HU TONG DUMPLING BAR

14-16 Market Lane, Melbourne
Phone 03 9650 8128

Look no further than HuTong Dumpling Bar.

Item #1 on the menu is their Xiao Long Bao (a.k.a. Shanghai Mini Pork Bun). It is their specialty, it is my little bundle of joy filled with delectable pork juice that squirts everywhere when you eat it.

Dishes to try: Xiao Long Bao, Xiao Long Bao, Xiao Long Bao, Xiao Long Bao and if you have room to spare, try their fried dumplings.

Average price: in a group, you’ll probably end up spending around $15-$20 a head.

Be prepared to: wait. The only bad things about this place are the service and the wait…but then again, good asian food is generally accompanied with bad service, and they’re probably mean because they have to watch you stuff yourself with dumplings all day.

How to eat your xiao long bao: whatever you do, DO NOT break the parcel when you pick it up, otherwise you will have committed a crime against mankind punishable by repeated closing of a car door over your head.

My recommended steps:
1. Use your CHOPSTICKS and gingerly place them at the top of the dumpling
2. Gently swing the dumpling back and forth if it is stuck to the paper beneath
3. Keep swinging until it is free
4. Do not get impatient. Keep swinging
5. Once free, let it have a moment in your vinegar bath
6. Place the bundle of joy on your spoon
7. Bite and suck straight away – don’t waste that pork juice!
8. Eat the rest quickly so you can start from step 1 again and eat your 295th xiao long bao.