Dump City Dumplings’ story, which began in 2010 as a food cart, continues to evolve. After relocating to a new home on Galveston Avenue in September 2022, the restaurant has unleashed a new menu: dim sum.

The dim sum is not the traditional experience of carts wheeled around by waiters, but it’s true to how Dump City has conducted business since the beginning.

“Traditional is not quite how we do things,” said Keith Shayon, who owns the restaurant with business partner Dan Butters.

The pair landed in the restaurant industry by way of following a dream. They were in their early 20s and trying to figure out how to financially support a summer traveling on the road when they started Dump City.

To this day, Shayon said he’s not interested in losing his penchant for having fun.

“You know, 13 years into it, (Butters and I) still get that sort of dumb smile on our faces,” he said.

Small bites

The dim sum is presented on the menu in a photo format and includes over 20 items. There’s the same large steamed dumplings (technically “hum bao” buns) the restaurant has become known for, along with miniature versions of the dumplings, crab rangoon wontons ($10) and Thai broccolini ($8).

One serving is approximately three small dishes, allowing diners to taste-test multiple menu items or enjoy a buffet-like-spread among friends.

The dough encasing the braised pork mini dumplings ($6) errs on the sweet side. It’s a delicious bite, with the same mixture stuffed inside as the palm-sized steamed dumpling with pork.

The mixture with ginger and soy-sesame sauce adds a zing, with a larger dough-to-filling ratio.

The Thai broccolini, sautéed in a mushroom sauce, is sprinkled with minced garlic. It’s full in flavor, but heavy on the salt.

The sticky rice with fruit ($7) stands out as a tasty sweet option. A mound of short-grain sticky rice surrounded by diced mango is drizzled with coconut cream and black sesame seeds. It’s fresh, naturally sweet and satisfying.

Shayon said he plans to regularly add dishes to the rotation to offer a new experience to customers each time they visit. He’s also mulling over how to incorporate a more authentic offering — chicken feet.

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Growing up

Dump City has grown up alongside its patrons over the years. Shayon said he was introduced to a couple who first met at the food cart and now have a child together. One of the seasonal employees earlier this year had her first date at the age of 11 at the food cart.

“It’s full of its own challenges that we never expected. But it’s also full of a lot of really wonderful things that we didn’t expect either,” Shayon said.

While there was a food cart slinging dumplings at Hayden Homes Amphitheater last summer, another food cart stocked with dumplings was traveling to Washington, California and as far east as Colorado for music festivals.

The next frontier for Dump City is bringing its dumplings to grocery stores. The shop’s standard dumplings come with a $20 price tag, so Shayon is hoping to offer mini dumplings at a lower price point.

And although some of the dumplings are hand-rolled, some are prepared with a machine, or what Shayon refers to as a dumpling-rolling robot. The machine will come in handy as the business makes its next push into wholesale.

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Details

What: Dump City Dumplings

Location: 1244 NW Galveston Ave., Bend

Contact: dumpcitydumplings.com

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Price Range: $4-$10 per dish on dim sum menu, $11-$15 on regular menu with additional charges for add-ons