Yang's Dumplings 小杨生煎 - Shanghai Hongqiao - Shanghai, China

Our trip to China has been an eye opening experience. 

Shanghai is different to what I imagined it to be and way beyond my expectations. A modern and cosmopolitan city where east meets west. It's the most populated city in China with a population of more than 24 million and growing.

Rapid developments and a massive transformation over the last few decades has seen the emergence of a plethora of high rise buildings everywhere literally. Shanghai is China's financial capital and is on a quest to becoming a global financial hub.

We weren't blessed with the best weather but I'm glad the pollution levels weren't at an all time high.

 I love the mix of modern and ancient architecture. 

The beautiful Yu Garden, believed to have been built during the Ming Dynasty.

The French Concession area is popular with the expats and an expensive address to boot. 

Communication was the most difficult part of travelling in China. The language barrier of not speaking Mandarin meant getting around was difficult. A lot of people don’t speak English so it was either rely on the internet to get information or point at things. There was no easy way around it. Taking the metro is probably the easiest form of transportation as it’s not only inexpensive but navigating through the many lines available is relatively easy with English signage.

We caught the bullet train from Shanghai to Beijing, a 5 hour train ride. I do recommend buying tickets earlier or booking online as getting tickets on the day can be a difficult process and overwhelming for some. 

Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station is huge and there are plenty of eateries within. 

Yang’s Dumplings is a popular chain of restaurants with several branches throughout the city. It has been mentioned in guide books and is a must visit. Yang's Shanghainese style pan-fried dumplings are iconic. 

From a distance you'll see the brightly lit signs and the words ‘Yang’s Dumpling'.

Plenty of seating is available.

There are English words on the menu so ordering shouldn’t be too hard,  point if needed. Everything is super cheap and affordable.

The ‘Pork Dumplings (RMB 8.00)’ which are also known as shengjian comes in parcels of 4. In a fluffy bread like skin and coated with sesame seed and spring onion, the bottoms of the dumplings have been shallow fried to a crispy golden brown.

The pork mince and hot soup filling is delicious and tasty. Be warned the juices could be hot and burn your tongue!

The ‘Shepherd's Purse and Pork Dumplings (RMB 10.00)’are similar to the pork dumplings but contains a lot more greens and it isn’t as juicy nor as flavoursome.

This dried chilli is a must have if you like spicy foods. It adds a whole new dimension to the flavours.

‘Pork Wonton (RMB 10.00)’ is a generous portion of slippery smooth dumplings with small pieces of meat encased in a soft pastry skin. The bowl is filled with a light broth which we found to be a bit bland.

The ‘Fish Ball Soup (RMB 9.00)’ has tender and bouncy fish balls. We were so full from the dumplings that we didn’t fully get to enjoy these soups.

You can trust Yang’s Dumplings to deliver on taste and consistency. It’s a must have and a decent place to get your fix of authentic Shanghai dumplings with branches located throughout the city. I would personally just stick to the dumplings. 

Where?

Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station (Shanghai Hongqiao)

Opening Hours

6:00am – 10:00pm

7 Days a Week

Website

http://www.xysjg.com/

Dainty Dumpling House - Miranda - Sydney, Australia

Dainty Dumplings 

With the makeover of Westfield Miranda in process, a number of new eateries have started to open or are due to open soon. Stage 1 of the renovation is now complete and it looks amazing. Westfield Miranda has been in need of a restoration for a long time as it has been a while since it was last re-done. I would imagine that the rent for shop or restaurant spaces would be exorbitant, hence the higher prices for the food that is charged to compensate for the rent.

Dainty Dumpling House is well, a Chinese dumpling restaurant. An unusual name I would probably associate with a tea house of some sort.  Located on the lower floor of the complex, this restaurant occupies a large corner space with an open kitchen and fresh dumplings prepared daily.

They also have items other on their menu such as handmade noodles and roti, but as they haven't been open for long, these are yet to be made available. There are a substantial number of items on the menu but they have been tagged 'coming soon' unfortunately.

From the outside, you could see the chefs busy preparing and cooking. Can you see those colourful dumplings? It's one of their speciality items.

On a Sunday morning, we arrive before 12pm and the restaurant is at full capacity. We join the queue and get a table shortly.

We notice that service is slow and disorganised as there are only two waiters to take the orders. I find myself having to go to the waitress to ask her if I could place my order as she is preoccupied with other things. The patrons on the tables next to us look frustrated as their orders haven't been taken, having arrived way before us. The main problem here is the restaurant is new and they are adjusting to the new environment, so do give them time.

I do like their cutlery.

We start off with 'Xiao Long Bao ($10.80)', described as steamed pork dumplings with soup. The dumplings are made in house so they are as fresh as they can be. Eight morsels of delicate, nicely pleated skins encloses a glorious soupy and juicy mince pork inside. We ordered two trays of this and it still wasn't enough.

'Shaomai stuffed with Abalone and Pork ($10.80)' sounds fancy doesn't it? It's the usual Shaomai you would find at Yum Cha restaurants with the addition of a thin slice of abalone on top of each. We found the prawn and pork mixture to be tough and dry.

