Lotus Dumpling Bar

I know people rave about Ding Tai Fung, but to me, Lotus make the best dumplings in Sydney. Yep, I called it. This title was definitely reinforced on a recent visit. We started out with a Jade Forest cocktail – Citron Absolut, mint, lemon juice and soda blended into a perfectly integrated, light and refreshing drink that was dangerously delicious – be warned, you will probably want more than one. We had two dumpling courses, and as the serves normally include four dumplings (and there were three of us), the waitress asked if we wanted portions of six (yes) – great service. The jade prawn dumplings were the standout. With two-toned, thin, sticky skins, these are the closest thing I’ve found to the dumplings I had in Guangzhou. The filling had fabulous identifiable individual textures (i.e. it wasn’t a blended mush) – plus the prawns were super juicy. Oh yum. Next were the pork xiao long bao, which were as silky and lovely as I remember. We then had the black pepper beef, which was incredibly tender and slathered in a delicious marinade, served with perfectly steamed asparagus and baby corn, and the crispy eggplant, which was deep fried, crispy on the outside and pillowy soft inside. Mmm. Lotus, you are undoubtedly my favourite.

Lotus Dumpling Bar, 3/16 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay NSW, http://www.lotusrestaurant.com.au/

Spicy Ginger Cuisine

So, it turns out Mr Shabu Shabu isn’t open for lunch on weekends, but luckily Spicy Ginger is, beause my friend and I were very hungry by the time I realised my mistake! Unfortunately the staff forgot about us after we were seated, but once they realised our order was taken quickly and we were given complimentary soft drinks with apologies. We started out with the san choy bao, which was utterly delicious – the crispy lettuce was packed with filling and every bite was perfection. I would come back for this alone, and I think it was the dish we both enjoyed most. Next up was the mongolian beef, which was a large serving packed with tender beef in an unctuous, salty sauce. The portion was quite large, but we had also ordered the braised eggplant in hotpot. I have a weakness for eggplant, and this was a really excellent way to serve it. The eggplant was soft and incredibly tasty, with another amazing sauce (hoi sin?). Three dishes definitely stopped us, and the staff kindly gave us takeaway containers so nothing went to waste. Just lovely.

Spicy Ginger Cuisine, 25 Childers Street, Acton ACT                           http://www.spicygingercafe.com/

Oriental Teahouse

When my friend mentioned that she’d found a place I’d love in Melbourne, I was expecting some kind of dessert mecca. Instead, she took me to the Oriental Teahouse, a place that combines two of my favourite things – tea and dumplings. It was a quiet Friday afternoon and we were the only ones in the store. We both started out with the sparkling iced tea special – raspberry and vanilla. It came out in a jar with a handle and was refreshing, sweet and fizzy with a couple of raspberries inside. On to the dumplings. I started with the prawn dumplings and then had the xiao long bao, both of which were served piping hot with three pieces each. The soup inside the xiao long bao wasn’t as flavoursome as the one at Lotus, but the skin was a bit thicker and there was a nice amount of filling inside. Prawn dumplings are my favourite, and these were pretty high up on the list of delicious ones with plenty of prawn inside. We finished with the chocolate dessert dumplings, which were deep-fried and coated in sesame – yum! Check it out for great tea and nice dumplings.

Oriental Teahouse, 378 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC                          http://orientalteahouse.com.au/

New Shanghai

I really love dumplings. A lot. So on a recent visit to Sydney I took the opportunity to spoil myself at New Shanghai in Chatswood Chase. There was about a 10 minute wait for a table, but once inside we were seated at benches and got stuck into ordering. My first pick was the pork xiao long bao – they’re reliably good here, with a vibrant broth and just the right amount of filling. The menu warns to open the dumpling before eating to avoid burns, and I second this advice! The soup inside is hot! Next up was the shallot pancake, which came with four pieces, perfect between two. Not even close to being healthy, these were thin, crispy and utterly delicious, although I had a bit of order envy looking at the couple next to us who had the pork belly bao – definitely getting this next time. We had two more plates of dumplings – prawn wontons with peanut butter and chilli oil, and the prawn duplings. The former were much better than the latter, with a real kick from the chilli and pieces of prawn inside providing a good textural contrast. I’ll be back to perfect my order!

New Shanghai, Chatswood Chase, 345 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood NSW    http://www.newshanghai.com.au

Lotus Dumpling Bar

I really like Sydney’s Walsh Bay precinct – there are some lovely little places near the Sydney Theatre Company theatre, and Lotus Dumpling Bar is probably one of the loveliest. A hole in the wall place with limited seating, Lotus is beautifully decked out with calligraphy on the walls and elegant crockery, plus a couple of hanging plants for good measure. I’d heard that the Xiao Long Bao are excellent here, so that was my first pick. They came out steaming hot, bulging with soup and bursting with flavour – definitely a winner. Next up were the prawn dumplings, which had a generous amount of prawn inside and a crisp, clean taste. Finally, we had pork and prawn wontons in spicy sauce, which were again super flavoursome; the soup was well balanced and not overly salty. One of the highlights of the dumplings here is the skin – springy, soft and chewy, the texture is the best I’ve encountered in Australia. I’d recommend booking to secure a spot at this lovely little dumpling bar, it’s well worth a visit.

Lotus Dumpling Bar, 3/16 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, Sydney NSW   http://www.lotusrestaurant.com.au/

Up to You Restaurant

This story begins with a Living Social voucher, and a group of colleagues who love all you can eat hot pot. Hint: it ends with happy tummies. We headed out to Belco after work to try Up to You Restaurant, and were encouraged by the steam on the windows as a sign that it was warm inside. We’d booked ahead, and were seated at a long table with individual hot pot burners. We were asked for our broth choice (I opted for pork bone, although I later heard that the laksa was a winner), and then moved to the ingredient table to collect things to cook in said broth. Options included tofu, noodles, mushrooms, sweet potato and assorted greens, as well as about six sauces. When we sat back down, the broths came out along with plates of raw meat and seafood to cook – the beef, lamb and pork was paper-thin, so cooked quickly, whereas the seafood was frozen and took much longer. My favourites were the shiitake mushrooms, which were so flavoursome dunked in peanut sauce (mmm), and the beef, also smothered in sauce. Unlimited hot pot? Definitely a happy ending.

Up to You Restaurant, 114 Emu Bank, Belconnen, no website