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| Open Top Pork and Shrimp Sui Mai |
I used to be a fan of the Duck and the Dumpling Asian restaurant, and was disappointed when it closed. So I was thrilled to hear The Duck and the Dumpling's chef David opened his own, chef owned and operated, establishment David's Noodle and Dumpling. David's newest foodie enterprise is located on Hillsborough St. in Raleigh across the street from NC State University. He always seems to be there (does the man ever take a day off?), and frequently greets each table himself, usually with a amuse bouche of delicious carrot ginger soup. The food is dished up in a classy modern atmosphere. But lets get down to the main event! The entrees I've tried (which are several...) have all been good to varying degrees, but as the name implies the noodles and dumplings are truly the stars of the show. Strangely, the number of dumplings on the menu are fairly limited, but they are all well done. Dumplings include David's signature half fried dumplings, with a juicy meatball like interior (good, but I'd like to have some veg in here too), well seasoned fried mushroom edamame dumplings that are short on meat but not flavor, and the steamed pork and shrimp open top shui mai, which are probably my favorite of the bunch. The noodles are sure to please, and with the notable exception of the lo mein (good, but a bit oily), they generally come in soup form. David is Vietnamese and despite working in a Chinese restaurant in Vietnam, you can taste his Vietnamese roots in the pho. An ex boyfriend and close friend of mine got me hooked on his favorite noodle soup years ago (we still go out for pho when we meet up), and my taste for the fresh taste of basil laden pho was intensified on a trip to Vietnam. David's version is different then my favorite local Vietnamese hole in the wall, it may be slightly less authentic (no mystery meats or aweful here) but he stays true to the favor profile in a clean, contemporary version of the iconic Vietnamese soup. I've been here several times for soup when I was feeling under the weather. Pho is the ultimate cure-all. Never-the-less my favorite noodle dish here is
definitely the Malaysian Curry Noodle Soup. I prefer the more toothsome egg noodles to the rice noodles of the pho. The soup has a heavenly everything but the kitchen sink combination of noodles, dumplings, chicken, basil, and a perfectly balanced rich curry broth. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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| Malaysian Curry Noodle Soup |
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| Fried Mushroom Edamame dumplings |
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| Lo Mein |
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| Kung Po Chicken |
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| Spring Rolls |
What to pass up on? The spring rolls. Usually the Vietnamese get these spot on, however crispy the exterior, the interior of these miss the mark. The vegetables are in a moo goo gai pan type sauce that is tasteless and turns the interior into mush. I probably don't even need to say this, but also skip the chocolate cake. Chef David is very talented, but he is a chef, not a baker. His kitchen doesn't seem to measure out the ingredients, which though fine when cooking, doesn't work out so well with baking. The flourless chocolate cake has the consistency and taste of a flourless chocolate sponge served in a ramekin and topped with quickly melting whipped cream (fortunately there is a sponge there to soak up the mess.) Chocolate sponge and goopy spring roll not withstanding, most items on the menu are very well executed. I love the combination of authentically flavored dishes (like Chinese greens and dumpling soup or pork, pickled turnip and ginger soup below) executed in more American friendly style (think white meat chicken) and dishes that even your finicky "I only eat sesame chicken" sort of friends will be happy with. The prices here are excellent for the quality of food and atmosphere that you are getting, making this a definite underfinanced foodie fav and a go-to restaurant for me.
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| Ginger Lamb |
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| Pork, Pickled Turnip and Ginger Soup |
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