the drunk dumpling

sooo good. the dumplings were really good, freshly made. the cocktails were also really good and everything was really well priced. the vibe and ambience was great other than it was pretty loud because there was a lot of noise bouncing. wait staff were so amazing and looked after us so well, they were really overbooked and run off their feet but their service was absolutely great and they went above and beyond to make sure we were looked after. wait times were a bit long but they were totally overbooked and it was totally worth the wait.

unfortunately stumbled upon this restaurant in search of a snack and drink, our food arrived eventually and i was stoked my delightful pork bun had arrived. this high was short-lived as, upon inspection there was an ant and a small cockroach sitting in the crease of my bun. it is apparent there seems to be some sort of alarming infestation within the kitchen and god forbid i actually look inside to see if there were further sights of small insects. we alerted the waiter, who swiftly ran away with the plate (and had not care in the world) and we departed promptly. unfortunately, i cannot set my eyes on dumplings for a long time and i have reported the restaurant to the local council. be sure to inspect your meals people, i'm not sure how it wasn't seen by the many staff who plated it.

great flavour in the dumplings, really taking it up a bit compared to most dumpling places. plenty of other chinese dishes and all the serves appeared fairly large.

we had a big group with us (10 people) and the service is amazing. the place was loud than your average restaurant, but we had a lot of fun dining at the drunk dumpling. the food was so flavorful and you can taste the passion they've put into making the food. 10/10 would come back here again.

located in newtown is a hidden dumpling place ✨ we ordered set menu b which came with 5 dishes + we also ordered 2 other dishes 😍⁣
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pictured is (in order):⁣
- fried eggplant (this was my fave and i'm not the biggest fan of eggplant🤣)⁣
- chinese broccoli ⁣
- cumin lamb⁣ (not the best the cumin and lamb wasn't balanced well + if you saw my insta story there was a strawberry placed with it????? confused)
- san choy bow ⁣
- xiao long bao⁣ (can never go wrong with this!!!!)
- mixed dumpling platter⁣ (my fave was the prawn and scallop dumpling with fish eggs on top 🤤)
- we also got mixed vegetables that were a part of the set menu but it wasn't good cos the garlic was overwhelmingly too much ⁣
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honestly for the price we paid (which was a total of $47 pp, $38 for the set menu) it was great value for money. the dish sizes weren't little and defs could feed more than 3 people. however i wish the set menus included more dumplings 👀 ⁣
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next time i'll defs be sure to steer away from the set menu and order dishes separately because if you don't end up liking dishes on the set menu it becomes a waste 😢 note to self - more dumplings next time‼️⁣
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dinner for four, wander up a flight of stairs, great looking interior and a welcoming smile. all our food was well prepared and presented. portions are a little on the small side, so if you're sharing them you might need to get a few extra serves. the servers were very friendly but they continually messed up our order, forgot meals and mixed up our drinks but her friendly manner made up for it and we weren't in any hurry. we had a good night but not rushing back.

✔️ mixed dumpling platter - awesome
✔️ mapo tofu - best ever eaten. had this nice (pickle?) bits to it
✔️ singapore chilli prawns - best ever eaten. lot more vegetables than expected in it
✔️ okra and beans pork mince - really nice sauce

~ stir-fried seasonal vegetables - nice, 2 much garlic
~ snow pea & broccoli - same problem as veggie sf. nice taste, overly soft texture which surprisingly works, just too much garlic overall
- noodles prawn fish roe - ok, 2 hard texture?

❌ garlic pork ribs - too much meat per piece, not enough flavour (when you discount the fried onion)
❌ fish in shallot and ginger - extremely fatty fish, hardly any fish flesh on it
❌ eggplant hotpot - 2 sweet. big logs of nothing
❌ kung pao chicken - not nice
❌ chicken maryland - no thanks

most creative dumplings i have seen.

very happy to see this place open in newtown, the chef is michelin star and the dumplings are amazing. try the foie gras spring rolls.

the locals will fill this place fast, so get in while you can.

the food was amazing and the staff were very friendly. the portions were a good size and we were able to try a few different types before we were full.

great place and great staff.
the portions are small, so gets a bit expensive as compared to other dumpling places.
the chilli is not that strong, which was. bit sad because i am someone who loves chilli.
they have structured their menu according to zodiac signs which was a nice touch.
try the spring rolls
pan fried porn dumplings and the chilli oil dumplings.

we started with a mixed tasting plate. consists of mozarella spring roll they were perfectly thin with a crunch. such a great idea! a bunny shaped prawn dumpling, not the same as the ones you get in yumcha,these had solid prawns. a vegetarian dumpling,a scallop dumpling and a hedgehog shaped vegetarian bun-it was soooo crunchy and tasty!

the entree continues with 4 x full sized mozarella prawn sticks , probably one of the best creations ive had in a long time. its so addictive and mixes well with soy sauce vinegar or chilli sauce.

deep fried eggplant with honey looks and soy sauce was a hit. crunchy outer and soft inner. i wasnt able to taste the lime, but there was a lot of flavour. best with rice in my opinion. a beautiful dish, can do with a bit more lime.

sinagpore chilli prawns was full of king prawns, muscles,okra and mushroom. lots of flavour and lots of ginger and garlic,quite spicy too. very generous in terms of serving.

lamb cutlets with cumin,deliciously tender with lots of flavour. a good balance of fatty and lean bits.

the set menu is only $38pp. such a bargain. i think this is the perfect place for a special occasion. the interior of the drunk dumpling is absolutely beautiful. fine dinning for a fraction of the price.

we will definitely be back to spend our money, i really hope that the quality and level of great service will continue. the drunk dumpling is a new restaurant but already proven to be popular. the most difficult thing is maintaining quality.

*we were kindly invited

michelin star chef wong ka lok from hong kong has arrived in sydney’s inner west.  he has brought his culinary experience to the newly opened drunk dumpling in newtown, locals and dumpling lovers are in for a treat. . each dumpling dish on the menu is named after the 12 zodiac signs.  i was pleased to see that my star sign referred to my favourite dumpling – xiao long bao ($10.80/4pcs).  although not coloured on the night of our visit, the dumplings were juicy and the skin was very thin.