Chef Patty and Chef Marc are two well known, enthusiastic, hard working, sassy individuals who have taken Central Sq. Cambridge by storm over recent years.
Patty's fun-loving and charismatic demeanor, as well as her love for making creative, flavorful dumplings are no doubt reflected in the success of their flagship location at 907 Main Street Cambridge, MA.
The masterminds behind PCDR have supported my Three Strange Women Float in Boston's Gay Pride Parade yearly since 2014, and they have also kept the tummies of myself, my family, my friends and those who follow Three Strange Women full and happy for years, so naturally, it was time to dive deeper into their process, on a more personal level, to see what really makes this fantastic little spot so special in a Q & A style interview with Chefs Marc and Patty.
From All Asia, to Pu Pu Hot Pot, to the new and delicious Patty Chen's Dumpling Room, this dynamic duo has kept infinite Central Square bellies satisfied, full of delicious snacks, and coming back for more!
Patty Chen's Dumpling room is not your first venture into the culinary world of delicious food...
No, Patty and I have owned and operated 4 other businesses in Central Sq. I joined Chef Patty at the now closed, PuPu Hot Pot in 1996. Her family had opened it a couple years earlier. We both had our hands in the operation until it closed in 2013.
What inspired the creation of Patty Chen's Dumpling room? Where did the concept come from and what is your mission and/or vision?
Chef Patty and I had several ideas. We had a Banh Mi Idea, a Chinese Burrito concept, a Tofu Restaurant, and The Dumpling Room, all drafted to some degree. Dumplings seemed to be the easiest one to launch, as Patty had been making dumplings since she was a little girl in Taiwan.
Tell me a little about yourselves, Chef Patty and Chef Marc! How did you meet? How long have you been in business together?
We met at a Graduate School seminar, in Framingham. We've been together ever since.
What makes Patty's dumplings so special? Is there a secret?
Patty puts her heart and soul into making the dumpling fillings and skins. We also put a twist on the traditional dumpling house. We are not afraid to experiment with fillings, skin infusions, textures, methods of cooking...etc. Some traditional Asian clients are taken aback, by the nature of our menu. We don't want to apologize for that. That's our schtick! We also emphasize "fun" and try not to take ourselves too serious. You'll notices that there is a cartoon representation for every item on the menu. Our dumplings are alive ( and happy)
A new and popular service that PCDR offers is catering... Tell us a little about this. What is offered? What is your pricing? How far do you cater?
Catering Made Simple! Dumplings are the perfect finger food, for office meeting, party spread, sports events... put aside the chicken wings and get some dumplings! We have put together a packaging idea called "The Party Box" It's got two small trays of 20-25 pieces each, inside; that's 50 pieces. We feel that it is enough to serve 6 people, so we use that measure to scale up big orders. Got 60 people? You'll need 10 boxes!
Also included is a "kit" for 6 ppl. That is, plates, forks, naps, chops, cookies and tongs.
Something that sets Patty Chen's Dumpling Room apart from other dumpling spots is the fact that you offer "dumpling party" classes. Tell me what those classes entail!
We hold classes, on Saturday mornings, from 9-11:30. Its hands-on, and comes with a dumpling making kit. Happy Chef Patty opens the class with a Taiwan tapas with mountain tea. Then, I go into the lecture about food and family. We watch a video of other classes that have happened. Afterwards, we work on skills, and roll out the dumplings!
The kit is amazing on its own! You get a t-shirt, apron, chef cap, rolling pin, strainer, recipes, tea sample, stickers and certificate...
Then, we eat all the dumplings....
In what ways does PCDR reach out to the community surrounding the flagship location in Central Square, Cambridge?
Patty and I believe in staying connected to our community. We both have been here over 20 years. There's a file full of letters, in my office, thanking us for all the donations.... our biggest one is the taste of Cambridge. We donated over 1500 samples at that...
What are some of your personal favorite dumplings to snack on?
Well, I like the Dumpling Room ones, Baked Bruce and Shrimp Cilantro...
What are your options for vegetarians/ vegans? (Tell us what's inside)
For vegetarians, we have, vegan ( bean curd, mushroom celery, carrot, edamame), panda bao (water chestnut, three mushroom blend and chili), chive pie (egg, rice noodle, chive and cracked black pepper), and spinach gotye (spinach, water chestnut, cabbage)
There's also a spicy noodle dish, as well as a Vegan Ramen, too!
What is your favorite memory of Patty Chen's Dumpling Room so far?
We really love our annual Joyce Chen Dumpling Festival! Last year, we sold over 3000 dumplings, and the line went on for blocks! The next one is coming up in the fall, and we hope to add a dumpling eating contest, around the same time....
I am truly blessed to have met and worked with such talented individuals, and I highly recommend Patty Chen's Dumpling Room for the tastiest snacks in Cambridge!
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