You know you've reached the Mandoo Bar when you come across the window with women labouring over colorful, small and pinchable dumplings. Walking in, the room becomes a narrow rectangular chamber... More

You know you've reached the Mandoo Bar when you come across the window with women labouring over colorful, small and pinchable dumplings. Walking in, the room becomes a narrow rectangular chamber with individual wooden flat benches and tables that stretch along both walls. The walls are painted a soft-muted blue-green with areas of recessed lighting that lends further to the warmth and ambiance. Resting against the wall are bottles of soy sauce, vinegar and hot sauce. You can whip up your own varying [spicy] degree of dipping sauce! As you are seated, menus are quickly handed out and plates of kimchee and muwu (pickled radish) are placed upon the table. Besides dumplings, they also have soups, rice, noodles and traditional dishes (pajun, dduk boki). The best experience is to order a bunch of dumplings (10-12 a plate) and share. Personal recommendations, seafood mandoo, goon mandoo (pan-fried pork dumplings with vegetables), kimchee mandoo, and vegetable goon mandoo.The price is moderate to expensive (dumplings we ordered range from $5.99 - $7.99). They also serve Chungha: cold rice wine with a 14% alcohol content. It is on the sweet side. Reminds me of the fermented jarred rice my mom used to feed us as kids. Hah, or perhaps it was a way of inducing sleep.The one complaint, I would say, service is hit or miss: efficient one visit or a bit slow -- rather the waiters are not that attentive. You have to flag them down. The good thing is that they don't rush you out of the place.
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