Wontons vs. Dumplings?
Fresnoland's food editor digs in.
Dumplings seem to exist across food cultures, be they pierogi, ravioli, manti, momo, empanada, or samosa. In this writer’s opinion, dumplings make the best opening order with any unfamiliar restaurant or cuisine, usually packing the most flavors and signature ingredients into the smallest packages, frequently assembled lovingly by the most senior chefs in the kitchen (with the nimblest hands). Call it “dumpling theory.” At my first kitchen job in a Chinese restaurant, it was the chef/owner’s parents who made all the dumplings; the rest of us weren’t allowed to touch dough.
Dumplings generally and Chinese dumplings specifically seem to be having a bit of a moment. Buzzy spots like Supreme Dumplings in San Francisco and Paradise Dynasty in LA have debuted to packed dining rooms and long lines (and occasionally unimpressed reviews). These same writeups often credit Din Tai Fung, a global Taiwanese chain that expanded to New York and Southern California in 2024, with helping usher in dumplemania. Many focus specifically on xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, a jumbo Hershey’s Kiss-sized parcel of ground meat surrounded by hot broth that bursts in your mouth (or on a spoon) when you eat it. (The secret is the gelatine-ized stock packed inside during construction. Shhh.)
Fresno, interestingly, isn’t as late to the game as we often are with big city trends. Jingle Bao opened in an old Boston Market on Bullard and 41 near Fresno State in January, while Dumpling U took over the former location of Helen’s Gourmet Chinese Food at Fresno and Alluvial a week earlier (Helen’s owner retired, according to The Bee). While Jingle Bao is a one-off (so far), Dumpling U is reportedly the third location from one of the partners of Dumpling Yo! in Sacramento and Stockton. (We’d like to think they assumed the Fresno clientele was more educated, hence the switch from Yo! to U. These dumplings are matriculating).
Both menus lean heavily on dumplings, generally (as well as noodles), and on soup dumplings, specifically. And both generated long lines following their openings (in Dumpling U’s case, allegedly in part due to a viral TikTok). It’s actually striking the degree to which the concepts mirror each other, complete with glass-enclosed dumpling assembling stations up front for easy viewing, and flatscreens playing food footage, in case you want to watch a mini-documentary about the food you’re about to eat while you wait for your table.
All in all, the perfect basis for a Showdown.
The parameters
We tried to do our best to get a one-to-one comparison while also sampling a complete cross-section of signature dishes.
Potstickers/Dumplings
Jingle Bao: Pork Potstickers (pan fried), six for $14.95.
Excellent crunchy bottoms. No lace on the bottom, but topped with sliced scallions. The filling is moist and cooked just right, though maybe ever so slightly underseasoned. Dipping sauce is a little on the sweeter side. 8.5/10
Dumpling U: Pan-fried dumplings (pork option), 8 for $13.95.
Gorgeous and lacy fried bottoms (usually done by adding a starchy water mix to the pan while frying), topped with chives. Wrapper on the thinner side, which feels less hand-made, but cooked just right. The interior is juicy, but also slightly underseasoned. The extra crunch from the lace is very nice though. 8/10
Soup Dumplings
Dumpling U: House soup dumplings (classic pork option), $14.95 for eight.
Dumpling U’s menu offers some directions on how to eat soup dumplings. They suggest dipping in the sauce, placing on a spoon, poking with chopsticks to release the broth, and then sipping the hot broth carefully. Generally I don’t like to be told how to eat, but these are actually good suggestions that I feel pretty dumb for not knowing before now. And so, for the first time, I attempt to eat this soup dumpling the “right” way, rather than just shoving the whole hot thing in my mouth like a barbarian as I used to do.
Trouble right away. Their spoons, a little smaller than standard flat-bottomed Asian spoons, aren’t big enough! I attempt it anyway, and… umami bomb straight away from the broth. Also notably heavy on the white pepper. The wrapper feels a little thicker than their potstickers, more homemade. Filling is perfectly seasoned and of course, very juicy. 8/10
Jingle Bao: Pork Xiao Long Bao, eight for $14.95.
No spoons here, but they do come with little bowls, which work better than the spoon. Soft steamed noodle wrapper on the outside, served in a steamer. Poking it open, the nice savory broth trickles out. Not as white pepper heavy as Dumpling U’s, which is different, though I’m not sure which I prefer. Juicy, porky filling. I’m not blown away, but it’s solid. 8/10
Spicy Wonton
Dumpling U: Sichuan style wonton, 12 for $12.95.
Classic wonton, with small dough balls wrapped in very thin noodle, with extra noodle at the top. They’re served swimming in red Sichuan oil with chopped herbs (along with other ingredients I can’t identify) on top. Now these are my absolute favorite. The wontons are plenty moist without any broth component, and the sauce is a perfect mix of spicy, savory, herbaceous, and savory. Heat is assertive, but not overbearing (less spicy than a Mexican taqueria salsa, say). 10/10
Jingle Bao: Spicy wonton (pork and shrimp filling), 12 for $12.95
Same as Dumpling U – wontons in a bowl, swimming in a pool of vibrant red sauce with lots of herbs on top. The noodle bouquet at the top of each wonton looks slightly longer. The spice comes on assertively, though not overpoweringly so. A little more herb-heavy and slightly less sweet than Dumpling U’s. I think I like the all-pork filling in Dumpling U’s a little better than these, which have pork and shrimp. Still very good. 9/10
Pan-Fried Pork Bun/Bao
Dumpling U: Pan-fried pork buns, six for $14.95.
