Cafe 33

Expect potstickers, scallion pancakes and soup dumplings, but also marinated turnips and jellyfish with celery Wed be lying if we said wed ever imagined dining in the laundromat behind the Shady Avenue Starbucks in Squirrel Hill. But now that it has become a Taiwanese restaurant, Café 33, we had just that opportunity. It sure cleaned up nice. The building, a one-story postwar box, doesnt have much inherent character to play up, but its set back from the sidewalk to create a pleasant forecourt permitting that holy grail of Pittsburgh dining, outdoor seating. Indoors, the ambience is stylish without straining at hipster clichés (no barn wood, no Edison bulbs). Theres some elbow room, and its not especially loud. While the decor seemed non-specific in its cultural references, the menu offered an extensive selection of distinctively Taiwanese cuisine. We love this recent (and long-overdue) trend to move beyond generic Chinese-American stir-fries and acknowledge the exciting regional diversity of true Chinese cuisine. Café 33s commitment to this approach was evident from the first page of its menu, featuring the xiaochi of Taiwans renowned night markets. Of course, potstickers, scallion pancakes and soup dumplings were represented, but there was not an egg roll in sight. Instead, we found a dozen or more options to tempt or challenge the palate, from marinated turnips to jellyfish with celery. Our table quickly filled with platters and bowls. Potstickers were bite-sized, clearly housemade and well balanced between lightly crisped wrapper and lightly spiced filling. Mini soup dumplings were in fact only slightly smaller than most weve tried. They contained probably a bit less soup than was ideal, but still delivered that marvelously rich, savory soup-dumpling experience as the pork broth burst into our mouths at first chew. The dipping sauce, with filaments of fresh ginger, provided countering notes of brightness and zing. A scallion pancake rolled around a thick, tender