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.

Now that the word is out, her clientele is more diverse and all-encompassing. There are traditional Chinese items on the menu that American’s don’t typically eat, however, the array of dumplings and the Chinese Hamburgers are a favorite among all her customers. Cuiying developed and reworked her recipes with the help of her sisters. The trickiest part of making the dumplings are rolling the dough out to the right consistency and width, folding it in just the right way, and pinching it closed. You can see and taste the difference at Sister Liu’s, where the dumplings are all handmade by experienced staff and sold frozen by the pound for $13-15 a bag. It is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming process.

With the exception of the vegan, vegetarian and pescaterian dumpling options, her food is exactly as it would be served in China. Her dumplings are true to the traditional style of dumpling-making: simple, beautiful, and consistent. Even the oils, such as the red pepper oil, are made in-house with a variety of peppers brought back from China.

Keep in mind the storefront is tiny, with just enough room for a kitchen, supplies, freezers and a check-out counter. With that in mind, don’t expect to go with a group and sit down for a meal. The kitchen can steam or fry you up a take-out container of dumplings, but remember, they are best enjoyed right away. It is best to purchase a bag and dipping oil on your way home and steam it up for dinner. (Sister Liu’s is open until 7pm Monday-Saturday.)

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.