Lao Kou Wei

After They changed management and name This place is no longer AWESOME!
Fried dumplings are 8 pc for $ 2.25 and 15 pcs for $ 4.00 (BOOOOO)
Takes about 10 minutes to get your dumplings.
Size of the Dumplings are smaller than before.
Sigh…
***CASH ONLY***

CLOSED!
Lao Kou Wei has now been replaced by Canaan Chinese Cuisine.

I got my dumplings here for a little while but was never really impressed. I never came here because I wanted to, it was always because my friend had a dumpling craving and we thought this was our only option. Then I discovered Lao Bei Fang around the corner and I’ve never looked back.

I was fooled into coming here. I thought this was still the Lao Bei Fang noodle house, but it’s not. It’s owned by different people and the quality has suffered.
I got the Beef Stew with noodles and the soup wasn’t as good. Just not enough flavor, the noodles didn’t soak well… the beef wasn’t super tender but was adequate.
I also got 4 fried dumplings and they were mediocre. The meat tasted nice, but the dough wasn’t crispy. It had been sitting around for quite a bit in a wok and they just take out whatever you order. Don’t come here. This place is now a cheap imitation!

If I lived across the street I would never cook and probably weight 20lbs more than I currently do. My place is 20min walk from here so I don’t come as often as I like but I get off at Elmhurst Ave subway stop once in a while for my dumpling/​noodle fix, then walk home after.
Dumplings are awesome and cheap. The pan-​fried crust on the bottom is just right and the filling is juicy and succulent.
My fave noodles are the beef tendon noodles — broth is fragrant, beef is tender, noodles are perfectly «Q». The boyfriend likes the wonton soup noodles which is also great, with a very light tasting broth.
Place is not the cleanest so get takeout if you worry about the icky-​looking tables etc, but I have (touch wood) not had any stomach-​related issues after eating here. I figure the noodle soups are served hot enough to kill any bacteria…

Was taken here by an old friend who swears by the dumplings and you know what, he’s RIGHT! We stopped there for the pork and chive dumplings that were hot and delicious. The hot chili sauce was the perfect accompaniment. EIGHT dumplings for $ 2.75??? I didn’t want to leave but we went to Ayada to have Thai. I’d jump on the 7 train to have these dumplings again for sure. Reserving the fifth star when I try something else at this beautiful hole in the wall. I was the only non-​Asian there, though being half-​Iranian does count as being part Asian, right?

Who moved my Lao Bei Fang noodle shop?
Actually Lao Bei consolidated their two businesses to their 83 – 05 Broadway shop.
Lao Lou Wei is now the new name of this location.
The quality is almost the same.
I did try to order the items on the hand-​written menu taped (original to Lao Bei Fang) to the wall but were asked to order from the new Lao Kou Wei menu.
Tonight’s dinner was:
#20– Preserved Pork Han-​Drawn Noodle Soup– $ 4.25– very good noodle soup.
# 24– Hand-​Drawn Noodle w. Meat and Bean Sauce $ 4.25– good; but the meat & Bean sauce was cold and made the hot noodle cold.
#29 Fried Pork Sateed Hand-​Drawn Noodle $ 5.00– good dish; large portions.
#2 Fresh Pork & Chives Steamed Dumpling (8) for $ 2.75– they are good; the dumpling skin is too thick and a little doughie.
Overall the place is still good.

great soups (especially for hangovers) and great prices on dumplings. they even have them frozen so u can take home. I have been coming here for years off and on and NEVER knew the name, LOL! Just this year I discovered Lao bei Fang but come here still. One thing I do hate is I’m not Chinese so I get tried and finally have to scold the lady every time she makes me wait — while she hands over orders that come in after me. That ain’t right. I know it happens but still. Overall good spot, very small, usually 99% asians. Oh and be sure to POINT to the order you want as the lady barely speaks English and always gets orders wrong. and its not the cleanest place.

Great, cheap dumplings enough said.
I’m going to try the hand drawn noodles next.

