Dump me? Dump Ling!

It is truly regrettable that the most under appreciated dish at dinner is the appetizer. There's a lot to be said for something that makes you hungrier after eating it. Is that not some sort of feat in and of itself? This is precisely what the chicken dumplings from 86 Noodles succeeds in doing.

These are easily the best chicken dumplings in the neighborhood, outdoing all of the alternatives from the litany of Chinese restaurants in the neighborhood. The noodle is shaped traditionally, but still maintains much of the softness one associates with pasta. When fried, it's cooked primarily on one side, heating the meat and leaving the dumpling with two distinct textures: one slightly crunchy and the other firm but wavering. The filling is just the right level of prepared when served, each piece of chicken residing in that special, moist place between uncooked and dry. Finally, the dipping sauce is a fantastic mixture of low key sweetness and the more potent sour flavoring. Don't be fooled. It isn't soy sauce in a cup.

At just $4.50 for a plate of six, there are few reasons not to order a plate of these with your next big meal at 86 Noodles.