The Hidden Gem [On The Road: Berlin]

Danke schon, my little dumplings

Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld episode “The Fire”)

We found a great Chinese place in Prenzlauer Berg after checking a couple local bloggers. The recommendation was simple, go to Wok Show and have the best dumplings (Jiaozi) in Berlin.

The place

We got the pork and spinach boiled and the lamb with zucchini fried. They were amazing, simple food but tasty, great flavours, no complications, I can not recommend this more highly. We wash everything down with a nice Bitburger bier.

Dumpling time

Great dumplings, big portion, service a bit slow, only cash, but still worthy

Wok Show

T: +49 30 43911857

Chinese Cuisine

Approx Damage: €10pp

Area: Prenzlauer Berg

Berlin

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Dim Sum at South Ken

The other day I was looking for a Dim Sum place to have a late lunch and I remembered a colleague recommended a place in South Kensington. Jia is a small Asian heaven with minimalistic décor, some wooden panels, dark tables, and a couple of black and white pictures of somewhere in China. 

The place

We got plenty of dim sum as usual, scallops, pork buns, mushroom, Har Gau (king prawns and bamboo shots), some crab wontons, deep fried calamari, and Char Kway Teow a Malaysian style fried rice noodles. 

Dim Sum time

Dumplings

Pork buns

The food was really nice, Dim Sum were well executed, the crab wontons were amazing, I love wontons but the mix of stone crab meat with shrimp, green onions and cream cheese was excellent. The noodles were really good, spicy with a nice kick. 

More dumplings

Wontons

Noodles

Overall a really nice meal, quite decent, and good option if you’re craving for dumplings in South Kensington area. Service not bad but a bit limited with the language. 

The language barrier reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Chinese Restaurant” 

George: She called. He yelled Cartwright. I missed her

Jerry: Who's Cartwright?

George: I'm Cartwright!

Jerry: You're not Cartwright!

George: Of course I'm not Cartwright!

Jia

T: 087 1971 6962

Chinese Cuisine / Dim Sum

Approx Damage: £23pp

Area: South Kensington

Borough: Kensington & Chelsea

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Opera Kitchen [On The Road: Sydney]

It was my first time in Sydney so I had to do the classic sightseeing, when we arrived into the Opera House, Gian recommended to do a stop there to grab a bite and have a beer with the amazing view. Opera Kitchen is popular for tourists visiting the landmark, and locals going after work for a drink. 

Opera Kitchen

The place is like an al fresco food court with amazing view. You have to choose between, sushi and sashimi from Kenji, Vietnamese from Misschu, John Susman’s seafood place Cloudy Bay Fish Co, Justin North’s new burger concept Charlie & Co, and finally again Justin North’s French bakery Becasse Bakery. 

The view

My final choice was Vietnamese, Nga Chu AKA Nahji established Misschu as a catering company in2005, hand made finger food, basically a fine fast food option. Saw the menu and went for a bbq pork char sui steamed bun, deep fried prawn and crabnet spring roles, and finally scallops and prawn steamed dumplings. 

Misschu menu

The food was quite good regarding they are in a touristic location and quality might be highly affected by that, spring roles were fine, not the best ones I have tried, but good enough, nice flavour, the chilli sauce and hot spices sauce was excellent and played well with the rolls, the bun was well executed, puffy, the pork was good and the juices moist the bun, and finally the steamed dumplings were quite good. 

Bun

Dumplings

Spring rolls

Food ok, the spot is perfect, the view terrific, it’s the perfect place to go with a group of friends to have a chat and some drinks. 

Vietnam reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Burning” 

Student: So, what seems to be bothering you today, Mr. Kramer? 

Kramer: Well, I guess it started about twenty years ago when I got back from Vietnam, and this was the

only friend I had left 

Mickey: Hey! That's my cirrhosis! He's stealing my cirrhosis! You want to be sick? I'll make you sick

Misschu

T: +61 4 5009 9888
Vietnamese cuisine
Approx Damage: AU$30pp
Area: CBD
Sydney
Twitter: misschutuckshop

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Dumpling Alley [On The Road: Melbourne]

Exploring China Town on the CBD and some recommendations I got to HuTong, which apparently means an old alley, and that's where it is located a small laneway in central Melbourne. Opened in 2008, this traditional dumpling house, orthodox home style cooking, always packed with punters looking for great Chinese cuisine. 

The place

Sat on the ground floor, which can’t look more like entering into a small place in China, a small sitting with the kitchen just beside so you can observe the chef doing their creations. Got to the place with a colleague, we started the journey or let me say a dumpling festival with Shao Long Bao, excellent, the broth inside the dumpling was great. Then we got a prawn dumpling, really nice the prawn with the minced pork. Followed the crab meat dumpling, nice balance the prawn with the carrot, the touch of spinach and bamboo. Then corn dumpling pretty similar to the previous one with beans instead of spinach, quite nice. 

The busy dining room

Shao Long Bao dumplings

More dumplings

More

And more

We continued with something more, crispy fragant duck, nice with good flavour, then steamed eggplant with minced pork in a chilli sauce, a revelation, the star of the night. 

Duck

Eggplant

On a second visit I got duck meat dumpling, nice flavour, texture wise a little weird the veggies, then the scallop dumplings, just awesome. Then I got the hot spicy couple, ox tripe and tongue, Szechuan style, nice flavour, good heat. Finally the wontons with hot chilli sauce, great flavour, spicy kick not so excessive. 

HuTong

Spicy couple

Dumpling time

And more dumplings

Wontons

Great dumplings in a fusion of regional Chinese cuisines. 

Every time I got to a Chinese restaurant I recall the Seinfeld episode “The Chinese Restaurant” 

George: Excuse me, I'm expecting a call, Costanza? 

Bruce: Yeah, I just got a call. I yell Cartwright! Cartwright!, just like that, nobody came up, I hang up 

George: Well, was it for Costanza or? 

Bruce: Yes, yes, that's it, nobody answered 

George: Well was it a woman? 

Bruce: Yeah, yeah, I tell her you not here, she said curse word, I hang up

HuTong

T: +61 3 9650 8128

Chinese Cuisine

Approx Damage: AU$ 40pp

Area: CBD

Melbourne

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