Previous visits in July 2012, June 2012
Shanghai Master Dumpling
173 King Street
Melbourne
Cuisine: Shanghai, other Chinese
Taste Rating: 7.5/10 Value Rating: 7.5/10
This restaurant was a lucky discovery. Rushing one lunchtime to grab a quick bite, I spotted this place from across the street. We decided to cross the street and go in. And we were very glad we did.
During the first visit which was in June 2012, I tried the Pan fried Pork Dumplings and Shanghai Fried Noodles. This is becoming a standard order on my first visit to any Shanghai cuisine restaurant. If they can do good dumplings and Shanghai noodles, it is likely I will make a return visit. And I have been to this restaurant three times in the last three months!
Verdict on the Shanghai Fried noodles - tasty with lean pork and nice crunchy green vegetables. I wished there were more green vegetables. The mushroom pieces were too large and chewy - these would be nicer if cut smaller. However, the noodles are nice enough that I would order this again. And the dumplings? A very generous plate of 15 dumplings for $8.50. The minced pork filling was nice. The dumpling skin was too thick but otherwise we were pleased with this dish.
The waitress turned around when I exclaimed "Why is the table so small?" Our table was so tiny it was crowded with merely 2 plates! This restaurant is packed at lunch time so it is not surprising they are maximising the space.
Front of the Restaurant
Cover of the Menu
Menu - Homemade Shanghai Fried Mini Buns
Menu - Shanghai Fried Noodles
Shanghai Fried Noodles
Pan Fried Pork Dumplings
Small Table - 2 dishes overlap!.
The next visit was in July 2012. We ordered Ma Po Tofu on steamed rice and Homemade Shanghai Fried Mini Buns. The Ma Po Tofu was not very chilli hot, and this made it more of an ordinary mince dish rather than a spicy Szechuan dish. The mini buns were juicy on the inside - watch out when biting in! The filling was nice. I like the dough which was slightly crusty on the outside. These buns are quite a large size (compared to dumplings). Wonder why food is called 'homemade' when it is made in a restaurant!
Again, we didn't make a booking. I'm not sure if they even take bookings. We got a table immediately but later there was a short queue, and people waited for quite a while for a table.
Front of the Restaurant
Lunch time crowd.
Ma Po Tofu
Homemade Shanghai Fried Mini Buns
The latest visit was on 14th August 2012. We ordered three dishes: Shanghai Duck in Sweet Soya Sauce, Steamed Chicken with Ginger, and Dumplings in Hot and Sour Soup.
The Shanghai Duck in Sweet Soya Sauce came with green Vegetables (Siew Pak Choy, also called Bok Choy). The duck had a great caramel soya sauce taste. But there were splinters of bone with each mouthful of duck! This is likely due to the way the duck bone is chopped.
The Steamed Chicken with Ginger came with a bowl of Spring Onion/Sweet Soya Sauce and also Siew Pak Choy/Bok Choy vegetables. The taste of the chicken was average. There was the same challenge with splinters of chicken bones.
The Dumplings in Hot and Sour Soup were very good! Ten juicy dumplings in a very nice hot and sour soup with mushroom and tofu. It was a medium size bowl but the dumplings were very filling! I would order this dish myself next time, especially if it was a cold day.
Shanghai Master Dumpling
Menu - Shanghai Duck in Sweet Soya Sauce,
Steamed Chicken with Ginger
Menu - Dumplings in Host and Sour Soup
Shanghai Duck in Sweet Soya Sauce
Steamed Chicken with Ginger
Dumplings in Hot and Sour Soup
Overall, Shanghai Master Dumpling is one of those good places to have in your list of lunch places. As well as several favourites, there are other dishes on the menu that I would like to try.
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