Why nine
Nine pleats
Her grandmother folded eighteen. Mei folds nine, enough to hold the soup and quick enough to fold to order.
The pleat
Folded to order
Mei Okafor-Lin learned to pleat at her grandmother's table in Richmond, British Columbia.
Eighteen pleats, every time, and nobody ate until the tray was full. At Ninefold the dumplings are folded as the orders come in, nine pleats each, and steamed the minute they are closed.
The fold
One cookie, folded hot
The cookies are baked in the last hour of service and folded while they are still soft.
There are about thirty seconds before a cookie sets, so whoever is closing folds them two at a time, over the rim of a teacup. The fortunes go in first. The staff write them on Mondays, when the dining room is shut.
The counter
Eight seats facing the wok
The counter is never booked. It is kept for whoever walks in.
You can watch the dumplings being folded, and the wok line is close enough to feel. Come at five and there is nearly always a seat.
Where it comes from
Oregon grown
- Willamette ValleyHazelnuts, roasted for the chili crisp and the kung pao
- NewportDungeness crab, when the boats are out
- Hood RiverPears and cherries for the hoisin and the cold noodles
- Sauvie IslandGreens, scallions and chives, picked the day before