I have only discovered this place recently and I never went to the Lao Bei Fang place before — But I LOVE these dumplings — when you have them make sure you dip them in the vinegar (in glass bottles) and the spicy oil, (stored in plastic tubs on each table). I have also had the shredded pork with hand peeled noodles and the braised pork rib with hand drawn noodles — all great!
The wonton soup here is better than your usual chinese take out — the dumpling skins are thin, the dumpling meat is very tasty and the soup is light with fresh cilantro.
Hand-​drawn noodles are the pulled string noodles and hand peeled are rough, thin but wide slices of dough.
Bottom line — cheap, great-​tasting food.

They’re noodles are fresh and delicious although I can’t say much of their soup. Tried the honeycomb tripe and braised pork rib which was pretty good. Their dumplings are less greasier then the food stands but has a thicker wonton shell (which isn’t very good all the time). One thing that bothered me the most was the C rating they received and how they don’t really bother to fix their problems and get a better rating.

It was pretty cool to watch this guy take a big batch of dough and whip them and smack them down into perfectly shaped noodles which were pretty good. Very inexpensive in a very large fish ball soup and 12 dumplings which were not the best I have had but pretty close. I was given no sauce to dip these in but realized that I really didn’t need any. Maybe some spicy sauce would have been nice but the meat inside was very flavorful and juicy. There are about 2 tables if you want to sit and eat but this is mainly a take out place. The phone constantly rings as well. They must be very busy. This guy didn’t stop making noodles from the time I walked in to the time I left.

Came upon this place and popped in for an order of fried dumplings. Not bad, they were a good size and were cooked just right. Also had a bowl of beef noodles and it was well made.
The only thing is that it is not fast food by any stretch. It looks like the usual type of fried dumpling shop with the kitchen visible behind glass, but the order itself took about 15 minutes. This seemed to be the case with all orders. The phone never stopped ringing with orders the whole time I waited, so maybe that’s the way to go.

I had been going to Lao Bei Fang (the former tenants at this location) for about 5 years. When I heard that they had moved around the corner, but that this location was still turning out dumplings as Lao Kou Wei, I had to do a taste test.
Lao Kou Wei looks exactly as Lao Bei Fang did, except for the personnel. Even the handwritten menus were held over. I tried an order of the standard potstickers. Dare I say, they were better than Lao Bei Fang’s!
I’ve felt that LBF’s potstickers had been going downhill for the past few years. Even at their new location, I was disappointed with LBF’s dumplings. They are a bit too dry and chewy tough, and the filling is not as succulent as they used to be years ago. I felt that the fried crust could be cooked longer as well (which had been the case for some time). I think their strength lies in the hand-​pulled noodles and perhaps all the new dishes they’ve added at the new location.
The dumplings at Lao Kou Wei reminded of the ones I used to have at LBF circa 2006 when I felt that they were near the best in town. The dough is more tender (but thick in a good way); the filling tasted fresh and very juicy. And the crust is a deep glossy brown with a satisfying crunch. It is glorious and 25 cents cheaper than at LBF. So please, give the new kids their due.
I did not try the noodles this time around. Hang tight for that review.

Lao Kou Wei Dumpling House has taken over the previously established location of where Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House used to reside. Do not mix the two, as Lao Kou Wei is run by a different family but serves the exact same items including dumplings and beef hand-​drawn noodle soups. If you’re looking for Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House, their new location is now part of their Hot Pot location just around the corner at 83 – 05 Broadway. Unless you’re a regular, you wouldn’t even notice the difference except for the family /​staff operating the kitchen. Tables, menus (even the hand-​written dumpling menu), and ambiance are exactly the same as its former glory.
Hesitant at first of what was to come, we played it safe and ordered 12 Fresh Pork & Chive Fried Dumplings ($ 1.25 for 4) to go. They prepared the dumplings just as quick and placed them in the usual styrofoam container. But the big question most are wondering is how do the dumplings compare? There were subtle differences between Lao Bei Fang’s and what is now Lao Kou Wei. Lao Kou Wei’s fried dumplings have a bit more vegetables mixed with the ground pork and a more significant chive-​flavored taste. Also, the dough was not as thick and although it was thinner, for some reason it just seemed a little more chewier. Besides those two subtle differences, expect what many have been accustomed to while this location used to be known as Lao Bei Fang. Lao Kou Wei’s fried dumplings are tasty and will not disappoint. Some may be just as content as Lao Bei Fang’s. As for their soups, I’ll have to make another visit to determine if they taste the same as well. Until then…