'Fried Rice with Chinese Mushroom and Diced Chicken ($13.80)' is last to arrive. A mound of rice is stir-fried with Chinese mushroom, diced chicken, egg and shallots. We liked that it wasn't bland but we felt the rice was ultra soft and lacked that wok flavour one would usually associate with cooking fried rice.

The 'Xiao Long Bao' was delicious but the other items weren't as good in comparison. Service can be improved as a lot of diners were left angry at the slow and at times, non-existent service. It's not a cheap place to dine but for those living in the Shire, it saves having to travel to Hurstville or the City for a fix of dumplings. I can't wait till Din Tai Fung opens in Miranda, one of my favourite dumpling restaurants in Sydney. Do give Dainty Dumpling House a chance as I'm sure once they're open longer, service will pick up and more menu items will be available.

Where?
Shop 1012/600
Kingsway Miranda NSW 2228
Australia

Phone no: 02 9188 2589

Opening Hours
Contact restaurant for opening hours.

Website
http://www.daintydumplinghouse.com.au/

Myeongdong Kyoja (명동교자) - Myeongdong - Seoul, South Korea.

Myeongdong Kyoja

Myeongdong Kyoja's restaurant has been around for a long time. With operations spanning for more than 50 years, there is certainly a long history behind the story to achieving the success they have managed to accomplish and sustain till today. Indeed it is very popular with locals and has become an attraction for visitors to Myeongdong. They are famous for their hand rolled noodles called 'Kalguksu' in Korean.

The main restaurant is located in Myeongdong and its branch is also located in Myeongdong. Both are in close walking proximity to each other and positioned within the same block. There is no other place in Seoul that you would be able to find this eatery as these are the only two.

This restaurant is relatively easy to locate as it is close to the cathedral. At the front of the store there are huge pictures of the menu items so it's hard to miss. Do pay attention to the logo with the bowl as this distinguishes them from competitors, in which many have tried to emulate their success.

The interior is decked with wooden tables and is clean, spacious and well lit. There are plenty of tables packed together on two levels so finding a table shouldn't be much of a problem. However, do expect to queue up during peak hour lunch or dinner as I've read it is continuously busy day in and day out but the lines move quickly. Do not be deterred by the long lines weaving out from the entrance.

Upon entry, the uniformed waitress shows you to your table and provides you with a menu. Then she returns to take your order and you have to pay straight away. I like this system as you don't have to wave down the waitress just to get the bill at the end of the meal.

Each person gets that own portion of kimchi and the waitress occasionally tops up the plate. The kimchi here has a lot of garlic and hot pepper.

Condiments are on each table and please note the cutlery are in the drawers under the table. We had trouble locating this and we had to ask the waitress who then pointed to the draws. Silly us.

The menu is limited which makes deciding and ordering very easy. There are four items to choose from and they are all priced at 8,000 KRW. This includes the Kalguksu (hand rolled noodle soup), Mandu (steamed dumplings), Bibim Guksu (noodles with vegetables and red pepper paste) and Kongguksu (noodles in cold soy milk broth). Everything here is thus very affordable and friendly on the wallet.

Before we even sat down, we already knew what we wanted. As we weren't very accustomed to eating cold noodles and wanted something meaty, that only left us with two choices.

The 'Kalguksu (KRW 8,000)' is a Korean handmade noodle dish. It is served in a hot chicken broth with dumplings, mince meat and vegetables. The broth is boiled down for many hours, giving it that deep and rich hearty flavour.The handmade noodles are knife cut and they were exceptional.  Soft, chewy and dense but still having that bite to it and as they call it 'al dente'. The perfect comfort food.

'Mandu (KRW 8,000)' are steamed dumplings. These are no ordinary dumplings. 10 big, plump and juicy dumplings. The outer shells are silky smooth and paper thing to the point of being near translucent. These are stuffed with a mixture of pork, leek and vegetable. These dumplings reminded me of the Chinese dumplings and were absolutely scrumptious! It was so good and till today I still have memories of eating these morsels.

These are best eaten warm so my tip is to eat quickly before it gets cold.

Ingredients are fresh, food is tasty and the prices are reasonable. If you're in Seoul then I recommend dropping by for a taste of authentic Korean cuisine.

Where?
29 Myeongdong 10-gil,
Jung-gu,
Seoul
South Korea

Phone no: 82 2776 5348/3424

Opening Hours
7 Days a Week
10:30am - 9:30pm

Website 
http://www.mdkj.co.kr/

*Refer to website for map

Tim Ho Wan - Plaza Singapura - Singapore, Singapore

Tim Ho Wan

Tim. Ho. Wan. Those famous words that I continuously read about time and time again. 

Tim Ho Wan is a famous dim sim restaurant originating from Hong Kong that received a Michelin Star from the Michelin guide in 2009. These stars are especially hard to come by and to be able to eat a Michelin star restaurant can cost quite a bit of money. Yet, this Michelin starred restaurant may be the cheapest of the lot!  Many people have travelled far and wide to the original outlet in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, in quest for the best dim sim available out there. There are some huge fans and loyal followers, who describe it as being the best of the best. 

