Dumpling Deliciousness

The humble dumpling. It's enough to cast any hard core melburnian out into the night to face the cold and bitter winter streets. We know it's worth fighting through the wind and hail just for a mouthful of that perfect pillowy deliciousness. These Xao Long Bao from Hu Tong dumpling bar are no exception and are truly legendary round these parts. To be unhappily greeted by the somewhat flustered staff and be seated after a potential wait of 40 minutes just to get your hands on a bamboo basket of these precious little gems is practically a right of passage. But I can guarantee that any wait is worth the experience. Perfectly cooked wontons, neither gluggy nor dry, are filled with a soft and oh so juicy pork mince and surrounded by a pool of warm soup. The correct method of eating is to take a dainty little nibble so as to drink the soup before eating the dumpling, however I prefer the much more eloquent method of so graciously shoving the whole thing in my mouth at once and letting it explode like some kind of savory Asian Tim tam bomb (hot, i know). Just ensure that you don't shower your dumpling- eating companion with hot broth...trust me, it can be quite painful. They're worth any amount of pain though and there's nothing quite like biting into one and having the warm goodness trickling down your throat...it's an experience that any true Melburnian would be happy to fight through the very worst of weather for. So, if you have not had the pleasure, nay, the privelege, of tasting these pockets of perfection, then really people, what are you waiting for? To sum them up in one word? Amazeballs.