The queue outside was ridiculous, probably more people waiting outside than actually eating inside the restaurant. But it's obvious that these queues happen all the time - there is free tea to help yourselves to, and heaters all lined up outside. Most importantly, all the dumpling makers are on-show in the waiting area:
And as you would expect with Chinese efficiency, the waiting system is extremely clear and orderly with a LCD numbering system, for once I didn't mind the no reservations policy. The wait was only about half an hour.
As you walk in, you get a huge swaft of vinegar, and I was getting excited. We ordered their special 蟹子小龍包 (crab dumpling) - and even as they arrived, you can see they are plump with liquid:
And inside, it was very crabby (apologies for the out-of-focus photo, but you get the gist):
My usual partner in crime Meghana ordered garlic shoots with prawns (sweet, crunchy, excellent) and fried rice. Myself, of course it had to be braised beef noodle soup:
The noodles had good bite, the soup was deeply flavoured, the beef fell apart on my chopsticks - mmm mmm! Portion was a bit small though... actually overall, it was all quite expensive - $65 for 4 dishes, the dumplings worked out to be about $2.50 each (!)
My dad has always suspected that our family originates from North China to explain our shared noodle/dumpling obsession (and also why we are so big for Chinese people), and I think he would love it here! I'm already plotting my next trip to go back to try their 擔擔麵 (Dan Dan Noodles - noodles in a spicy soup with minced pork).
I just realised I put 4 (4!) photos in this post - you can tell I was excited.
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