Trader Joe's Kung Pao Chicken Mochi Balls

I find myself craving dim sum. Not just the dim sum food but the experience. Like the sit down experience in a proper dim sum place with the ladies pushing carts and yelling out specials while we stuff ourselves silly amidst the din of crying babies and Asian family members fighting each other to pay for the bill. Air-fried frozen food, though a welcome respite, is no replacement. But novelty is hard to come by these days. 

To be clear, this is not something you'll find at a dim sum restaurant. I see this as an Asian American fusion product. The TJ's podcast mentioned that whoever found this discovered it in Japan, a land flowing with mochi and other delectable things. I'm not sure I've actually had something similar, but I conceptualize it as similar to a sesame ball where the sweet filling has been replaced by a savory one. 

Nope, it's not gluten free because there's wheat starch used in the cooked chicken crumbles. 

I decided to air fry these mochi balls instead of baking them because air frying generally does a pretty ok job at making things crispy. 

After 12 minutes, they were done but anemic looking. The outside was chewy but there was no crisp whatsoever on the outside. 

So I threw it back in for another 3-4 minutes. The exterior crisped, barely, and the chewiness decreased considerably. Maybe it's worth baking it in the oven after all. 

1. No, it's not a dumpling. But in a way, it's kind of like a dumpling if you reduce this down to a wrapped parcel with savory filling. 

2. The concept of this product deserves at least an 8/10. It has so much potential. The contrast of a crisp exterior with a chewy or "Q" texture (think elastic and springy) provides a stimulating textural experience. The filling isn't bad either. I'm not a huge fan of kung pao chicken (it is too Americanized for me) but the filling is acceptable and pleasant if you like that sweet and savory flavor. But, in TJ's fashion, they've gone too heavy on the ginger. (This seems to be a recurring issue. I like ginger but copious amount used here lacks finesse). 

2a. The filling isn't particularly spicy, but it does have a mild kick. If you don't eat spicy foods at all, you will find this spicy. 

3. The execution of this product is probably a 7/10, mostly because of the room for user error. I would be open to trying it again and actually follow the conventional oven directions. But I just don't see how a home oven is going to properly crisp the outside while maintaining a proper chewy layer that surrounds the kung pao filling. In theory, the longer you cook it, the more crispy it should get on the outside. But longer cooking thins out the chewy mochi layer, at least when air fried. 

4. I actually wouldn't mind the use of a Mandarin orange chicken filling. Might prefer that over this kung pao chicken filling. 

5. $3.99 for 8 of these or $0.50 each. Reasonable for an at-home, not dim sum experience. 

6. Overall, I enjoyed this product more than I thought I would and was pleasant surprised by the creativity. It's different from a typical dumpling and worth trying especially if you like chewy textures. 

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Kung Pao Chicken Mochi Balls. A fusion parcel of savory sweet goodness with an elusive aim - striking the balance between a crisp crust and a chewy interior. 7.5 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? I'm open to it.