I was recently notified of a new, carry-out only, hole-in-the-wall Chinese dumpling shop called Sister Liu’s Kitchen. With no real signage or advertisement, this gem is truly hidden, tucked in the small lot on the other side of Namu. Like all gems, it is worth the effort to uncover.
The owner and chef at Sister Liu’s is the real deal. Cuiying Liu is from Harbin, China, where she used to spend days making dumpling with her mother and sisters (who both own restaurants in Harbin). When Cuiying moved to the Durham area six years ago, she did not anticipate following a calling in the food industry as well.About a year and a half ago, Cuiying began selling dumplings to friends and family through advance orders. Through word of mouth and via WeChat (a Chinese texting app), her clientele grew quickly and she gained a devoted following among Chinese students at Duke, UNC and NC State. She also developed a system to sell her products through pop-up markets.
One of the best to-go items at Sister Liu’s is the Chinese Hamburger. In China, they’re sold on every corner and in every subway station. According to their website, the original recipe is a few thousand years old and comes from Shaanxi, but the Liu family of Northern China has since added their own twists.
The bread is the same dough as a steamed bun, with a neutral taste and spongey texture. They just shape it a little differently and lightly fry the outside to give it a delicate crisping. The inside is slow-cooked pork belly, cilantro, Chinese peppers and a little bit of the braising liquid, finely diced into small pieces.
I tried all three (pork belly, beef shank, and spicy beef) and would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite–I would gladly eat them all over again. The “burgers” are best enjoyed as they come out, still warm and stuffed with that perfectly cooked and flavored meat.
Since the shop is carry-out only, plan to wait as your bun is prepared, and if you must, eat it in your car, or drive quickly home/back to work. It’s worth it. (I was able to enjoy my leftovers later by covering with a damp paper towel and reheating in the microwave). Sister Liu’s Chinese Hamburgers sell for $6.50-$7.00/per.
Cuiying is generous, driven, and strives to make the best product possible. She has aspirations to one day supply more dumplings to restaurants and to own a mobile food business.
After eating far too many warm and chewy Chinese hamburgers and leaving with several bags of shrimp, beef and veggie dumplings to enjoy with my family, I know that I would go back and seek out her food no matter where it is.
Gary G says
Thank you! Saw this earlier today and went there for lunch. Had a pork sandwich, freshly made and hot in my hand and it was outstanding. Brought home 2 packages of frozen dumplings. Need to go back for the beef which Cuiying told me was the hottest sandwich, and I love the heat. Had a sample of turkey gizzard in hot chili oil while I was waiting which was also very good – unexpectedly. I showed her this blog post on my phone and her eyes grew wide when she saw her photo – and she said she was very happy when I told her that this write-up means she’s going to get more business. She will for sure, from me!
magnoliawriting@gmail.com says
I’m so glad to hear this! Isn’t it just a great little spot!? Thanks for reading the blog and taking my food tips to heart. I’m already craving another one of her burgers!
Brenda says
I first found Sister Liu’s at the Chinese Festival in Chapel Hill. I absolutely love the pork belly burger, it’s delicious! But now I must try the dumplings. The location was a bit tricky, and when I finally found it they were closed, but now I know the location and hours of operation and will definitely be visiting more often. I can’t wait to take my oldest son who works in a restaurant and is a “real” foodie.
Janet Kehoe says
I saw this and made a point to find this gem today. It was worth the drive and the extra time to find it. I had the pork hamburger and got frozen dumplings. I will definitely be going back. Thanks for telling us about this amazing place!
JRB says
Just ate there for the first time today– it was great! They actually do have some indoor seating a few doors down from where you order the food.