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Video: Trespassers Try, Fail To Cook Dumplings During Late Night Break-In At Xi'an Famous Foods
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jul 12, 2021
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jul 12, 2021
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A pair of alleged dumpling-thieves are in hot water after apparently raiding a Xi'an Famous Foods in Manhattan over the weekend.
Surveillance footage posted by owner Jason Wang shows two young women entering the newly-opened Chelsea location, attempting to cook themselves a meal, then making off with a bag of frozen dumplings.
“Are we trespassing?” one of them can be heard wondering, as her friends walks into the kitchen and announces: "I'm going to make make myself some lamb noodles."
Wang said that the duo were able to let themselves inside just after midnight on Sunday because the door's electronic lock had turned off during a power outage. They left behind a mess, he said, which tipped him off to the break-in.
In the video, one woman can be seen placing dumplings into cold water, while her friend plays the role of look-out ("What am I watching for again? People?") They eventually give up, though not before the failed chef places a bag of dumplings in her bag. "I'm stealing these dumplings," she declares.
Wang said that when he came into the store on Sunday, he found "uncooked dumplings in the pot, a bun floating in the water, and containers of cut vegetables outside the fridge," he said. "My reaction was: 'What is going on here?'"
He described feeling both amused and appalled while watching the six-minute long clip of the women fumbling around the kitchen.
"It's unacceptable, it's something that shouldn't happen for safety and liability reasons, but at the same time, it's somewhat entertaining," Wang said.
In a Facebook post, he promised not to file a police report if the intruders contacted him privately to apologize.
"We hope you enjoyed the bag of dumplings you stole (remember, they don’t cook in cold water),” he added.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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