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Hello, Eaters! The new location of Noodle & Dumpling, at 516 E. 300 South in Salt Lake City, is the third location of this restaurant, and the first place I’ve ordered xiao long bao (soup dumplings) that I didn’t buy frozen and steam at home.

During my recent visit, I had a lovely mid-afternoon meal (let’s make this a thing) and a nice chat with owner Bruce Feng about how his food is “really, really traditional Chinese, not fake Chinese,” he said firmly.

The origin story: Feng is from a 3,000-year-old city in eastern China called Zhenjiang, also spelled Chinkiang. It’s known for the traditional Chinkiang vinegar, a tangy black vinegar fermented from glutinous rice and wheat bran — and you can actually find a jar of it on each table at Noodle & Dumpling.

He grew up watching his mom and grandpa cook, and over time, learned how to cook himself, he said.

Feng brought his family to Utah in 2018 from California, he said. Soon after, he and his wife, Sarah, took over Eiko Cafe in Sandy. Two years later, they opened a second location of Eiko Cafe on Redwood Road in Glendale. Last year, the couple opened Noodle & Dumpling in Midvale and Millcreek, and they opened the SLC location in June. (It’s where Yoshi’s Japanese Grill used to be, next to a Maverik convenience store.)

The vibe: On one wall of the Salt Lake City location of Noodle & Dumpling is an illustrated history of some of the foods you’ll eat there, like bao (steamed buns) and xiao long bao, but other than that, the decor is simple, and the food is the star of the show. As you wait to order at the register, you’ll be lucky if you can watch dumplings being made by hand at the counter behind a window.

The menu: There are stir-fried Chinese dishes like orange chicken and teriyaki beef on the menu, but if you’re leaning toward one of those, I invite you to go out on a limb and order some dumplings, bao or noodles instead. They’re all made fresh, and the dumplings and bao are made by hand, and you’ll have a much more authentic experience if you try them.

There’s a $19 lunch special available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that comes with one noodle dish and one handmade item, which doesn’t include soup dumplings. But the “birthday dinner” special for $28 includes one noodle dish and one handmade item that can be beef or pork soup dumplings. For dessert, there’s custard bao and chocolate soup dumplings. (I didn’t partake; let me know what you think of them.)

To read about my order, scroll down to “Meal of the Week.”

Hours: Open Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Live deliciously,

Kolbie

Food News

Openings:

• Cafe Rio is opening a second location in St. George, at 4609 S. Pioneer Road, according to a news release. The location features a mural painted by Utah artist Josh Scheuerman.

Closings:

• Split Leaf Coffee, at 37 N. Main St. in Bountiful, will be closing on July 25, according to an Instagram post from the business. “Our landlord sold the building,” the post said. “Thank you to everyone who grew with us over the years.” But the post also said, “We aren’t done just yet,” so follow Split Leaf Coffee on Instagram for updates.

• A Costa Vida location at 630 W. 1425 North in Layton is a near total loss after a fire broke out on the roof on Saturday night, according to FOX 13. Officials are still investigating the cause of the blaze.

• Has a restaurant opened or closed in your neighborhood? Let us know at food@sltrib.com.

Booze (and Drink!) News

• The first cider produced by Kamas cidery Dendric Estate, called Dry Cut, is now available in certain state liquor stores, according to a news release. The cider, which you can get in 375ml bottles for $9.95 each, has a crisp, dry profile and doesn’t contain any sugar, “offering structure, acidity, and bubbles similar to dry sparkling wine,” the release said. In Salt Lake City, you can find Dry Cut at the downtown, Foothill and Sugar House liquor stores.

• It’s time for the Mountain Mixer Park City cocktail contest, where two dozen bartenders from Park City restaurants will be showcasing new and inventive cocktails on their menus, according to a news release. Throughout July, a secret panel of judges will be visiting each restaurant and sampling the cocktails to pick 10 finalists. Those finalists will face off at a live finale at Silver Lake Lodge at Deer Valley on Aug. 22, where one cocktail will be crowned the 2026 Mountain Mixer Champion. You can get in on the action and try all the cocktails yourself before the finale; view the full list of participating restaurants and cocktails online.

• Every Tuesday night starting July 14, Stein Eriksen Lodge is holding its annual summer event Hops on the Hill, according to a news release. The hotel will be pairing beers from local breweries with a food menu from chef Zane Holmquist on the Flagstaff Deck every Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. until Aug. 19. The first night will feature Uinta and Bohemian breweries. Tickets to the 21+ events are $90 each, and a $45 “food only” ticket is available at the door. Tickets can be purchased on Resy, by calling 435-645-6455, or through the Glitretind host stand.

Meal of the Week

At Noodle & Dumpling, I ordered the noodles with braised beef ($15) and the pork soup dumplings ($10.99).

I still have little stains on one of my favorite shirts that I got by slurping up the chewy noodles, but it’s hard for me to care when I remember how good they were. They came in a big bowl filled with a savory and slightly spicy broth, with chili crisp heaped on top, along with fresh cilantro and chopped green onions. And the chunks of braised beef were fatty, beautiful and SO tender.

I’ll admit that I’m still getting the hang of eating xiao long bao, which arrived at my table in a little bamboo steamer. You’re meant to pick up each dumpling with your chopsticks, being careful not to puncture the dough and let all the soup run out, and then place it in a spoon in your other hand. After doing all that, I would bite the dumpling, sip up the liquid, drizzle on some dumpling sauce (the main ingredient is that vinegar I told you about) and then devour the rest of the dumpling. As I ate each one, I felt humbled in my clumsiness, but was rewarded with every rich bite.