I've wanted to try out the dim sim from Tim Ho Wan for the longest time, having read numerous reviews on how exceptional the food. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to travel back to Hong Kong to try these mini morsels. 

Last year I got a shock when I found out that Tim Ho Wan was opening in Singapore. Yes! Singapore! The first overseas location outside of Hong Kong.  To my absolute delight, I anticipated this moment as I knew Singapore was definitely on the cards. 

Since reading this news, more branches have opened throughout Singapore, four to be exact, given its immense popularity among locals and tourist alike. It has spread like wildfire. I wouldn't be surprised if they opened more outlets in the near future. 

Newspaper articles sideline the walls and they haven't just been mentioned in a few articles but many articles. 

We got to the outlet at Plaza Singapura, located on Orchard Road, 15 minutes before opening and there were only a few people ahead of us. When it opened at 10am on the dot, everyone was ushered in quickly and eventually the place filled up. I've heard that the waiting time in line can be an hour or more during peak periods so I planned ahead to avoid this. This was a weekday so I'm assuming on weekends people would be up bright and early for yum cha. 

It's not a big eatery, only having 96 seats. There are no ladies pushing carts around so it's pretty civilised. 

The menu is scattered throughout the line so you can peruse and decide on what you want even before you get through the door. 

The place mat on the table is the menu! I like how the menu is so easy to read with pictures and words so you know what you're actually eating. My favourite type of menu. The options on offer is limited but it's decent as you have a selection to choose from.  There are steamed, deep fried, rice and dessert options. 

Service is very fast and efficient. Before you get to your table, you are handed a menu and on that menu is the order form with the pricing of each dish. Once you fill out the order form, the waitress comes and processes your order. I didn't even have much time to add additional items to my order form as the waitress came and took it away within a matter of minutes. 

Don't you hate it when you go to have yum cha and you never know what they're actually charging you till you get the final bill? Don't need to worry about that here because it is all written down and there are no hidden charges.  Reminds me of the highly effective system in place at Din Tai Fung. 

With a positive comes a negative. You get everyone on your table within a space of few minutes which means everything is no longer steaming hot and food doesn't taste good when it gets cold. That only means one thing, scoffing it down very quickly. 

The food is then brought out quickly, one or two at a time, slowly filling up the table. 

The 'Chinese Tea (SGD 1.20)' is brought out first. Hot tea is a must for a yum cha dining experience as yum cha means drinking tea.They refill your cups frequently. 

The 'Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (SGD 4.50 for three)' is one of their signature dishes. It's like a rendition of the Chinese pork bun but this one has a crispy, sugary, buttery exterior with a filling of char siew that is both sweet and salty. The flavours to me are a bit confusing. It's a mix of both savoury and sweet which I don't mind but I don't really like either.  Then again, I've never been a huge fan of the traditional Chinese pork bun. Some come here and brave the queue just for the bun so the bun can be extremely delicious for some and is a must try as you can't get it anywhere else. 

The 'Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp' is another one of my must orders. It's silky smooth and the shrimp is freshly prepared. Nicely coated with a sweet blend of soya sauce. 

The 'Steamed Egg Cake (SGD 3.80)' has become a favourite of mine after the last trip to Singapore. A plain looking sponge cake that just hits the spot. Light, fluffy and fragrant. 

The 'Prawn Dumpling (SGD 5.50)' is impeccably hand made with a paper thin skin and the pleats are clearly visible. The translucent skin encases prawns that are fresh, plump and juicy. Cooked for the right amount of time means that it isn't tough and leaves me craving for more. 

'Dumpling Teo Chew Style (SGD 4.00)' is ordered because I'm curious as to what is inside. It's a mix of garlic, mushroom, peanuts and garlic chives, reminding me very much of the combination dumpling. Nothing special or remarkable about it. 

Some people get freaked out at the sight of the 'Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce (SGD 4.00)' but I'm sorry to say, I'm a fan of the chicken feet. The feet have been cut up and not whole, so it's much easier to eat. Gelatinous and full of flavour.

Finally a dessert to end the meal so early in the morning is the 'Mango Pomelo Sago (SGD 5.00)'. Light and refreshing but a bit overpriced.

Was the food worth the anticipation? Even though the food was well executed and I liked how everything tasted, I couldn't exactly pinpoint what was so great about it. I would recommend just going for the experience, cause hey, when do you get to try a Michelin related restaurant for so cheap? I still do want to try out the one in Hong Kong and will definitely try it when I go back. It's not the cheapest in Singapore but it isn't overly expensive either, within affordability range. 

Given its popularity and no reservation policy, I recommend going early before the white collared workers go out for their lunch. If you want to have dim sim for dinner you can as well as they're open to 10pm. A new queue system is in place where you get a number and instead of having to wait in line, you just have to wait for a SMS to come through when the table is ready. Perfect!

Don't forget the 7% GST and 10% service charge that is added on top of the mentioned prices.

Where?
68 Orchard Rd
#01-29A 
Plaza Singapura 

Singapore 238839

Phone no: 65 6251 2000

Opening Hours
10.00am – 10.00pm (Monday  – Friday)
09.00am – 10.00pm (Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday) 

Website

www.timhowan.com