EAT: LASALLE DUMPLING ROOM ON BROADWAY

A formerly shabby Chinese restaurant space on Broadway by LaSalle Street has been transforming into a modern eatery in the past few months so we decided to check things out.  Previously there was a restaurant here which dubiously had $1 sushi specials and the uninviting interior rarely had any diners within.  Now the LaSalle Dumpling Room has arrived with soaring tin ceilings, pendant lights, hand painted murals and vintage detailing throughout.

This attention to detail has had a lot of diners coming in during the early hours of the evening but unfortunately there is not much else to report here.  The price points are basically around the $10 or more but the menu was no better than any mediocre takeout spot with the backlit photos behind the counter.  Service was a bit of a mess and a couple of diners close to our table walked out after waiting half an hour for food.

Some better options for this part of Manhattanville just below 125th Street is Jin Ramen or Kissaten which are more current for food quality as far as Asian alternatives goes but are really Japanese eateries.  For those who do not mind less dining space, The Handpulled Noodle just a bit north also makes some excellent, updated Chinese fare: LINK