Myung In - Torrance

Most of my dumplings are boiled from a freezer bag, but some nights, even that's too much work. Enter Myung In, a stall next to South Bay's cheapest sushi counter, serving an affordable supply of manju and mandoo.

There's been much ado about their mandoo ever since Bourdain descended upon the K-town branch. The Fried Dumpling with pork, shrimp, and vegetables are heavy potstickers, bulging with meaty chunks.

The Pork Kimchi boiled dumplings are made to order, flavor-pockets of pork with a pickled, kimchi kick.

The Red Bean steamed dumpling is a misnomer for steamed bun. The fluffy, white-bread comfort food of Asians everywhere is too perfectly round to be house-made but these soothing giants double as dinner or dessert. I like big buns and I cannot lie.

There was much ado about their dumplings, but I think it's much ado about nothing. The dumplings are fresher-than-frozen, and the steamed buns are fluffy and fine, but they don't trump a frozen bag. I'm really onto dumplings, but I just couldn't get into Myung In.