When thinking about Chinese food, there are few select favorite things that often come to mind; fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and dumplings. DUMPLINGS! Sorry, I just had to say it again and more exaggerated than the rest because we LOVE dumplings! So its fitting that the greatest food delivery service Portland has ever seen, now partners with that which we all hold so close to our hearts, our little dumplings! If you’re a dumpling fan like we are, you’re going to want to check out “The Dump Truck“!
Julia and Reid were both living and working in Beijing when they met in 2007. They were both huge dumpling fans, and Julia had developed a special connection to a man named Ma, who owned a dumpling restaurant near her apartment. Julia ate almost every meal there and eventually grew so close with Mr Ma that he showed her the secrets of making perfect dumplings.
When they left Beijing and came to Portland, Julia missed dumplings so much that they would often make them for dinner and sharing them with friends. Serendipitously one night, their friend Scott Simon, owner of the Karaoke bar, Voicebox, tried them and insisted they be added to his menu. Julia spent the next year making dumplings for Voicebox and crafting unique dumpling and sauce creations. She expanded her repertoire well beyond classic Chinese dumplings, experimenting with delicious and ridiculous variations, such as Thanksgiving Dinner dumplings, Chicken Wing dumplings and Apple Pie Dumplings. By the end of that first year, Reid and Julia could hardly keep up and decided to open a food cart to bring their dumplings to more Portlanders.
The Dump Truck’s dumplings have been attracting attention and Reid and Julia’s creations have been fortunate enough to be featured on Unique Eats, Eat Street, Food Paradise, and in SF Weekly, Toronto Star, Edmonton Journal, 饮食男女, and the Portland Chinese Times.
The Dump Truck has been going strong since 2010, but we still serve the same, great flavors Julia created with the inspiration of Mr Ma back in Beijing.
To order some Dump Truck dumplings, order online now at the Portland Pedal Power website! For more information on great vendors and Portland events, follow our blog or check us out on Facebook!