East Dumpling House on 106th just east of Broadway

When you have a noodley yen, there's the East Dumpling House -- which serves a variety of dumplings with both hot and mild aromatic sauces.  We've tried the sampling of their dumplings:  pork with chives, pork with cabbage, chicken with green pepper, chicken with corn, vegetable, shrimp and pork, basil chicken with shitake mushroom (7 pieces for $6.50).  Our favorite is the shrimp and pork -- chopped pieces of tender, yet just cooked shrimp mixed with a green (chives?) and ground pork.  All are yummy -- wrapped in an al dente pocket made of rice flour and either steamed or pan fried.  We like both ways and can't decide which is better.  The pan fried are browned on one side allowing a crunch as you bite in.  The steamed dumplings make you feel a bit more righteous (fewer calories, no oil).  If you know which dumpling you prefer, you can order either 8 pieces of a single type  ($5.50) or 12 pieces ($6.95).

The cold noodles with sesame sauce ($5.95 were a bit bland, over-cooked and watery.  The Pan Fried Ugly Dumpling with vermicelli, celery, chives and egg felt a bit excessive.  The crust of the dumpling was rather thick -- and it felt a bit oily.  We enjoyed the potato pancake Korean style ($3.95) -- a fast fried mix of shredded potatoes, onion and green pepper -- tasting like a combination of flattened hash-browns and really good onion rings.  Service was friendly and prompt.

The small, paneled dining room was comfortably cool on a night so hot we were grateful of shade on the south side of 106th.  You can bring your own beer or wine -- and dine for well under $10 a person.