There is one thing that Melbourne does NOT have a shortage of, and that is cheap Asian eateries. But this oversupply of cheap Asian cuisine means that it is difficult to distinguish the “great value and delicious restaurant” from the “terrible and MSG filled impostors”. I have been attempting to broaden my range recently, so that when my friends try to force me to eat at the abhorrent Cami’s (the infamous Shanghai Dumpling House) I have somewhere else to suggest. I used to be a fan of North East China Family on Flinders Lane, but that relationship went down the toilet when they served me dumplings that tasted like dish water and were actually inedible.
So, my new regular is Dumplings Plus, a rambling restaurant off Swanston St. It has two levels plus a strange backroom (in front of the toilets, so avoid sitting there unless you like the smell of urinal cakes with your dinner). I will say in advance that Dumplings Plus is not that amazing. It is a place to go on a night where you want something quick, easy and not too pricey. So Dumplings Plus will do until I discover another cheap, easy to get a table at and semi-decent dumpling place.
The décor is on the upper end of the niceness scale for a cheap dumpling restaurant. There are pretty lanterns hanging from the ceiling and carved wooden furniture. It gives the place a warm feeling, unlike many of the brightly-lit, plastic table restaurants in the China Town area. The staff are also efficient and pleasant, although a weird incident did occur recently when my dining companion, who was feeling uncomfortable with the waitress intently watching her eat, had to ask the waitress to stop staring. The incident was a little odd (I suspect the waitress was just bored) but certainly not a deal breaker. So unless you have a deep seated fear of someone watching you eat, Dumplings Plus is certainly a decent option, and you won’t be left chasing the staff around in an attempt to get another beer or order your food (which can be the norm at many other China Town restaurants).
Another “plus” (he he, see what I did there?) is the hand made dumplings, which you can watch being efficiently formed by the chefs through a glass partition. The steamed dumplings are fresh and soft, and the fillings range from relatively ok (the vegetarian) to border line delicious (the meat variety). The “plus” in their name relates to all things Chinese, but I have only sampled the chive pancakes (if I was you, I’d give them a miss as they are overly fried and tasteless) and the morning glory (which I would also avoid, as it came covered in a gloopy, clear, unidentifiable sauce that gave it a unpleasant consistency).
Last time I ate there the bill came to $30 with drinks for two people. Not the cheapest option for China Town, but I would rather pay a few extra dollars and not have to endure establishments like Cami.
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