Bamboo Dumpling Bar (closed) | Potts Point

Being the slightly-obsessed-about-dumplings type of guy that I am I couldn’t pass-up the great offer that I nabbed on OurDeal a while back. The Dumpling Fix at Bamboo Dumpling Bar for two for just $19. Ordinarily it’s $22.50 per person so I didn’t hesitate in clicking that “buy” button.

I’ve been to Bamboo a couple of times already; once to the Surry Hills outlet and more recently to the Newtown digs. This one in the Cross is the original, a character-filled place tucked away off crusty Darlinghurst Road with its trade-ladies and neon lights. The laneway in which it sits used to be a dimly-lit place that was almost a no-go zone at night unless you were a junkie or pimp manning your territory but in the last year it has transformed into a place you actually want to linger. Cafe’s, restaurants, bars, Harris Markets … how things have changed.

The Dumpling Fix began with the popping of a chilled Tsingtao beer and some crunchy and unmemorable spring rolls. To be honest spring rolls never give me tingles so lovers of these golden little food cigars may find them extraordinary. Bbq pork buns are, however, something I take pleasure in sinking my teeth into and the ones dished up here are just as good as anywhere else around town. The Peking duck pancakes are as good as I remember them from Surry Hills – soft, warm and juicy duck pieces in a pancake blanket.

The dumplings all come on the same plate and are a little hit-and-miss. The most disappointing is the one I was hanging out for the most – the xiao long bao.  Just like the ones I had in Newtown, it was thick on the pastry, pre-sauced and had burst before it was brought to the table. No soup in this soup dumpling, I’m afraid. Something tells me that if they were served in a bamboo steamer, a device I’m yet to see at Bamboo Dumpling Bar, there would be no issues with burst xlb’s.

Just a thought.

Tagged as: Chinese, Dumplings, Inner City, Potts Point