Home Thai

Dining alone can be a strange experience. Some people find it very uncomfortable – I find that if I have something to do (book to read, notes to write etc.), I can eat out alone comfortably at dinnertime. This is what I ended up doing after arriving quite late in Sydney one night for a conference in Darling Harbour. Not much was open, but a quick google threw up Home Thai as a trendy option that was open at 9:30pm for dinner. I waited a while for a table, but was excited to see how much the place was buzzing – always a good sign. I am a sucker for dumplings, and on a cool evening I wanted something warming, so opted for steamed dim sum and a bowl of tom yum goong soup. The plate of dumplings came out with a mound of corriander and drizzled with black vinegar, which suited the pork and prawn mix. The tom yum was fresh but unbelieveably spicy – sadly, but it was a bit too much for me and I needed some rice to be able to eat it – I’d recommend asking for a mild version. Home Thai gets a tick in the solo traveller box!

Home Thai, Shop 1-2, 299 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW http://www.homethaisussex.com.au

Bukchon Son Mandu

After exploring the historic Bukchon village, we happened across this hole-in-the-wall place that offered traditional Korean dumplings and noodle dishes. The menu had English names for the food and we were sold. We took our seats in the tiny dine-in part, having watched the ladies serving up huge dumplings from a take-away window outside. We started with a couple of pork and kimchi steamed dumplings – they were incredible, with soft skins and packed full of spicy filling, this was pretty much heaven. I then had the cold noodles, which turned out to be an equally delicious choice. Looking much like soba and served in an ice bath, the noodles were peppered with sesame and topped with pork, cucumber, half an egg and an incredibly spicy red sauce. That was when I discovered the pickles. There was a jar of self-serve yellow pickles on the counter and I must have eaten half of them, a) because they tasted so good and b) because that sauce was hot! The noodles were silky and stuck together, but the contrast between the temperature cool of the noodles and the spicy heat of the sauce was fascinating. Highly recommended for fast, quality local fare.

Bukchon Son Mandu, various locations, Seoul                       http://www.mandoo.so/

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

Kutchi Deli Parwana

A friend of mine introduced me to Parwana many years ago and I fell in love with their home-style Afghani food, so when I heard that they’d opened a deli outpost in the city I had to try it! I love that it has remained a family-run business with the expansion, and they’ve upped their decor anti with incredibly vibrant blues and teals at the Ebenezer Place location. There are no reservations, so we planned to arrive as they opened for lunch on a Sunday. The strategy worked – we were the first to arrive behind a couple of locals who clearly know the staff (always a good sign). I’d already decided to order the mantu, Afghani dumplings served with lamb mince and yoghurt, and we added a lamb mince bolani to our order to be adventurous. Both dishes were mind-blowingly good. And I mean, lick-the-bowl, write-home-about good. The mantu were soft and beautifully balanced – stuffed full of onion and carrot, coated in a tomato-based sauce with mince and lentils. The bolani, an Afghani flat-bread, was filled with mince and veggies, and came with a divine mint dipping sauce that brought the whole thing to life. Let me repeat: incredibly, incredibly good. Please eat there.

Kutchi Deli Parwana, No. 7 Ebenezer Place, Adelaide SA http://www.parwana.com.au/html/kutchi_deli.html

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/