White Bear NYC dumpling spot opens in Great Neck
Wontons with hot sauce at White Bear in Great Neck. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
They've been called the best dumplings in New York City — White Bear, a cult-favorite dumpling stall from Flushing, Queens, has quietly opened a Great Neck location. And the spicy chili buzz has been nonstop.
In the same vein as the original, the new shop on Bond Street is basically a takeout spot, with a thin bench and barstools running along both sides of the room. Previously occupied by Bagel Station, the space is conspicuously plain, with a curtain draped in front of the kitchen preventing any dumpling viewing action.
White Bear in Great Neck is a takeout-based dumpling shop. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
The restaurant, which opened Sept. 15, is owned by Gracie Wang and her husband, Xiao Jiang, who is the son of the original owners in Flushing. Jiang does not work the store, as he's keeping his full-time job as a certified public accountant. But Wang said she worked for several years at the first location learning the recipes, and currently does everything at the new store, from cooking to ringing up customers.
"We need to hire more people," she said.
With 17 items, the menu is half the size of the original, but that's no matter. Most people will be ordering some variation of the No. 6, the wontons with hot sauce (available in multiple sizes). These spicy, boiled dumplings have achieved cult food status, with various publications hailing them as the first stop on any Flushing dumpling crawl, as well as the best dumplings in NYC.
The new spot also serves noodles, pan-fried dumplings and a few other dishes from the eastern province of Shandong, China, where Jiang's parents hail from. But Wang is Taiwanese, and has added classic dishes like Taiwanese noodles and braised pork rice.
During a recent visit around 6 p.m., the Great Neck shop was already out of everything on the menu except for the leek and pork dumplings No.12 and the spicy wontons. I ordered both, and was blown away by the mastery of the art form.
The leek and pork dumplings ($12 for a dozen) were standard Northern-style Chinese dumplings with puffy white dough. But the housemade dough here is thinner yet more voluptuous, highlighting the savory flavor of the ground pork. Sometimes the meat inside these dumplings is more like a meatball shape that separates from the dough, but this is one seamless hearty bite. In other words, it's basic, but absolute perfection.
If you only order one thing, make it the wontons with hot sauce, which live up to the hype. Often, these slippery pork wontons are served in hot oil. But here, the flavoring comes in the form of a toasted dry chili sauce that packs a roasty crunch. Little bits of pickled vegetables are scattered over the top of the boiled dumplings, adding a salty funk to the affair. Every bite feels substantial, with a symphony of savory and spice.
White Bear, 6A Bond St., Great Neck Plaza, 516-440-1926. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Tuesday, closed Wednesday.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