I was expecting those buns with the thick, spongey dough, but these are more like slightly thicker round dumplings (definitely a noodle dough). These might be cutest-looking of all the dishes sampled, round white dough balls, with fried bottom, garnished with black sesame seeds and shredded scallion. Biting in, these are scalding hot on the inside. Ouch. I wasn’t expecting these to be as juicy as the soup dumplings, but they are. Call it user error. I try instead to put it on a spoon like the menu suggests, but again, spoon too small. Even more inadequate for the larger pork buns like this. Much thicker wrapper on this one than on the other dumplings, and more noticeably wheat-y. I don’t think I like these *as* much, but I also have second degree burns on my tongue. Growing on me, the wheat-y wrappers get better and better. Can’t entirely get past the inconvenient size for something with this much broth inside though. (Note: I did eventually discover the small bowls on the table, no doubt intended to be used to handle larger dumplings like this in lieu of the spoons). 7.5/10
Jingle Bao: Pan-Fried Juicy Pork Bun, six for $13.95.
These look almost identical to Dumpling U’s, only with a spongier dough that’s distinctly more “bread” than “noodle”. Closer to what I was expecting, but also thinner, which is better. A bit fewer scallions and sesame seeds on top. Learned my lesson with the other ones, so I’m using the little bowl and sampling carefully. The broth isn’t quite as scalding, but equally squirty. Filling is more noticeably cabbage flavored. I definitely like the thin spongey dough better than the thick, wheaty noodle dough. These are very good. I might be biased on account of my mouth not burning but I think I like these better. 8.5/10
Extras
Jingle Bao: Berkshire truffle xiao long bao, eight for $22.95.
Wow, this one is a true showstopper, black wrapped soup dumplings garnished with plops of gold dust. Can’t tell what the gold powder tastes like, must be just for looks (gold food mostly do be like that). The dumpling is perfectly juicy and bursting with liquid, an umami bomb, along with a noticeable, but slightly underwhelming truffle note. This one is seasoned just right. I know they’re putting “fancy” stuff on here just to charge more (a la “wagyu” anything and Salt Bae’s gold-leaf wrapped steaks), but at least the taste is on point. 9/10
Dumpling U: House Special Beef Roll, three for $17.95
These are like mini burritos, with beef wrapped inside a scallion pancake and cut down the middle, sort of halfway between a spring roll and a burrito. I love a scallion pancake but feel like they should be more substantial somehow, and this, with the meat inside, kind of scratches that itch. The pancake wrapping is beautiful and flaky. The tender strips of beef on the inside are hoisin flavored and there are julienned cucumbers in there for crunch. I know I’ve had something like this before but I can’t remember where [Update from later, once it dawned on me: I’m pretty sure it’s a sense memory of Peking Duck]. I love the idea of this, but the flavor is kind of one-note sweet and I get tired of them quickly. 7/10
Jingle Bao: Shrimp and pork dumplings, eight for $13.95.
These are like non-soup soup dumplings, served in the same steamer. Soft noodle exterior. The interior is nice, but seems slightly underseasoned again. Shrimp perfectly cooked. The sauce has a bit more of a vinegar kick than the sweeter potsticker sauce. Not as good as potstickers otherwise though. 7.5/10
The vibe
Jingle Bao: Wide open, clean. TVs playing food footage, guy making dumplings behind glass. Staff are numerous and exceptionally helpful. 8/10
Dumpling U: A little more cramped and crowded, but the customers seem happy to be here and even chat with each other. There’s a waitlist system where you check in on a tablet and get a text when your table is ready. Efficient! More TVs, people making dumplings behind glass right in the entryway. Staff also very helpful, opening service with “have you dined with us before?” 7/10
The verdict
Can I say something without everyone getting mad at me? I think xiao long bao are a bit gimmicky. That being said, if people getting over-hyped about soup dumplings is the price for having multiple restaurants specializing dumplings (my dream!), it’s more than worth it. Soup dumplings specifically wouldn’t be my first order at either place, but I like both restaurants a lot. Likewise, the juicy pork buns, though I prefer them to the soup dumplings, would probably be improved by being able to eat them without them squirting on me. The wrapper and filling are good enough without turning them into exploding broth squibs. Glad to have them either way though.
The verdict here is a bit tough, since the spicy wontons are probably my favorite dish at either, and Dumpling U definitely has the superior spicy wonton. But Jingle Bao’s juicy pork buns are a close second, and between those and the less cramped vibe, I’m choosing Jingle Bao. That said, you can certainly order Sichuan wontons from Dumpling U to go. Which I most certainly will be doing.
Top menu pick
Jingle Bao: Pan fried juicy pork bun.
Dumpling U: Sichuan wonton.
For what it’s worth, Yelp currently has Jingle Bao at 4.2 and Dumpling U at 4.4.
Have a favorite dumpling place worthy of our next Showdown? Let us know by sending a note to vince@fresnoland.org.
