Dumpling Darlings, with its neon red dumpling outline and dumpling parachute illustration along Amoy Street, beckons all lovers of the dough-wrapped dish into its cozy space. The focus here, if you haven’t noticed, is dumplings, otherwise known as the universal language of food. Oh, and you can get a bowl of noodles to go with the star item, too.
The affordably-priced menu is small and easy to pick from, even for the most indecisive of diners, which could make Dumpling Darlings pretty popular with the lunch crowd in the CBD. For $7, you can get five little pockets of flavor in options like The Original, Spicy Sichuan, Veggie Mandu, Momo Curry, Fried Pierogi, or Smoked Duck. Alternatively, go wild with the dumpling party of 15 for $20 and try ’em all.
These babies are made in-house and influenced by the variety of dumplings across the globe, with the smoked duck an unexpectedly popular choice for its crispy, pan-fried skin enveloping the meat, plus slivers of shiitake mushroom, caramelized leeks, and a dollop of hoisin sauce. Also a crowd favorite: the fried pierogi, a European-inspired rendition with bacon, truffle potato, caramelized onions, cheddar, and sriracha cream.
But the dumpling madness doesn’t stop there — you can get your dessert in dumpling form as well, with a filling of cream cheese, poached pears, vanilla bean, and amaretto, served with a scoop of Tasmanian honey ice cream ($8).
For some extra carbs to go with your meal, choose from the three hand-made egg noodle choices: miso mushroom ($5), braised pork ($6), and Sichuan pork ($6). And if you need something to tide you over the next few hours of work, take a look at the cocktail menu ($18 each) for concoctions like salted plum rum, apple rye whiskey, and carrot gin.
FIND IT:
Dumpling Darlings is at 44 Amoy St.
8223-9249. Mon-Thurs 11:30am-3pm, 6pm-10:30pm; Fri 11:30am-3pm, 6pm-2am, Sat 6pm-2am.
MRT: Telok Ayer/Tanjong Pagar
