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Anatomy of a Gyoza - The varieties you might find |
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GyozaQuest is a non profitable site,
Quest3
The quest continues - What is a real Gyoza!
We stopped at the Boba City Cafe. What a name for a place? Boba are the tapioca balls I presume, but there's somthing slightly Freudian in the name. Here's the gyoza tester, in front of the cafe.
Dang, see the things I miss by not living in LA.
Here's the lobby of Bobacity coffee house, it's a pretty neat place the pearl tea is good, and they do have what appears to be a quite extensive menu. Unfortunately the one on the right, which says "Menu" it's all in Korean. Only in LA. 
Here's what we ordered. It's "almost gyoza" the turnips and kimchi were a nice touch though. Although the dipping sauce could use a little bit more spice and $7.50 including tax for 10.
What's wrong with this, it's a Mandoo, not a Gyoza. It doesn't have the folds, and inside it isn't quite as meaty. Plus it's not fried quite to the crisp as the place below. Anyhow Mandoo is Korean for gyoza, and this was a Korean tea house we were at. Maybe I should have ordered the spicy tofu stew. But this is a GyozaQuest... I can't comprimise principals.
So to rate them like everything else - This gyoza gets a 5 out of 10.
It would deserve a 4, because it's deep fried as opposed to cooked on a flat griddle, but the kimchi made up for it.
This in conclusion was one of the better places we went. It's a ramen house in "Little Osaka" one of the things you can't get in Logan, Utah... Miso Ramen, Kyushu Ramen, gyoza, a little bit of roast pork, half a boiled egg, pickles... mmm, you can't just go to a place like this and eat Gyoza, good as it might be. $3.50 plus tax for seven.
Still one of the better ones I've had. Same rating as before.
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Suburban Virgina too!
Here's Gyoza from a Sushi restaurant called Matsu sushi, located in Chantily Virginia. It's in a quiet suburb directly south of South Riding, within spitting distance of Dulles International airport. Despite reports to the contrary, this area is not a cultural wasteland. It's a Japanese restauraunt run by Koreans, so they have good jajangmien, and champong. Not to mention a host of reasonable Korean dishes.
Same style as some of the other sushi restauraunts shown in the review, take what probably is a frozen gyoza, and deep fry it in the same oil as the tempura is made in. It does have a certain appeal. But I wouldn't call it authentic.
at least they weren't hard on the outside.
Rating 4 out of 10
There seems to be a trend in Japanese food, which I first noticed in of all places Tucson, Arizona. Deep fried sushi rolls. The chef called it a special dish, and made it special for us. I was quite impressed. Although I haven't completely warmed up to the idea of deep fried California rolls (which in all my trips to Japan have not seen yet)
In Tucson they serve what's known as "Dynamite Roll" which is a California roll, which is scallops broiled with a spicy mayonaise sauce, then a little bit served over a California roll. It's a little bit greasy, but quite tasty. Indeed perhaps it is true, maybe the Japanese, Korean, and Chinese food in the United states has matured in it's own direction, now.
Updated
7.2.2003