DCist recently listed the best places to get dumplings in the DC region, with seven of the nine restaurants listed in Rockville.  Although restaurants in Rockville are barely considered by the Washington Post and Washingtonian magazine, the food scene is growing deeper and bigger, which is evidenced in part by this dumpling study.  Many Chinese restaurants include dumplings on their menus, but these restaurants focus their menus around them or serve an extraordinary version of them.

If you haven’t tried Chinese dumplings, there are many types of choose from but usually are ground pork or shrimp wrapped in dough and then steamed.  The portions are usually big (think 6-12 dumplings per order) and I always bring my own bottle of sweet chili sauce to add some zing (these are simple homey restaurants, so they’re not offended if you bring your own condiments).

Here’s the line up from DCist:

1. A&J Restaurant: 1319 Rockville Pike (in the green and white Woodmont Station shopping center down below next to Hertz car rental; cash only)
2. China Bistro:  755 Hungerford Drive (in the blue and white Flagship shopping center)
3. East Dumpling House:  12 N. Washington Street (in the strip mall downtown with Apollo and Woodside Deli)
4. Bob’s Shanghai 66:  305 N. Washington Street (near Dawson Avenue, not to be confused with Bob’s Noodle 66 up the street)
5. Joe’s Noodle House:  1488 Rockville Pike (along the side of the strip mall with the Yekta and Mi Rancho restaurants)
6. Shanghai Taste:  1121 Nelson Street (in the Woodley Gardens shopping center with Good Times Cafe and Carmen’s Ice Cream)
7. Sichuan Jin River: 410 Hungerford Drive (at the back of the office building next to the fire station)

Happy eating!