New York: White Bear

Though we just had soup dumplings and pan fried buns, my sister and I couldn't pass up the chance to check out White Bear:

The interior was super small.  Basically there's an open kitchen and four tiny tables.  We placed our order at the kitchen and then snagged a table.

White Bear is known for its dumplings and wontons.  What we wanted to try were the wontons in chili oil:

The lady who took our order looked a little miffed when all we ordered was six wontons.  Her attitude did a complete 180 when my sister later stepped in to save the day.

Two men in suits entered the door a few minutes after we got our wontons.  Their suits definitely made them stand out, but beyond that, they were the only non-Chinese people in the restaurant (one being black and the other Indian).  My first thought fell along the lines of how great White Bear must be for non-Chinese people to seek out this hole-in-the-wall.

Once the two men started to speak, however, it quickly became obvious that they weren't there for the food.  Instead, they were from the electricity company and were checking in to see if the rates being charged were correct.  The two employees at White Bear didn't speak enough English to understand what the men wanted.

This is where my sister came in.  Acting as interpreter, my sister single-handedly cleared up all the misunderstandings and won the respect of the lady in the kitchen.  That's my girl!

Electricity drama aside, the wontons were FANTABULOUS.  I was afraid that they would be too spicy, but was pleased to discover that they weren't spicy at all.  Now, other people might be disappointed by that, but not me!  The mysterious seasoning on top added bonus levels of flavor and texture.  So good.

Everything on the menu is super cheap.  You can buy frozen dumplings and wontons as well.  If I worked in the area, I could totally see myself dropping by White Bear each day for a quick, inexpensive lunch.


White Bear
135-02 Roosevelt Ave #5
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 961-2322