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I'm not absolutely certain whether it was HuTong where I had my first dumplings, but it for sure is one of my favourite places to have them! growing up in Germany meant Chinese food was sweet&sour chicken and noodles.
When I first came to Australia in 2007 I was exposed to what real Chinese food could taste like. A few girlfriends and I used to go to HuTong after work on Fridays. Bring a bottle of wine and eat lots of delicious dumplings.
I fell in love with Shao-long Bao, soup dumplings, so much so that I would crave them when I was living back in Germany and ended up researching recipes. (After seeing how many steps were involved in the process I gave up and would just promise myself to go back to HuTong during my next visit to Melbourne).
This Saturday L and I ventured into the city for lunch at HuTong, despite not having a booking we got quickly shown to a table on the first floor.
We ordered Shao-long Bao, Wontons with Hot Chilli Sauce, Pan-fried Dumplings and some Springonion Pancakes. To drink we had a pot of Jasmine tea.
Our food came out pretty quickly and soon we were digging into the delicious Wontons with Hot Chilli Sauce.
They were filled with pork and had a decent kick of chilli, garlic and ginger. Unfortunately I can't eat super spicy food but these ones were just right and absolutely moorish.
The Springonion Pancakes came out like crispy and golden, with a good amount of spring onion inside. It always amazes me how something so simple can taste so good!
Next out were my favourites, the Shao-long Baos. The little soupy parcels were sitting in their bamboo steamer, begging to be eaten. From past experiences we have learned that one must be careful and not too greedy when it comes to eating them.
The soup inside can be super hot and it's easy to throw caution overboard and burning yourself. I find the best way to eat them is to pick them up with your chopsticks and putting them on your spoon. Carefully biting a little hole into the bottom of the dumpling allows you to slurp out some of the delicious soup. And then eat the dumpling with it's juicy pork filling. Amazing!
Last out were the Pan-fried Dumplings, my second favourite, which I also always order when I eat at HuTong. The little half-moon shaped morsels are crispy at the bottom and juicy and tender on the inside. They are bursting with flavour.
HuTong is one of the more expensive places in China Town but it's so worth it. It's one of my favourite places to eat in Melbourne and that hasn't changed in years, we will definitely be back again. There is only so long I can stay away from Shao-long Baos!
We ordered Shao-long Bao, Wontons with Hot Chilli Sauce, Pan-fried Dumplings and some Springonion Pancakes. To drink we had a pot of Jasmine tea.
They were filled with pork and had a decent kick of chilli, garlic and ginger. Unfortunately I can't eat super spicy food but these ones were just right and absolutely moorish.
The Springonion Pancakes came out like crispy and golden, with a good amount of spring onion inside. It always amazes me how something so simple can taste so good!
The soup inside can be super hot and it's easy to throw caution overboard and burning yourself. I find the best way to eat them is to pick them up with your chopsticks and putting them on your spoon. Carefully biting a little hole into the bottom of the dumpling allows you to slurp out some of the delicious soup. And then eat the dumpling with it's juicy pork filling. Amazing!
Last out were the Pan-fried Dumplings, my second favourite, which I also always order when I eat at HuTong. The little half-moon shaped morsels are crispy at the bottom and juicy and tender on the inside. They are bursting with flavour.
