There are a lot of reasons to visit Northern Taste. Maybe you’re tired of Chinatown’s well-worn sidewalks and want to explore the profusion of regional Chinese restaurants along Halsted Street in Bridgeport. Maybe you’re into salt-and-pepper fish—Northern Taste’s version ($13) is surpassingly good, with a subtle chili heat. Or maybe you just like watching Chinese soap operas while you dine.

But the most convincing reason to go? The pan-fried pork dumpling pie ($7). It’s a feat of engineering: four concentric circles of meat-stuffed dough, smashed together, seared on a griddle, and sliced into wedges. The golden-brown exterior is both tender and chewy, and the green-onion-flecked pork filling is luscious and juicy. No matter what gets you in the door the first time, you’ll come back again for that dumpling pie.

3409 S. Halsted St.