WOW! Great "Research".

We, here in Seattle, have this neighborhood called the International District. And the have Dumplings there too. They're not "Chain" establishments that you seem to think are the epitome of Dumpling shops. But, then again, you might not prefer your Dumplings made by an Asian restaurant.

@1enlighten us. where do you get 'soup dumplings' in the international district ?
....crickets...

@2, Naomi: Ping's Dumpling House has been doing soup dumplings IN SEATTLE since 2012, at least a year before Din Tai Fung arrived here. Did you even look in the ID? Hint: it's in Seattle, like the paper you're writing for, not Bellevue, Factoria or Issaquah. If you're still confused they're conveniently listed in The Stranger's own restaurant guide along with a big picture of soup dumplings, and there's even a handy map to guide you there (try to resist the urge to jump on I90): http://www.thestranger.com/locations/158…

@2 According to the Stranger's currently posted review of Shanghai Garden, that restaurant has "decent soup dumplings (the kind with the soup inside, not the kind floating-in-soup)."

http://www.thestranger.com/locations/244…

To be fair, Rev, you did go with the "crickets..."

Well okay, so how about the author gets expensed for Soup Dumplings Round 2 and everybody's friends?

@5- pings is really hit or miss. I've had good meals there, and I've had not so good. @3- bring it down a notch.

The downside of Dim Sum Factory is that the other dishes you order there may be nearly inedible. The food I have had there on my previous two visits makes me not want to return -- no matter how good the xiao long bao might be.