Rakar Dumpling House opened this past summer on 135th Street, or as some may know better, the former Winstead’s location for the Leawood area. Rakar is a locally owned dumpling house that doubles as an antique store. 

In the Johnson County Post‘s article, they shared that co-owner Jim Zhang has owned a furniture company, Rakar Inc., for over 20 years. The Kansas City Star interviewed Catherine Kot, the other co-owner. Kot grew up working at her parents’ restaurant, The Dragon Inn located in Downtown Kansas. She also shared that thanks to her Chinese heritage, she grew up with an appreciation for the bond that dumplings can make for people.

 Rakar is open from Wednesday through Sunday 11 am to 8 pm. When my parents and I went, we were able to speak to Kot ourselves, and she shared that she needs a couple of days off to herself because it takes a lot to keep everything running and ready. She also told us that everything is made in-house and the dumplings take time to prepare. She was very friendly, and so was the employee who served us our food. 

Ambiance-wise, Rakar is very unique and different from the former Winsteads due to their large remodel, which the Johnson County Post also covered in their article on the restaurant. There are touches of greenery around the restaurant, and the cultural decor adds to the experience. The restaurant is arranged such that the food is slightly separate from the antiques. You order on a tablet near the kitchen and then walk around the corner to look through the gallery of antiques for sale. The seating area also has stations where you can easily grab all your utensils, napkins, etc. 

My parents and I started with the crab rangoon, which was very delicious and the perfect amount for the three of us. They were very creamy, but the crab taste was still very present. I really enjoyed the size and amount of filling in the crust.

 For the main meal, I ordered the steamed chicken dumplings; all of the dumpling meals are eight for seven dollars. I was very pleasantly surprised by these as I have never been a big dumpling fan, but they were delicious. The dough was nice and thick but did not overpower the taste of the vegetables and chicken. They were, however, very filling and I couldn’t finish all of them.

My parents ordered the fried chicken dumplings, which had a really nice crunch to them. The taste was very similar to that of my dumplings, but they differed in texture. The steamed dumplings were a little more dough-focused and not as crunchy, which made them feel like a whole meal. The fried had a crunch to them and tasted more like a snack and less heavy.

Overall, I rate Rakar Dumpling House a 4 out of 5 based on its ambiance, customer service, and food that I tried. If you want to try some of the many other dishes they have or check out some antiques I highly recommend visiting Rakar. Their website is linked here if you want to access their menu and more. 

★★★★☆