Few things are more satisfying than a plate of plump dumplings, which makes the recent arrival of Tiger Dumplings in Clarendon something to celebrate. The menu features 13 kinds of steamed or soup dumplings, plus a trio of crispy-bottomed pot stickers, with most priced around $12 per order.
Other offerings on the (mostly) Northern Chinese menu include soups, rice and noodle dishes, and appetizers such as Chengdu-style cold poached chicken in hot oil ($9.95) and Shanghai braised roast duck ($15.95).
Chef-owner Leopold Liao was born in Inner Mongolia, but lived in Beijing until he was 14, when he immigrated to Arlington to live with his godfather. He began working in the restaurant business in high school and developed a passion for it. After graduating from H-B Woodlawn, he started a dumpling food truck in 2010 called Hot People (now closed). Other projects followed, among them Reren Lamen in D.C. (since sold) and Asian Origin in Tysons (now closed).
Liao lives in Arlington with his wife, Lauren, and three children. He chose Clarendon for his latest venture to be close to home, naming the 3,000-square-foot, 75-seat restaurant as a nod to his youngest daughter, who was born in 2022, the Year of the Tiger.
Hungry guests can watch the dumplings being made, with fillings such as pork and chive; shrimp and celery; lamb and carrot; or pork and corn. A fancy upgrade ($24.95) features Wagyu beef and truffle.Â
“They are northern-style dumplings with thin skins,” says Liao. “In the U.S., people think of dumplings as an appetizer, but in Northern China, they’re an entrée. We eat them at every holiday and family gathering.”
That’s a tradition we can get behind.