The only protein pasta that beats normal pasta.
+ the frozen dumplings that surpass restaurant-quality
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Nate’s Pickup:
Mimi Cheng’s Frozen Dumplings
If you had to ask me the most exciting space in CPG right now it would be frozen. Hands down. There is so much innovation, new products, and exciting brands being built in this wildly difficult space. As I wrote literally a year ago in my article for The Quality Edit, the next wave of frozen food is here, and it’s actually good. Really good. Everything from fries, to scallion pancakes, to grapes (of course I’m talking about Fruit Riot here), to banana pudding, to high protein pizzas, and of course to dumplings. There are a ton of excellent dumpling brands out there, like a lot of really really good ones. But, today, I want to talk about a recent love of mine.
Quick Facts: Restaurant-quality frozen dumplings from the cult NYC shop sisters Marian and Hannah Cheng opened in the East Village back in 2014, built on their mom Mimi’s Taiwanese family recipes. Made from scratch with no preservatives or artificial ingredients, and ready in 7–10 minutes whether you steam, boil, pan-fry, or air fry.
Reasons to love:
Giving restaurant-to-retail a good name. Add this to the ever-growing list of amazing restaurants that have decided to go into the CPG world and have also decided to absolutely NAIL IT. These taste like I was handed a freshly made batch of dumplings at their shop in the Lower East side. I can comfortably say this is truly restaurant quality products you happen to be able to find in the freezer section of your local Whole Foods!
Heats well. This is the most exciting thing about the new wave of frozen. These warm up so well no matter how you do it (though pan searing is the best, IMO). I have (unfortunately) microwaved these a few times, because I always find myself working all day without eating anything real and then end up absolutely starving by 9pm. The last thing I want is to spend more than 5 minutes on my meal. All I want is to sit down and watch my shows!! What’s wild is that these microwave shockingly well. Usually when you microwave a frozen meal (any frozen meal) it gets soggy. It’s so depressing. But not these bad boys. Microwaved, they eat more or less like you’d steamed them. Of course a bamboo steamer does work much better, for the record, but damn I was impressed.
Stuffed to the brim. One of my biggest criticisms of a lot of frozen foods, and especially dumplings, is that they’re never stuffed enough. I WANT MY FILLING. The dumpling part is great and all, but it’s a vehicle…a vehicle for filling!! Gimme my Chili Crisp Honey Chicken, my Korean-Glazed Beef, my Chicken and Bok Choy. These are filled perfectly to the brim, and they still don’t pop open when you microwave them or heat them any other way. That’s definitely a testament to the dumpling itself. These are well made and well constructed. But that filling, that filling is perfect. Perfect amount and perfect flavor.
Where to buy: In the freezer aisle at select Whole Foods nationwide, on Goldbelly, or find a spot near you on their retail locator.
Jenna’s Pickups:
Brami Protein Pasta - Radiatori
The other day, I found myself in a conversation about my favorite protein products (naturally). I was chatting with a 2026 bride who’s working with a personal trainer to prep for her wedding, and has been trying to increase her protein intake accordingly. She wasn’t particularly impressed with any of her current protein stack, and was seeking new ways to sneak in #gains without defaulting to another bar. Brami was my very first recommendation, without hesitation.
Brami is, by far, the best protein pasta I’ve ever tried. It’s my go-to meal when I want something hearty and delicious but low-effort—the first legitimate reason to eat buttered noodles for dinner and safely call it a complete meal.
Quick Facts: Two-ingredient, protein- and fiber-rich premium pasta made in Italy.
Reasons to love:
Not like the other protein pastas. “Protein pasta” has a reputation that precedes it (too starchy, weirdly chewy, often accompanied by a funky aftertaste). But Brami defies all preconceptions. This doesn’t just taste like “normal” pasta; it tastes like really exceptional “normal” pasta. Unlike the other protein pastas, Brami doesn’t have any added protein or pea protein (which often contribute to the weird texture and taste). Every detail was considered in the making of this premium pasta, down to the bronze-cut texture that helps sauce cling to it effortlessly.
Just two ingredients for a nutritional powerhouse. Brami is made with only two authentically Italian ingredients: semolina durum wheat and lupini beans. Semolina durum wheat is the gold standard for pasta—it has a unique texture that prevents pasta from getting too mushy, and holds its shape well. Lupini beans offer the nutritional accolades: these underrated beans offer more plant-based protein and fiber than any other legumes! Paired together, you get a premium-tasting pasta that packs in 21g protein and 9g fiber per 200-calorie serving. With macros like these, you could easily swap your sad protein bar with pasta as a mid-day snack—and who doesn’t want pasta as a mid-day snack?
The shape! Small but critical note: I have never seen another protein pasta attempt the Radiatori shape, which, to me, is the superior pasta shape. These little pasta coils (that, yes, actually do look like radiators) offer the most satisfying bite. They hold sauce perfectly, have a little bouncy chew, and just feel fun on the plate.
(Nate here, he agrees, best shape)
Where to buy: Online or in a store near you!
Check out our most recent episode of The Curious Consumer, featuring an interview with Kristina Garrido, Director of Emerging Categories at Whatnot, the fastest-growing livestream shopping platform in the U.S currently valued at nearly $12 billion.
In this episode, Nate (just Nate, no Jenna today) also recaps his incredible 24 hours at Target’s HQ for their Food & Beverage Discovery Day where he had the opportunity to chat with SVP of F&B merchandising, John Conlins. Plus some fun CPG news including Coca-Cola’s “Spricy” trademark, Final Boss Sour’s $4M raise, and Fairlife’s production pause after a massive ransomware attack. Let’s get to it!
Thanks for reading! Anything you think we should try for an upcoming edition of Express Checkout? Email us at hello@expresscheckout.co