Just because dumpling day is done and gone for another year, doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate the doughy goodness. We’ve found seven Brisbane-based options to satisfy your dumpling cravings. Plus, we’ve given you an option for each day of the week (there’s no such thing as too many dumplings!).
1. Tai Tai, South Bank
Tai Tai may be the latest Chinese restaurant in Southbank, but they’re soaked in history, with recipes that have been passed through generations. Now you’ll be able to try their dumpling recipes for yourself and see if the years stack up. Tai Tai has a steamed dim sum menu that features gluten-free options such as jade scallop prawn dumplings and prawn har gow dumplings. Tai Tai hasn’t forgotten vegetarians, providing the option of porcini & wild mushrooms dumplings which are perfect for sharing.
2. Bamboo Basket, South Brisbane
Dinner time calls for some dumplings. That’s where Bamboo Basket steps in. Their speciality is 4 steamed Shanghai-style pork dumplings with a soup filling and for a price like $7.90, we are getting a cab straight to the restaurant. Once there, our plates are going to be stacked high with dumplings filled with mixed vegetables and bean curd, duck and prawn, chicken and bok choy, boiled egg and chive water, and steamed chicken and Chinese cabbage. What a mouth-watering menu!
3. Madame Wu, Brisbane City
Neatly tucked in amongst the other modern East Asian foods on the Madame Wu menu, lie four deliciously curated sets of dumplings. Seafood fans will fall in love with the bay bug dumplings with XO sauce and lime or the pan-fried scallop dumplings with tobiko and verius butter. Those looking for a new take on classic dumplings, the pork dumplings with corn puree, chiu chow and black vinegar or wagyu dumplings with celeriac pure and curry leaf oil are perfect for you.
4. New Shanghai, Various
With New Shanghai, you probably could have a different dumpling dish for each meal. New Shanghai has plenty of options from pork and chive, lamb and leek, beef and coriander, chicken and celery, fish, prawn, and steamed vegetarian. Think you’re a dumpling master? New Shanghai is running a competition to see if they can find the creator of the world’s best dumpling filling (if only the vegemite dumpling didn’t already exist). New Shanghai also has its signature broth filled dumplings which add more flavour to their already scrumptious menu.
5. Little Red Dumpling
With a name like Little Red Dumpling, we’d almost feel bad eating one of their dumplings, almost. But with lamb and coriander, and chicken, and prawn dumplings it would be a disservice to our stomachs not to eat them. Little Red Dumpling has many intriguing entries to the menu such as dumplings in Mr Zhong’s secret sauce and their well-known rainbow dumplings that have our stomachs rumbling. Just one… Or ten…
6. VegeMe
Trying to find an option for yourself on the menu? Vegans, this one is for you. VegeMe has heard your pleas and amongst their other vegan and vegetarian options, they have weaved in some tasty vegan dumplings. The dumplings are either pan-fried and packed with soy mince or boiled and filled with cabbage, carrot, shiitake mushrooms and soy mince (both sound great!). With dumplings like that, you know you’re in good hands with VegeMe.
7. Fat Dumpling
Fat Dumpling knows there isn’t only one way of doing dumplings. They’ve narrowed it to three ways but don’t let that number fool you, with plenty of options across poached, steamed and pan-fried dumplings you’ll be noting this restaurant as your regular dining spot. Dumplings come in servings of six across some interesting flavours such as chicken and asparagus dumplings, prawn and garlic chives dumplings, and vegetarian dumplings. We’ll try one of everything, thanks.
