If you are humming “Land Down Under,” the Men at Work song from the 1980s (ouch! I just dated myself), it’s quite apropos to dumplings as the song and video are rather food centric (e.g.,Vegemite, breakfast, the bar shot that kicks off the video). On my first day in Sydney, I headed down to Chinatown, a short walk from the Hilton hotel where I was staying, and there was a wealth of dumplings to be found, including: Din Tai Fung for Shanghai soup dumplings, three Uighur restaurants offering various samsas (like a baked turnover), a sparkling clean Da Niang Dumpling shop that sold boiled Northern Chinese poached and panfried dumplings along with great side dishes. Mother Chu’s Taiwanese café had ladies showing off their bao pleating skills at the front window.
And that’s not counting the dim sum houses, which are called “Yum Cha” in Australia. At chic, gentrified Billy Kwong restaurant in Surry Hills, an establishment owned by celebrity chef and author Kylie Kwong, I found fried and poached wontons made from skins prepared in-house. At the Chat Thai cafe, I got a takeaway order of sweet saku tapioca dumplings (in green and white colors) to eat in my hotel room. I checked markets such as Thai Kee in Chinatown’s Paddy’s Market and even the local skins looked remarkably fresh.
At the Sydney World Chef Showcase this past weekend, Master Chef Yu Bo of Yu’s Family Kitchen in Chengdu, China, sculpted filled dumplings to look like hedgehogs. Top Chef runner up Poh Ling Yeow made Malaysian Kuih Koci, a banana leaf-wrapped sticky rice dumpling filled with sweetened coconut. Din Tai Fung was out in full force for the mid morning break with freshly steamed xiao long bao Shanghai soup dumplings.
Noteworthy dumpling addresses in Sydney:
Da Niang Dumpling
42-42A Dixon Street, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney
Fast food dumplings from the mainland Chinese chain. It’s average but great for a quick bite. I like that you can order a mixed plate of 3 types of dumplings. Great for sampling. See more at Grab Your Fork blog posting.
Mother Chu’s Taiwanese Gourmet
Shop 1/ 86-88 Dixon St, Haymarket NSW 2000
Watch the dumpling makers at the front. Across the way at the Emperor’s Garden Bakery, get a warm egg tart for about $2 – one of the greatest deals in Sydney.
Chat Thai
Multiple locations in Sydney.
Go late morning, mid afternoon or late evening if you want to beat the wait. The saku dumplings of tapioca wrappers is sold on Thursdays and Fridays. Go for the north-eastern dishes (Issan) such as grilled sausages, as they’re standouts. Kao mok gai is a chicken and rice dish that showcases the marriage of Indian and Thai cooking.
Din Tai Fung
653 George St, Haymarket NSW 2000
This Sydney outpost is more casual and western in flavor, though they’ll put handbags and the like a hamper at your side so it never has to touch the ground. The dumplings are up to the standard of all Din Tai Fung. The menus is much larger than Din Tai Fung in Arcadia (California) and Shanghai, so you can have nice meal.
Billy Kwong Chinese Eating House
3/355 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
The very small kitchen cranks out simple, homestyle Chinese food. Some dishes were too muted for me or monochromatic, but the wontons are a standout. No reservations so beware.
When you’re in Chengdu, China, do try to get a table at Yu Bo’s restaurant: Yu’s Family Kitchen — No. 43 Zhai Xiang Zi, Xia Tong Ren Road, Chengdu, China. Telephone: 86-28-8669-1975. Price depends on number of people: Between 200 yuan to 600 yuan per head ($30 to $88).
Have a favorite dumpling restaurant or shop in Sydney? Do share your tips!
