Shanghai Street Dumpling - take three

You know what I love about this place, apart from the delicious pan fried pork dumplings that is? I love that you can turn up drunk at 9pm for some late night nibbles or at 4pm on a Sunday for an early dinner/late lunch and no-one bats an eye lid. I also love the sleepy teenagers sitting in the back and the army of older women at the front making my dumplings from scratch. It all gives it that homely feel. 

Tonight I ordered pork in tofu skins with vermicelli in a hot pot. It came out in a steamy broth with mushrooms and Asian greens. The broth was lovely and it all had that fresh, crisp, clean home made taste to it. You could pick out each of the individual components and it was so very well done. 

It reminded me of an early episode of the Naked Chef where Jamie Oliver went off to Italy to cook at a restaurant that had been round for centuries. The place had no menu and the chefs just cooked two dishes every night, with the locals trusting the family to cook something good. When Jamie had his chance he made the diners pesto pasta with locally caught fish and while many gave him positive reviews quite a few told him his food was too complicated and had too many flavours going on. Those diners were on to something and they would not have been disappointed with Shanghai Street Dumpling. 

My only disappointment is that there aren't more options on the menu but I guess that is what happens when you specialise.

Before you go, check out my dumplings. This is how I do it, poke holes in the bottom, dip them in a mix of soy sauce, vinegar and chilli oil and try not to burn my tongue devouring them while they are still hot. Mmm yum. Good stuff.  

Proof that even the views of a fussy eater can be shared by the majority