I’ve been wanting to try Zen Dumpling… It’s so far out, and I had a friend who said it was mid, so I haven’t been dying to make the trek. There are also many options out there that I end up at since Zen always has a wait. Then I found out there were Kung Fu Kitchens in town. Felt like the next best thing.
The Parking: There are 2 locations in Orlando. One in Lake Buena Vista, in the same center as Susuru. Or the one in Kirkman, which is where I went. Parking at the Buena Vista center can get pretty packed, even though it’s big. There are just so many restaurants, and it’s so close to the parks, that the lot can be hectic. Kirkman is a standalone spot with a dedicated parking lot. I went on a weekend, and it wasn’t crowded at all.
The Atmosphere: It’s clean, simple, and just a bit elevated—definitely a spot to come for a lax meal. The majority of folks were with their families, which was a smart idea, because dim sum is basically family-style dining. Would have been nice to have people to split with so I could have tried more things!
The Food: And since it was a solo endeavor, I had to pick and choose my menu items carefully. I landed on the steamed shrimp and pork handmade dumplings, Shanghai pan-fried pork buns, and, of course, finished off with the chocolate xiao long baos.
Both the savory items were very good. It’s hard to pick a favorite. The filling of both was delicious and juicy. I am partial to a nice soft bun, so the Shanghai buns were a treat. And the dumplings were filled up more than I expected. There were 6 of each of these items, which was more than filling. I ended up taking about half of everything home.
Even though I was getting full, I had to try the Din Tai Fung ‘copycat’, chocolate baos. When I went to Din Tai Fung, I was also rather full by the time I got these guys. It was very decadent, more like a melted truffle filling. The Kung Fu Kitchen ones were more like brownie batter consistency. It definitely made it easier to eat because it wasn’t oozing everywhere. Can’t say which I enjoyed more. What I can say is that the sea salt cream at Din Tai Fung is unmatched. There was a dupe version at Kung Fu. The flavor was decent, but the consistency was off. It was almost more gelatinous than the light whipped cream of my dreams.
The items I ordered were reasonably priced considering how full they were. The buns are a bit pricier, but not awful. I’ve since ordered takeout a few times. Reordered dumplings, which I knew I’d enjoy. Also ordered the scallion pancake with braised beef, not my personal favorite. I am curious about their entrees, which are a bit pricier. At some point, I’d like to try those to see if they’re as good as the baos and dumplings. It definitely makes sense to go with a group and share things.
I was honestly pleasantly surprised. To be fair, I went in without many expectations. Whereas I went in with very high expectations at Din Tai Fung and was a bit underwhelmed. Sometimes I just need to try places I don’t have preconceived expectations of. Kung Fu, definitely somewhere I’d go back.
Rating: 8.5/10
Address: 5320 S Kirkman Rd, Orlando, FL 32819
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