By: Ishrak Ramzan
WeHouse Gyoza, a charming pan-Asian restaurant that specializes in a variety of dumplings, is a new addition to Milpitas’ Ulferts Center. Walking inside, I was greeted with winsome artwork along the main wall and minimalist furniture that was aesthetically pleasing. If you truly enjoy dumplings and want to experience a new twist on the classic dish, and don’t mind spending a pretty penny in the process, then you should head over to this cute establishment.
The first item I tried was the popcorn chicken, a staple item at the smaller, more snack oriented restaurants that are located everywhere throughout the Bay Area. The chicken was served quickly, and upon its arrival I found it to be both hot and pleasantly crispy. The coating was made well, being thin and fluffy, but still provided a decent amount of crunch to the item. However, there were a couple of unfavorable parts of this side. The first issue was that a significant portion of the chicken pieces felt as though they were too large, resulting in awkwardly thick chunks instead of smaller crunchy fragments. Another issue was a smaller, being that there were no condiments or spices provided to season the chicken. Typically, at venues like this one, there will be various options available to change the flavor of dishes, such as chili powder or a variety of sauces.
Being at place with gyoza in the name, naturally I had to try a dumpling platter, so I decided to order a combination platter with six chicken dumplings and six beef ones. For the sake of experimentation, I also bought the self-explanatory cheesetop topping for my dumplings. The chicken dumplings contained a mixture of steamed chicken, corn, and cheese, while the other dumplings were filled with beef, onions, and other vegetables. The platter of gyoza was cooked very well, having a golden sear on the bottom but still being soft and moist all around. The cheese topping formed a nice melted layer on top of the dumplings, and the dish was garnished with saffron strands. The saffron, together with the melted cheese, served to elevate and modernize a classical dish in an interesting way. While the taste and preparation of the dumplings was great, the value of them was not so ideal. With each dumpling clocking in at close to a dollar each, the item was definitely a bit overpriced, especially considering the small size of the dumplings.
Finally, as part of a special deal with the popcorn chicken purchase, I bought a cup of house milk tea. I enjoyed the beverage a lot, and it was clear that the drink wasn’t just water mixed with some powder from a package. The flavor was also good, there wasn’t an overabundance of sugar in the drink, and the tea itself shone through and was appropriately strong.
The new take on traditional Japanese dumplings was very enjoyable, and I could not be happier with the gyoza that I tasted. At the same time, the different aesthetic aspects of the restaurant added to the ambiance, and it made for a nice dining experience. Unfortunately, every item was steeply priced, to the point where I wasn’t sure if the good food was worth the egregious prices. That being said, if you take great delight in getting dumplings and aren’t afraid of spending a little extra money, you will undoubtedly enjoy WeHouse Gyoza.