When ordering, my favourite menu items include fried pork or beef dumplings, steamed chicken and prawn (try it!!), steamed veggie dumplings, and also a plate or two of steamed Chinese broccoli with garlic sauce (prepare for the ultimate garlicness) and fried spring onion pancake. If you’re still hungry – definitely look for some egg custard buns for dessert!
Most of these places will be BYO beer and wine, which makes for an even cheaper night out! (Do check beforehand so you’re not left carrying bottles though!).
CBD
Camy Shanghai Dumpling & Noodle Restaurant – 23 Tattersalls Lane
This place has got to be the ultimate cheap dumpling restaurant. Most nights they have a $15 all you can eat banquet where they just bring out dumplings, noodles, veggies and other fried goodies to your table forever and ever. Until you tell them STOP! It’s pretty delicious, and great before a big night out. They take bookings too so it’s a great place to go with a big group of people, and as a bonus, they will come and embarrass anyone who’s birthday it is at the table.
Shanghai Village – 112 Little Bourke Street
While there is no all you can eat banquet here (that I know of!) the prices are still cheap for a pretty damn good level of food. This place also gets pretty busy so it’s best to book in advance, or know that you will have to queue up. I recommend ordering pretty quickly here so that your food is never too far away!
Hawthorn
Dumpling King – 656 Glenferrie Road
We are lucky to have some pretty great contenders in the ‘burbs as well. Dumpling King, just near the station on Glenferrie road is an absolute gem.
Glen Waverley
Raramen – 114 Kings Way
The Glen Waverley strip offers so so many options for eating, but when it comes to dumplings, there is one place that rings true in our hearts. Raramen is one of originals here, and they also handmake their noodles, so if you have some room on the table – I definitely recommend a serve of the Shanghai noodles. Also, don’t be fooled – the free slushies.. not worth it!
Carnegie
Auntie’s Dumplings – 68 Koornang Road & Eastern Dumpling House - 132 Koornang Road
I simply cannot choose between these two fine establishments. Both fighting strong dumpling fights, the only fair way to sort this one out is for us to recommend both! Usually if one place is too full, the other one will have a table free to satisfy your dumpling emergency in the Carnegie area.
Box Hill
David & Camy Noodle Restaurant – 605 Station Street
If you survive the eternal battle for car parking in Box Hill, you can rest assured that your stomach will soon be filled of cheap dumpling goodness. David & Camy’s is definitely a crowd pleaser. Best enjoyed on a cold wintery Melbourne night!
So there it is! Have I missed any??
