Ping's Dumpling Kitchen, Clayton by Bureaucrat

At the pedestrian crossing in the main shopping strip in Clayton you'll find a row of dumpling shops.  We peered into the windows of a few of them, and, using the logic of "if more people are eating there, so it must be good" the Lawyer and I decided to go with Ping's Dumpling Kitchen.  

As we walked in, I spotted several tables tucking into some beautifully golden dumplings - I gots to gets me some of those, I thought!  However, when our plate of pan fried pork dumplings came, I was a bit let down.  While the dumplings did have a nice golden hue, most of them had a rather unappetising bits of burnt residue stuck on the bottom of them.  It was evident that the chefs needed to give their pans a good clean before they fry up their next batch of dumplings.  

These dumplings were a good, hefty size.  The wrapping was a wee thick and there were lots of pork and veg inside of it.  However, I would have liked the dumplings to have some spring onion and ginger to give it more a punchy flavour.  As they are, these were okay but nothing exceptional.

We also, unintentionally, ordered another one of the more popular dishes - stir fried noodles with seafood combination.  When we had placed the order, I asked the waitress twice whether the noodles would be "hor fun" (flat rice noodles) and she confirmed that it was.  However, when the dish came out, it was evident that it ain't flat rice noodles - it was a wheat-based noodle.  

Also disappointingly was the fact that the seafood was predominantly fish cake and a handful of tiny frozen shrimp.  The choi sum and wombok that was tossed through it were certainly not bought fresh from the market - they were a bit chewy, a bit limp and a bit tired.  The whole dish was smothered in a sauce that was heavy with dark soy sauce.  The Lawyer summed up this dish quite well: if you're hungover, then this dish would be alright.

Verdict

We wouldn’t return.

Cheap eats.

Overall

Hmmm... this is one occasion that I wished I didn't follow the crowd.  Ping's Dumpling Kitchen is certainly popular (it was near capacity when we left during our mid-week lunch).  I can't say I was too impressed with the dumplings (my favourite for fried dumplings is still at Ramen & Dumpling House).

Having had a read through Big Fil's review back in 2011, it seems that while some things have stayed the same, some things have changed.  The interior is nicer these days (with nice wallpaper depicting oriental scenery, dark wooden furniture and chandeliers).  But it seems like tired veggies were still being plated up seven years ago too.

Find it at

Ping's Dumpling Kitchen
330 Clayton Road
Clayton VIC 3168
Phone: (03) 9558 8831