How’s your Year of the Snake going so far? That might be hard to say, considering it only kicked off a couple days ago. All the same, mine has started out pretty well because I got to go out and eat dumplings and Asian noodle dishes.
Backtracking a bit, January 29 was the Lunar New Year — aka the Chinese New Year — which marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake. If you’re taking the name as an ominous sign, don’t. The Year of the Snake is considered a time of passion, energy and transformation, although that’s a drastic oversimplification. (However, if you want to make other, more Western, inferences vis-à-vis the Year of the Snake, by all means do.)
Okay, back to food.
We opted for dumplings because recipes filled up Bonnie’s inbox in recognition of the Year of the Snake. We added noodle dishes at each place. Our two pan-Asian contestants are: Mangosteen, with locations in downtown St. Pete and North Tampa, and Hawkers in St. Pete.
MANGOSTEEN
Monday evening couldn’t have started better.
At 6:30, we pulled into a parking spot directly in front of Mangosteen, which is located amid a strip of indie businesses on the busy 600 block of Central Avenue. It was 60-degree sweater weather. The storefront lights glowed in the twilight.
Mangosteen is big and beautiful inside, lit in a royal-blue hue. We sat at a two-top in a row of tables along a wall-length banquette. Our server, Mira, a petite Filipina, couldn’t have been more delightful. She was bubbly and funny and so eager to serve that when she bowed slightly it didn’t seem practiced.
We ordered Pork Dumplings, steamed ($6.95); Duck Dumplings, pan-seared ($8.95); and (in keeping with the New Year theme) Drunken Noodle ($16.95).
Appearance
Dumplings that weren’t deep-fried and dry-looking. What a concept! I had chopsticks at the ready.
The ample chunks of chicken breast in the Drunken Noodle made me take pause. Would they be chalky and flavorless? Shouldn’t the pieces be smaller?
Texture and Taste
I started with the steamed pork dumpling. The thin pasta casing made way for luscious pork filling.
I didn’t recall if I’d ever had pan-seared dumplings but figured I would prefer them over deep-fried. Um, yeah. The duck dumplings were larger than the pork versions, and more substantial. The casing was firmer, but not tough. The shredded duck within — mixed with minced veggies — was tender and savory.
I needn’t have worried about the chicken in the Drunken Noodle. It was juicy and so supple I was able to easily fork-cut it into more bite-sized pieces. The onions and peppers — both green and red — popped with crunch, providing a a counterpoint to the viscous noodles. The dish was done up in an agreeably mild coconut milk curry.
We settled up, said goodbye to Mira and walked the 20 feet to our car. Monday evening couldn’t have ended any better.
HAWKERS
As we drove due west on Central Avenue, with the sun falling between the buildings, we were treated to a miniature pink sunset out off Treasure Island. Two tall palm trees on either side of street completed the tableau.
At 6:30 Wednesday, the restaurant had a 10-minute wait for an inside table. Good for you, Hawkers. It was a few degrees too nippy to sit outside, so we passed the time with a drink at the bar. Good on you, Hawkers, for having 3 Daughters Beach Blonde Ale ($8) on tap.
Right at 10 minutes, the host texted me the table was ready. We ordered Soup Dumplings ($13), steamed; Yi-Yi’s Chicken Dumplings ($10), wok-seared; and Curry Duck Noodles ($16); plus Roti Canai ($9), mandatory when we eat at Hawkers.
Appearance
Hawkers impresses me with how it presents its small plates — simple with subtle accents. The soup dumplings came in the customary bamboo bowl; the wok-seared chicken dumplings sat on a plain red plate, the noodles lay in a well-used aluminum bowl. The beer arrived in a plain pint glass with no too much head, as in filled to the top.
Texture and Taste
The soup dumplings werent’s all that soupy, at least not compared to the ones I’ve had in New York’s Chinatown. I made the mistake of popping a whole one into my mouth and got singed. That’s on me. I should know better. The velvety pasta gave way to a pork meatball — tender, if a bit nondescript.
The chicken dumplings had a visible sear on one side, which added some pleasant chewiness. Inside was a chicken meatball, also tender and a bit nondescript.
The oiliness of the duck permeated the noodle dish, so I set aside the chopsticks and went with the fork. The dish’s ample pieces of bird were delish, and the curry was understated. The spaghetti-shaped noodles made twirling a preferrable option.
Between Bonnie and I, we ate it all. No go-box necessary. Yay.
And the Winner of the Dueling Dumplings in the Year of the Snake Is …
Mangosteen.
Both restaurants served more than worthy dumplings and noodle dishes. But the innards of Mangosteen’s dumplings — especially the duck — edged out Hawkers’s meatball approach. Hawkers gets the (slight) nod in the noodle competition.
In case you’re wondering, Mangosteen is named after a fruit that’s native to Southeast Asia. Mangosteen does not serve mangosteen.
Side Note: This week marks the third year I’ve helmed Friday Food Fight. I started out subbing for the column’s founder, David Warner, with shepherd’s pie on January 21, 2022, then took it over full time. I’m grateful to the Registry Tampa Bay team for letting me run with this thing. It’s been a fun and delicious time.
Have a terrific Year of the Snake! May there be a multitude of sunsets like this …
