After eight months in the making, Dumpling District opened its “flagship” location alongside a new Kung Fu Tea in Pentagon City last week.
The two businesses share a space in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, next to Häagen-Dazs on the mall’s Metro level entrance. Though Dumpling District has four other spots across the D.C. area, this is its first ever dine-in location with sit-down service.
Founded by restaurateur Zong Chen, Dumpling District offers both authentic and fusion Shanghainese cuisine.
The restaurant’s signature dish is Rainbow Soup Dumplings: a serving of six fresh, multicolored dumplings in different flavors: traditional pork, mala (spicy pork), crab and pork, chicken, shrimp and zucchini, and pork with black truffle.
“I was like, ‘Chef, since soup dumplings have six [per serving], why don’t we make six flavors, one of each?'” Chen told ARLnow.
Initially developing the Rainbow Dumplings three years ago caused some tensions with traditional Chinese chefs, Chen said, because some dumplings have unconventional fillings, like chicken, to cater to various diets.
“It’s like, when you go to Italy, try to tell the grandma ‘make pasta this way,’ [and] she’s going to say, ‘Get out of my house,'” Chen joked.
Despite doubts, the dish caught on quickly with customers and saw success, eventually becoming the house specialty, Chen said. Other Dumpling District offerings include a variety of dim sum, as well as soups, stir fry dishes and rolls.
The shared location with Kung Fu Tea, a national chain, means customers may also order from an expansive menu of classic iced tea, milk tea, coffee, frozen slushes and Yakult yogurt-based beverages.
Some new drinks at Kung Fu Tea include apple-flavored oolong, green and black teas for the fall, as well as malted Thai, oolong and black milk teas.
Dumpling District, an expanding D.C-area chain, has plans to roll out promotional features, including an app, in the next two months, Marketing Director Matthew Hall told ARLnow.
“We’re really excited about the app, the new website, the rewards program,” Hall said. “All of that stuff is going to be happening in the next 45 to 60 days.”
The restaurant is also working to develop its catering menu. This is all in addition to four new stores currently in the works across the D.C. area.
The Fashion Centre’s Dumpling District is the restaurant’s second spot in Arlington, joining a Ballston Quarter kiosk that began its soft opening phase in April. This is Kung Fu Tea’s third Arlington location, joining locations in Clarendon and Ballston.
