Dumpling King at Garema Place in Civic specialises in handcrafted dumplings and hand-pulled noodles which I cannot resist. Xiao long bao ($8.80 for 6 pieces) is on the menu so of course we had to try that. These actually aren’t too bad with a thin dumpling skin and good portion of mince and soup. Not DTF thin but not bad.
The pan fried pork and prawn dumplings ($13.80 for 12 pieces) are nice and fat, with crispy bottoms. The dumplings are hot and juicy. No complaints.
The braised beef and vegetable noodles ($12.80) are decently priced. The beef is tender and pulls apart easily. The hand-pulled noodles are quite soft, almost like a thinner udon, and easily slurpable. This was shared between the two of us, but would make a good portion for one person.
On another outing, we ordered the combination pan fried dumplings ($14.80 for 12 pieces). I love that the dumplings are consistent in terms of size, juiciness and crispy bottoms.
I wanted to try the beef and onion pancake ($9.80) which I found pretty oily. There is a thick slab of beef mince inside and it’s almost like a mini pizza / thick gozleme. Definitely something to share if ordered. Well seasoned and tasty.
The wonton noodle soup ($12.80 for 8 wontons) had a strong taste of Chinese five spice to it, a bit too heavy for me, but the wontons are plump and there are plenty of noodles.
We also ordered the Mongolian beef ($16.80) and egg fried rice with shredded pork ($11.80). The beef is tender with a delicious sauce over the top. Mr FPJ loved it and would order it again. There was nothing special about the rice, it was quite plain and I think I’d rather stick with steamed rice next time.
There were no lunch specials when I visited, but the prices are decent for a bowl/plate of noodles – starting at $10.80, and averaging around the $12.80 mark. I need to try some of the stir fried noodles next time. During the times I’ve dined in, the food comes out quickly and it isn’t difficult to get attention from one of the wait staff.
Dumpling King
2/5 Garema Place, Canberra
Opening hours:
Monday-Sunday: 11:00 – 3:00pm; 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Foodgasm 8/10
Value for money 8/10
Service 8/10
FPJ score 24/30
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