The best Chinese dumplings under the sun for less than HK$100? Nom Nom put to the test
Nom Nom Dumplings in Prince Edward serves a mixture of traditional Chinese and fusion dumplings that it claims are the best. We put them to the test
Nom Nom Dumplings (which in Chinese is known simply as the Dumpling Shop) in Prince Edward claims to offer the best dumplings under the sun. The restaurant has two signs stating that claim. So we put them to the taste test.
The shop is only a five-minute walk from Prince Edward MTR station. When we arrived at 7.30pm, the place was full and we shared a table at the back with other customers.
Most of the staples on the menu are dumplings, with a few wonton soup and side dishes. The dumplings are handmade on site and cooked in two ways: boiled or fried. They come in two sizes. The medium bowl has seven dumplings and costs around HK$40, while the large bowl has 10 dumplings and starts at HK$50. The priciest is the matsutake mushroom and truffle dumplings, which are about HK$70 for the medium bowl and more than HK$100 for the large bowl.
We recommend the fried dumplings, the wrapper has a crunchy texture.
We chose chives and pork, pan-fried cheese, and vegetarian wild matsutake mushroom flavours. We also ordered a wonton soup and wood ear fungus to mix it up.
The chives and pork dumplings were delicious, the flavours of the meat and aromatics balancing each other nicely. The vegetarian dumplings werefilled primarily with mushrooms and some chives. The taste of the mushrooms was a bit too strong.
We were surprised to see pan-fried cheese dumplings, as the restaurant seemed very local. Hesitating a little before digging in, we found the filling was corn and pork swimming in melted cheese. Fusion fare is often hit and miss but because Nom Nom used a mild cheese, this was a success.
Dumplings are a staple of Chinese cuisine. Families have their own recipes and there are many regional variations such as Guangdong’s wontons and spicy chaoshou from Sichuan.
Nom Nom’s seemed to be the most common type, with pastry made from flour and using common ingredients such as meat and vegetables for the filling. It’s hard to get this wrong.
But the best dumplings under the sun? We don’t think that’s a claim any place can make.
Nom Nom Dumplings, 30 Boundary Street, Prince Edward, tel: 3105 9968. Open: 11am to 10.30pm
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