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Chao Li and Jenny Chen don’t know how to cook. But the couple still made it their mission to share Chinese food and culture through their restaurant, Mr. Noodle and Ms. Dumpling, which opened in December.

“I don’t cook, but I know how to eat so I know which is the good Chinese food,” Li said.

The restaurant, located on Erie Boulevard, is equipped with a large dining room, housing round tables that can seat up to eight people. Each table has a Lazy Susan, ready to be filled with an array of dishes to share. This style of seating is catered towards the traditional Chinese brunch-style culture which includes dim sum, in which small plates of dumplings and other dishes are accompanied with tea and served for groups to share.

Mr. Noodle and Ms. Dumpling opened in December with a soft launch. At first, not too many people came, but after an image of a noodle dish that appeared to feature floating chopsticks was featured in the popular Facebook group “Where Syracuse Eats”, the restaurant quickly gained customers and began to sell out of food before the following nights were over.

Chen, also known as Ms. Dumpling, said Li came up with the dish and it has a deeper meaning behind it.

“The chopsticks represent Asian culture and represent the lifting up of Chinese foods,” Chen said.

The couple isn’t new to restaurant endeavors, and has a history of dealing with Syracuse University students. The two own Jiang Hu Cafe on Fayette Street, which caters to international students at SU and frequently delivers food to South Campus, Chen said.

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Chen said Mr. Noodle and Ms. Dumpling may soon offer a 5% discount to students who show their SUID. She said she understands what it’s like to be in an unfamiliar place as she came to the United States from Shanghai at only 15 years old.

“They feel lonely when they go into a new country and everything is new to them,” Chen said. “When they see a Chinese restaurant they’re gonna feel good.”

Mr. Noodle and Ms. Dumpling offers a blend of traditional and Americanized foods with dishes inspired from Beijing and Shanghai, a combination of the owners’ heritages. Chen believes nothing is quite like what she grew up alongside.

“I love American foods, but I still love Chinese food better because I grew up with this,” Chen said.

The staff are working to keep up with Mr. Noodle and Ms. Dumpling’s fast-growing popularity. The spacious restaurant can hold nearly 300 customers in the intimate booths and round, family-style tables. But Chen said the restaurant is currently understaffed, with only ten employees working in the kitchen.

Chen said the few cooks they have are still perfecting the recipes and developing the menu. Right now there are two main chefs in the kitchen — one who prepares many of the main dishes and another who specializes in dim sum.

Looking at the large menu as a newcomer can be overwhelming, but Chen says there are a few stand out items to try for those unfamiliar with Chinese cooking — peking duck, pork soup dumplings, beef scallion pancakes and for dessert, taro shortbread and red bean paste cake.

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The peking duck is Li’s favorite dish on the menu. This dish is considered a delicacy in China, so Mr. Noodle and Ms. Dumpling only prepare about six ducks each day. The meat is coated in a sauce and spice mixture overnight to dry it out, which makes the skin extra crispy when roasted in the oven.

“Most of the people don’t really know Chinese culture or Chinese people,” Chen said. “I want them to explore the food to bring them to understand it.”

Lunch hour at the restaurant proves to be a popular time, as customers fill the tables quickly. Two women scanning the menu said they decided to stop by after seeing a post on Instagram and were excited to give the new restaurant a try.

“It’s our first time here so we just ordered a bunch of different dumplings that all look delicious,” said Cindy Stimson. “We’re already planning to come back with the rest of our family.”

The restaurant will be rolling out new menu items within the coming months, Li said. Once a new chef from Chinatown in New York city comes to Syracuse, the restaurant will serve homemade ramen noodle dishes. Another addition to the restaurant will be a hot pot, an interactive meal in which customers are given raw ingredients to cook in a simmering pot of broth.

Chen and Li said the chefs make everything from scratch with authentic ingredients shipped from China. Chen added that she hoped Mr. Noodle and Ms. Dumpling creates a space where everyone can learn while also enjoying the true flavors of Chinese food.

“We want more people to pay attention to Chinese foods,” Chen said. “We want more people to enjoy Chinese food and see how amazing Chinese culture is.”

Published on January 24, 2023 at 9:59 pm