drunken Dumpling has been closed for all of last year, and while you might have assumed that that closure would become permanent, What Now New York is happy to say that it is not. That’s right, after a difficult year of severe challenges, Drunken Dumpling is finally reopening its doors at 137 1st Avenue.
Established in 2016, Drunken Dumpling was founded by Chef Yuan Lee as an homage to authentic, traditionalist Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings, commonly referred to as XLB). A lifelong foodie, Yuan graduated from an international culinary management program and opened up the restaurant of his dreams, bringing real home cooking to the East Village.
And when Yuan says “home cooking,” he’s not just using another marketing buzzword – he really means it. It wouldn’t be family home cooking without a family, and that’s why every meal at Drunken Dumpling is prepared by Yuan’s mother, Executive Chef Qihua Guan. And customers definitely notice the difference, Chef Guan is always mentioned in the numerous glowing reviews the restaurant earns.
Drunken Dumpling is especially well known for their unique twist on the soup dumpling – the XL XLB – an Extra Large pork dumpling filled with homemade chicken, pork, and vegetable broth and flavored by a seafood medley.
Drunken Dumpling closed its doors temporarily in March of 2020, and when other restaurants began reopening on a provisional basis, Yuan decided to remain closed to protect the health of his staff and community until further progress could be made in combatting the pandemic. Fans were nervous about what that might mean for the future of their favorite restaurant, but thankfully those days are now behind us. While Yuan hasn’t detailed when specifically he intends to reopen Drunken Dumpling, he has been steadily teasing it on social media.
