I love dumplings. I like making them, I like eating them, I like sharing them. So imagine my joy at discovering North East China Family (Traditional Dumplings) right near my work when I met up with my equally dumpling-loving friend, A.
The restaurant was heaving during the lunchtime rush hour, and we had to wave a couple of times to capture the attention of a waiter with a menu. Looking around at the dishes of the shared tables around us, we decided on some noodles and of course dumplings.
The fried noodles with seafood ($11) was a huge mountain of soy-soaked noodles with prawns, squid, sliced fishcake and vegetables. We were more bowled over by the quantity than the quality – it was a good but unremarkable basic stir-fried noodle dish.
Then to the main event, the vegetarian steamed dumplings ($8). I don’t know whether we made a bad menu choice, but for a restaurant that sells itself on dumplings, these specimens were really disappointing. A thick and gluey casing held an unappetising mash of carrot, celery and cabbage which tasted of water, water and water. It was like eating boiled ravioli missing the napoli sauce.
Dumplings can be quick, rough-and-ready food, but that doesn’t have to mean that it should be so unrefined that it’s just a vehicle for getting a lot of stodgy carbs into your stomach in a hurry. We didn’t finish our dumplings and I didn’t feel so great afterwards at my desk as I fell into a food coma.
Of course there’s a market for quick, cheap and filling food. Maybe I’d go back to North East China family for the noodles, but frankly, I’m not sure why people are packing into this place for the dumplings.
- North East China Family, 302 Flinders Lane, Melbourne +61 3 9629 9968
No, you didn’t make a bad menu choice, all their dumplings – well, the 3 or 4 types I tried – seem to have a really thick casing.
It is a shame that you had a lesser experience at North East China Family. As a city worker you seem to have caught a particularly busy time, in the post christmas season. I am a resident of Melbourne and love NECF. Whenever I have been it is well patronised by locals. Google search brings up many likewise positive reviews.
It is unfortunate that your blog is highly syndicated (lonely planet, only melbourne) and that a local-favorite “family” business gets a panning at your hands. All over a $8 plate of lunchtime dumplings.
I encourage you enjoy an evening meal and view the “Can only dinner” menu. I personally enjoy the Chicken Kung Pao and unconventional Fried Beef with Orange Peel.
Hi Christopher
Thanks for your comments. You’re right, the general consensus with blogs and user-generated reviews is that NECF is good. On the basis of these reviews I went to try it for myself, but unfortunately both myself and my dining companion came away disappointed. While MEL: HOT OR NOT is syndicated on other sites, my review is a genuine account of my meal there – readers can balance it out with the other positive reviews which have been published to make up their own minds (as you have) as to whether to agree with me or not.
As an aside, I’m curious about the ‘Can only dinner’ menu…what does the ‘can only’ refer to?
Jetsetting Joyce
All aspects of NECF has the character of the warm chinese family who run it. As such, their menus are printed A4 sheets, and the menu headers are usually translated directly from the Chinese(much like the resturant’s name). On the menu where they list their Dinner Only dishes, they have the Chinese charaters and the english text, “Can only dinner”.
Christopher,
Not sure what you mean by “All over a $8 plate of lunchtime dumplings”?
It’s either good or it’s not, and a review should accurately reflect this.
I had a very similar experience.
I definately agree that all bloggers (nay, even people) have a right to their own opinions. I was just shocked when I saw my favorite restuarant listed as a “NOT” on lonely planet. The place is nigh on six months old, hughly popular and all reviews I’ve seen are like this.
http://www.melbournegastronome.com/2009/01/day-of-dumplings-at-north-east-china.html
Not wanting to press the matter, I would enourage anyone whose only experience of NECF is the noodles or dumplings (a kin to the entree menu) to go after 5pm and have a full meal.
.-= Christopher´s last blog ..ch3wi3: RT @YogaChicky: ABC News coverage for @VagainstV http://bit.ly/aDfhYe =-.
Hi Christopher,
i totally agree to your statement that bloggers should write down what they thinking. No censur for anyone.
P.S.: Great Blog!
Best regards
Alexis
Monatshoroskop kostenlos
Twitter: sternhoroskop
| August 1, 2010, 4:11 am
Lucky you got your food!!
i have been there twice and each time it took more than 40 mins, YES 40 long mins for the food to come, and the food was NOT great
won’t see me there again for sure
definitely a “NOT” for me
Hi Karen
Gosh – I hope you weren’t there in your lunch hour! 40 minutes is ridiculous for a place that specialises in fast, cheap, easy food. Especially since there are lots of other options within a block.
Jetsetting Joyce
I just wanted to say that NECF is worth heading back to when they aren’t so busy. I went there with a group of 5 friends and we ordered just about every variety of dumpling they had and they were all delicious. Even the vego ones and usually I find vegetarian dumplings really bland and too full of cabbage. It’s worth another shot, I promise!
We ate here at lunch, the wait was not too long we came at a good time. The dumplings are some of the worst we had tried and don’t even get me started on the other individual meals we had – totally disgusting! Free tea – great. Service – was fine for us on this occassion. But the dumplings tasted bad even though we were willing to be positive about it after seeing what looked like mediocre dumplings on other peoples plates. The crowd in this place know nothing about food.
I enjoy the food there, buttttt, i will suggest the owner gives us some smiles….
Hi Victoria
Yes, the service is a bit ‘soup nazi’ isn’t it? I don’t expect too much from Chinese restaurants though
Jetsetting Joyce