QuickTake:
Steam & Soul Dumplings serves up a variety of Chinese dumplings, comforting Taiwanese noodle soups, stir fry straight from the wok, along with classic takeout fare. The restaurant opened mid-March off Coburg Road in Eugene.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever scalded your tongue with a soup dumpling.
Good news: A simple guide on how to eat these steaming pockets is on every table at Steam & Soul Dumplings, Eugene’s newest Chinese restaurant.
The bright and spacious eatery opened in mid-March off Coburg Road (in the same shopping center as Romulo’s Mexican Grill, another new spot Lookout Eugene-Springfield recently covered).
The restaurant boasts fried and steamed dumplings from Jiangnan and other areas of China, including potstickers (guo tie), pan-fried buns (sheng jian bao) and, of course, soup dumplings (xiao long bao.) Each dumpling is crafted by hand, down to making, rolling out and shaping the dough.

Soup dumplings (xiao long bao) are filled with an aromatic broth and a plump meatball or some other filling. They’re meant to be eaten in one or two bites. Steam & Soul’s pork and crab dumplings ($13.99 for six) are particularly comforting, with a delicate, thin wrapper that encases a juicy meatball and savory broth.
To enjoy them without sustaining first-degree burns: Lift the dumpling from the top knot and place it in your soup spoon, then poke it with chopsticks or take a small bite toward the top so the steam can release. Drink some of the broth, then either enjoy as is or dip it in zippy black vinegar, soy sauce, chili oil or some combination. (Steam & Soul offers all three at each table.)
Steam & Soul also serves up noodle soups, fried rice, stir-fried noodles and other smoky dishes straight from the wok. Its braised beef noodle soup ($17.99) is already a crowd pleaser, with fatty, tender chunks of beef reminiscent of mom’s Sunday roast. The spicy red-braised version was tasty as well, but lacked the desired kick and mouth-tingling effect of Sichuan peppercorns.

Steam & Soul is a solid dumpling option, especially for diners in north Eugene. You could try Steam & Soul now or wait a few weeks until the full menu is available, with more dumpling options and classic takeout items such as orange chicken and Mongolian beef.

If you go: Steam & Soul Dumplings is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. The restaurant is located at 1777 Coburg Rd., No. 2, Eugene. Prices range from about $10 to $14 for dumplings, $16 to $20 for entrees and $16 to $19 for noodle soups. The menu is meat-heavy, with some vegetarian dumplings and other dishes. Expect limited options during the next few weeks as the restaurant builds capacity.

