Mapo Tofu Dumplings
Mapo Tofu is Chinese cuisine’s great joke on the American palate, because inevitably, people (my wife!) assume that the tofu connotes vegetarian. Surprise! In reality and on Wikipedia, the dish has minced meat, usually pork. And this version, cloaked in its colorful pillows, does not disappoint. Every bite a spicy pleasure, introduced by a bath in the pungent chili sauce. This buzzy Squirrel Hill neighborhood street has like 8 Asian noodle shops. I could live here.