Shanghai Master Dumpling, Melbourne CBD by Big Fil

Another day, another Melbourne dumpling house.  This one somewhat better than most, located in what I always think of an unfriendly part of the CBD but popular enough that on a Tuesday lunchtime we had to wait nearly ten minutes for a table to become free.

The menu and decor would be familiar to anyone from Melbourne who hadn’t been in a coma for the last 2 years.  It’s not fancy, not at all, in fact as somewhere to eat it’s about as utilitarian as a hospital canteen.  Service too, it’s ok given the numbers of people all coming through at once, but no one is ever going to confuse it with some three hat restaurant.

So why do so many people come here?  It’s all about the dumplings, fried, boiled or steamed.  Even if most of the menu comprises assorted noodle and soup dishes, that’s what brings the punters in.  So we placed our orders while waiting in line and waited for our table to become free.

Only two of us on the day and neither feeling especially hungry meant that we only got to try two of the many varieties on offer,  the boiled chicken and prawn and naturally the pork Xiao long bao.  After a couple of bites of each it was clear why this place was packed.  I am not sure I’d describe them as ‘master’ dumplings, but it didn’t feel like they were made by the apprentice either.

Consistent with the smell as we entered both of these dumplings had a fairly big ginger hit. The skins were decent, not too thick but sturdy enough that the XLB didn’t break so we lost the soup, and the fillings were good and meaty. Not perfect, as I’d have like more prawn with the boiled dumplings and more soup in the smallish XLB, but what the hec, at these prices you can’t really complain too much.

Overall

You’re down on King Street and need a dumpling fix?  Come on down to Shanghai Master Dumpling.  It’s not a culinary revelation but it is a great way to silence a rumbling stomach for less than a tenner.

Verdict

Food – 7.5

Ambience – 6

Service – 6.5

Price – 8

Address

171-173 King Street

Melbourne Vic 3000

Tel: (03) 9077 0919