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Try Phumplings: The Pho & Dumpling Mashup Debuting In Bushwick
By
Nell Casey
Published Nov 13, 2014
Modified Nov 13, 2014
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By
Nell Casey
Published Nov 13, 2014
Modified Nov 13, 2014
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If the Ramnut (ramen doughnut) revelation made you want to introduce your forehead to your desk, we wouldn't blame you. Mashups like this have been the big "thing" in food for far too long, from Cronuts to Bruffins to Ramen Burgers and beyond, we're all tired of hybrids. BUT... one thing we will never, ever, ever get tired of is dumplings, especially xiao long bao, aka Soup Dumplings. With that in mind, allow us to introduce you to the Phumpling, the Vietnamese soup dumpling we can all get on board for.
Debuting this Sunday at Bushwick's open air market Shwick, the dumplings attempt to crossbreed xiao long bao with pho, a Vietnamese soup packed with delicious herby flavors. Inside the dumpling skin you'll find shredded beef and pho broth, which incorporates beef and chicken stocks, plus herbal additions like star anise, lemongrass, onion, cilantro and other super flavorful ingredients. Without the traditional pork fat and gelatin-type additions, expect a cleaner, less lip sticking version than the ones at Joe's Shanghai and elsewhere.
Creator Mary Nguyen and her partners Ceasar Saingchin and Tom Nguyen came up with the idea on a lark. The group would regularly gather at Nguyen's house to eat her pho, deciding at one point to explore the idea of pho in different forms. "Over the course of a year or so, we've had Pho Burgers, Pho French Dip, Pho Crostinis and I'm sure other forms have been made," Saingchin told us. "Then the idea of putting pho into a soup dumpling happened."
For Sunday, they'll just have their beef flavored Phumpling, but there are hopes to expanding with different fillings if their trial run is successful. "We never wanted to actually 'sell' anything," Saingchin explains. "We really liked the idea [of pho dumplings], but it was Tom, Mary’s brother, who thought it was worthy of a public audience." After this Sunday, Phumplings will make regular appearances at Shwick on Sundays starting at 10 a.m. through December 21st (except November 30th). Pick up the bite-sized dumplings three for $7 or a single Phumpling for $3.
Tagged
bushwick
dumplings
pho
phumplings
soup dumplings
the shwick
xiao long bao
original
Nell Casey
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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