Wanting a quick and causal dinner before a catch up with friends found me finally trying out Mandoo Korean Dumplings on Bank Street. This little family run eatery has a pretty big reputation for having amazing dumplings, and I was looking forward to finally being able to see if they were as good as I had read. When we arrived the place was pretty empty, however it was early and it did fill up very quickly whilst we ate. The place isn't huge, very casual but clean and welcoming. We were given menus to look at and after some deliberation decided to share four fried pork dumplings, four steamed chicken dumplings and a beef bi bim bap. We placed our order at the counter, and were quickly brought our cutlery, drinks and side dishes shortly after. The side dishes consisted of pickles, chilli sauce, and a spring onion broth/soup.
The bi bim bap was brought to the table first, and the waitress asked if we had eaten it before. I had but always over a small burner... this was served in normal bowl. She explained which sauce to pour in and warned us it was on the spicy side, good customer service especially for those unfamiliar with this kind of cuisine. We opted to put in half the sauce then went ahead and mixed the beef, rice, seaweed salad, egg, tofu, carrot and bean sprouts all together. Everything in this dish was really fresh, a great healthy option. The rice was well cooked whilst the beef was tender and had a really delicious, slightly peppery marinade. Whilst we were eating the Bi bim bap our dumplings were brought out. They were a really good size and piping hot. They were served with a thick and creamy mashed potato and a salad of lettuce and mayonnaise. The skins on the dumplings were just how I like them, on the thicker side with a very slightly chewy texture. Both types were really well filled and none were bursting or soggy. The pork filling was meaty, with very little fat and a great balance of vegetable filling and pork. The chicken were very similar, but with a lighter texture and flavour. My personal favourites were the fried pork, but who doesn't love a fried dumpling! The food here was really fresh, not too salty, no signs of oiliness or reheating and tasted delicious. I can understand why this place has had so many great reviews (including from Chef Peter Evans). Mandoo Korean Dumplings are certainly a great option for quick, cheap and tasty eats in the CBD for lunch or dinner and I will be heading back when I need my next dumpling fix.
Dessert Story
Sticking with our Asian cuisine themed evening we headed to Dessert Story for our after dinner sugar fix. Desert Story serve Hong Kong/Taiwan inspired dessert with bases ranging from taro, sago, jelly pearls, snow ice and shaved ice. Having lived in Hong Kong I have a soft spot for Dessert Story, but if your a first timer I'd say stick to the snow ice/shaved iced bases unless your feeling super adventurous! The menu pictures make it pretty clear what each dessert consists of and the servings are always really big. The decor here is really cool, with lanterns that give the place an awesome glow, huge mirrors and a funky bookcase wallpaper. It is geared towards being a more 'fast food' kind of dessert place, and they don't have EFTPOS which can be a pain.
On this occasion I opted for the Mango snow ice while my friend had the strawberry shaved ice with ice cream. My mango snow ice was so filling, it was a mountain of super soft, fluffy and creamy shaved ice-cream with a thick mango syrup and heaps of chunky mango pieces. My friend's shaved ice was huge, and had a strawberry syrup that reminded me of old fashioned strawberry ice cream topping, chunks of strawberry and was topped with a pretty decent vanilla ice cream. Both desserts were really refreshing and surprisingly filling, perfect for a hot summers day! I really liked Dessert Story, the service was quick and efficient, the servings were generous and the desserts are a little unusual. There is plenty to choose from, including a range of smoothie/jelly pearl drinks and as it heats up this place will definitely get another visit from me. If your looking for something more casual for your after dinner dessert goodness then Dessert Story could be a good option.
And just because... a picture of the penguin that makes the snow ice! :)
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