Dough Zone, 504 5th Ave S Ste 109, Seattle (International District), WA 98104
Dough Zone is a fast-growing Chinese comfort food chain that was founded in Bellevue, WA in 2014. It reminds me of a budget Din Tai Fung. There are currently 10 locations in Washington and a few in Oregon, California, and Texas.
The menu includes buns, dumplings (steamed, boiled, pan-fried, soup), appetizers, vegetables, noodles, soups, desserts, and beverages (including milk tea). Prices seemed low to me, but portions are small.
The staff brought a small dish of grated ginger to my table. I don’t know why. It didn’t seem to complement what I ordered.
Spicy beef sandwich ($6.95): a fluffy white steamed bao filled with slices of Chinese beef (cold sliced beef shank?), lettuce, pickle, and house spicy sauce. The paper menu didn’t have a description, so I was expecting shao bing. The bun was fine, but the thin slices of beef were very salty. I was shocked that the pickle wasn’t pickled mustard greens. It looked and tasted like a dill pickle (which isn’t even Chinese). WTF? Not only would I not get it again, I can’t imagine returning to a Chinese restaurant that doesn’t use Chinese pickles.
Pork wontons with chili sauce (6 for $7.15): The wontons barely had any filling and they’d been boiled for too long (the skins were too soft), but I did like the sesame sauce. The spice level was very mild but they had chili sauce at the table.
The restaurant is attractive and bright with hanging pendant lamps, windows facing the street, and wood accents. The entire building looked pretty new. Online ordering is available. The online menu has pictures but the in-person menu does not.