Shanghai Dumpling - Ashfield

The key to a delicious dumpling? Never underestimate the importance of the dumpling skin. While many focus on the filling, the wrapper plays a crucial role. If it's too thin, the dumpling will fall apart. If it's too thick, the texture will be unpleasant. This is why Shanghai Dumpling in Ashfield, known for its delicate dumpling skins, has a dedicated following. Despite being located away from the popular dumpling spots on Liverpool Road, the small dining room with just 24 seats is always packed with dumpling lovers.

Shanghai Dumpling is truly the Dumpling King of Sydney. This place has quickly become my favorite dumpling spot in the world. The dumpling wrappers are smooth, thin, and perfect for holding all the delicious fillings inside. The generously seasoned fillings are amazing - my personal favorites are the green vegetable and pork dumplings. A bonus tip: if you buy 10 boxes of frozen dumplings, they'll throw in an extra box for free! Trust me, these dumplings will make your heart sing.

Why, oh why? This restaurant is a love-hate relationship. Their dumplings are undeniably the best in town, especially the chilli oil dumpling bowl. Despite this, it's hard not to despise this place. The service is terrible. While they are polite, they are of little help and seem unaware of their menu or when they run out of items. The service can be slow, and the restaurant has its own unique quirks. But those dumplings... and that chilli oil... The struggle is real.

This is hands down the best dumpling house in Australia, if not the world. I am Chinese and I have had dumplings from southern China, central China and northern China. Their chicken and mushroom dumplings are incredible and I am outraged right now that the rating for this place is 3.6.

Sydney is lucky to have many great dumpling places, but I love this modest little place on Liverpool Road the best (look for the orange sign, near the Pizza Hut). <br/ <br/ They make all their own dumplings themselves in the back. You can eat in, or buy them frozen or fresh to take home cook yourself. <br/ <br/ There are nearly 20 dumpling fillings, though at any time they will only have a few available. As well as many variations of pork/prawn dumplings, there are ones with preserved or salted duck eggs, and my two favorites fish with ginger shallots, and vegetarian. <br/ <br/ I've tried a lot of the varieties and all the flavours are distinct, and the skins are thin and light and not gluggy. The vegetarian dumplings are not some mysterious vegetable mush, but recognisable chopped green veges, tofu, chinese mushroom. <br/ <br/ There are only about 10 tables, but it's relatively modern clean. Basic no frills but everything you need, with a serve yourself trolley of soy, vinegar, chilli, Maggi sauce szechuen peppercorn oil. Overpriced trendy dumpling restaurants annoy me, and I often wish I was back here for half the price and none of the pretensions. <br/ <br/ A serve of 10 basic pork and chive/spinach dumplings starts from $5.80 frozen takeaway to $9.80 to eat in. Add up to $6 extra for fancier varieties such as with prawns. If you buy them to cook yourself, they give you an extra serve if you buy 10. I have a freezer full! <br/ <br/ Eating in, you can have 10 dumplings in soup (really just hot water), or dry (steamed), or 5 dumplings with noodle soup. For an extra dollar or so you can have them fried, or 5 each of 2 varieties. <br/ <br/ If you're on a budget, stay with the $9.80 options 10 dumplings are pretty filling. For vegetarians there's the vege dumplings a vege noodles dish. They also have various fried soup noodle dishes which seem popular since many people are always eating them whenever I go there; I've never tried any because I like the dumplings too much!