I was looking for a place for a quick breakfast when I chanced upon this Chinese dumpling restaurant
Founded in Hegang in 2002, Dumpling Xi has over 900 chain stores all over China, spanning more than 40 cities. Focusing on dumplings for over 20 years. Xi Dumplings concentrates on serving its tasty, clean, and original rectangular-shaped dumplings
When I visited, the restaurant had just opened, and I was the only 2nd customer, so there were plenty of seats for me to choose from. Since they had just opened, the air-conditioning was also not strong and quite warm
You can mix your own sauce at the condiments counter with items like garlic, spring onion, coriander, soy sauce, chilli oil and sesame oil
The ordering system is simple: you scan the QR codes and place your order, and since there are pictures, it is fairly easy for foreigners too. I cannot remember if there was an EN button since I placed my order with the Chinese menu. I ordered blanched lettuce with oyster sauce since I usually lack vegetables during my travels. The vegetables were cooked perfectly, with a nice crunch and the sweetness of the lettuce
The dumplings came with a dash of chilli oil, dried shrimp, and coriander. As I ordered the soup version, the dumplings were swimming in a very light broth. The broth, even with the chilli oil, was extremely bland, which was my experience in Shanghai with any kind of wonton or dumpling soup. Unlike Cantonese wonton or dumpling soups, these seem to be the water they cooked the dumplings in, with just a light seasoning of dried shrimp and soy. I gave up on the soup and concentrated on the dumplings, which were plump, juicy and packed with flavour
Overall, I feel that this is a fuss-free restaurant to get a quick meal, with a quick and efficient system to serve customers as fast as possible. The dumplings do have rather tight skin, which is a feature of all Dong Bei dumplings, but the fillings are juicy and flavourful
Address： 东育路255弄前滩企业一期S2号102—01单元
Baidu Map Link: https://j.map.baidu.com/4d/zHYK
Opening hours: 8 am to 9 pm ( Sat – Sun 8 pm)
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