Shu Jiao Fu Zhou, NYC

I haven't explored much of New York's Chinatown yet, besides a meal at Golden Diner right next door, and getting soft serve from Soft Swerve a few times.  I'm not really sure why, as I do sometimes really like dumplings, noodles, and dim sum.  And I certainly like cheap, affordable eats, and ones that are takeout friendly.  Chinatown has all of that, in particular, at Shu Jiao Fu Zhou.

"Shu Jiao Fu Zhou is a simple yet iconic Chinese cafe located in New York City’s Chinatown. Known for its handmade dumplings, comforting noodles, and unbeatable prices, this  restaurant has earned a loyal following among both locals and visitors.

Their own description really does sum up my understanding of the place too.  This is really no frills, low cost, iconic.  If you visit in person, they are cash only.  They do not have a social media page.  The menu is relatively small: dumplings (several kinds, boiled or fried), noodle soups, noodles with peanut sauce, and a side of cucumber salad.  No stir fries, other noodle dishes, no other dim sum items, etc.

I was excited to try their peanut noodles, after hearing a bunch of great reviews. We ordered a bunch of takeout for a little celebration at my office.  I also got to try a few kinds of dumplings, both steamed and fried.

Veggie Dumpling / 素饺.
$6.50 / 8.

First up, the most boring item we got, veggie dumplings.  These come 8 to an order.

They were ok, but not great, definitely not something I'd get again.  Kinda generic minced veggies inside (and I think a bit of egg?), no strong aromatics.  The wrappers were decent, soft, pliable, but many were burst open.  Fairly average thickness.  I really needed good dipping sauce with these to jazz them up (their included soy and red vinegar hot sauce weren't quite enough).  Low 3/5.

Pork and Cabbage Dumplings / 猪肉白菜水饺.
$6.75 / 10.

Next up, the steamed pork and cabbage.  For some reason, they come with 10 to an order (instead of 8 like the veggie) even though they are also steamed dumplings.  They cost $0.25 more as well. 

These had the same decent wrappers, but held together better.  They weren't the most generously stuffed, but had a decent ball of pork inside.  Not too porky.  I didn't really taste the cabbage.  I did again really want more flavorful dipping sauce (or more flavorful filling).  Higher 3/5.

Pork and Chives Fried Dumplings/锅贴. $6.50.

And our final dumplings, the most interesting ones to me (and everyone else, as we ran out of these fast!), the fried pork and chive.

Now these, these were great.  One side was perfectly seared.  Greasy in the right ways.  The other was soft and pliable.  They were well stuffed.  The filling was juicy and flavorful.  They were just absolutely fantastic.  I used a dipping sauce I had at home for these, that was a great combo of sweet + spicy, and, well, I just loved these.  They reminded me a bit of the "crack dumplings" we used to get in grad school from a tiny little dumpling shop that had super cheap fried dumplings with addicting sauce.

I loved these, and would get again in a heartbeat.  4.5/5.

Wheat Noodle with Peanut Butter Sauce / 拌面. $4.25.

"Tender wheat noodles tossed in a rich peanut butter sauce, garnished with fresh green onions."

And finally, the noodles.

They did let me down.  The noodles were cooked ok, but a bit softer than I'd like.  Not mushy, but certainly not al dente nor bouncy.  The sauce was, well, peanut butter.  Fairly one-note.  I found myself quickly wanting more umami or some spice after a few bites.  I added miso marinated mushrooms, chili crisp, and fried shallots as I had those all on hand, but it still didn't quite do it for me.  The amount of sauce was perfect though, and the noodles were really well coated.  3.5/5.

I was glad to try these, and I think think with some embellishments I could really like them, but the flavor complexity wasn't quite there.  I believe if you go in person, these are only ~$3, which is a pretty great value.

Update review: 

I had more leftover two days later (we had so much leftovers!).  I added dark soy sauce and chili crisp to them, along with steamed broccoli and some kale, and topped with fried shallots, and really, really, really liked them.  I still felt the noodles were a touch too soft, but otherwise, made a great base.  4/5.