Out of the Frying Pan
The boiled dumpling, a meaty staple of billions, is wrapped and wolfed down with gusto in northern China at this time of year. Whilst we salute its steamy, pillowy simplicity, if you’re nursing a Dragon-sized hangover, there’s something lacking. Grease. Yep, as the saying goes in the land of the lardy, if you can’t beat it, fry it.
“Three-sided” dumplings (san mian jiao 三面饺)
Mr. Shi’s Dumplings
“Try my famous dumplings,” urges the scrawled sign outside this welcoming alleyway diner. Mister Shi (“Old Stony” to his pals) is rightly proud of his pyramidal fried bundles, loosely wrapped and resembling greasy miniature tacos. Open at both ends, they seem to maintain structural integrity by sheer juicy oiliness. The delectable beef and coriander variety (RMB 7.5 for one liang), sloshed in garlic house vinegar, will make you right again in no time. The dumplings are good, but order from the Chinese menu to avoid the English-language stealth tax.
Potstickers (guotie 锅贴)
Xian Lao Man
This chain does a tasty and affordable line in down-home jiachangcai and jiaozi, both boiled and fried. Get ‘em filled with everything from abalone to venison. To really hit the spot, take on the “Lao Man Special” guotie (RMB 7.5 for one liang) – chicken, pork, whole shrimp, chives and egg, fried and served in a wicker basket. These bronzed, pleated pockets of goodness, clinging to one another via a crispy fried membrane, are seriously stuffed – and so will you be.
“Satchel” potstickers (dalian huoshao 褡裢火烧)
Zhuzhong Dalian Huoshao
A Beijing specialty, these angular fried bricks are so named for their resemblance to old-fashioned satchels, but they look more like greasy gold ingots. Start the year off on the right foot with the pork with green bean and the pork with green pepper varieties (RMB 4-6 for one liang).
Shanghai fried dumplings (shengjian bao 生煎包)
Meiming’r Shengjian Bao
Fried in great numbers on wide, shallow pats, the bottom “knot” of these Shanghai buns hardens to a brown crunch as gelatin inside liquefies into a hot, porky soup. The secret is to attack it from about 3 o’clock (in fighter pilot parlance), nibbling a little escape route and slurping out the soupy innards. Beware scalding juice spurts, and don’t forget to wipe the sesame seeds from your mouth before you give anyone a New Year’s kiss.
“Doornail” dumplings (mending roubing 门钉肉饼)
Old Beijing Mending Roubing Restaurant
So named because of their striking resemblance to big brass doornails, these gut-busting meat pies are made fresh to order, crammed with beef, carrot and onions. The trick is to slurp up the oily gravy as you bite into them, but what excess drips on to the plate quickly congeals into translucent orange fat. Imagine what it’s inflicting on your arteries. Actually, best not to.
Fried pelmeni
Traktirr Pushkin
The Siberians are no strangers to dumplings, but if you want your pelmeni fried here you’ll need to put in an off-menu request. “No problem,” replies the waiter, “Children ask for them all the time.” These ovular pleated pockets (RMB 28), deep-fried with a simple filling of ground beef, are much enhanced if you get them Latvian style – topped with a big blob of sour cream.
Yaki-gyoza
Sunrise Noodle Restaurant
The ramen here is definitely worth traveling for, and be sure to order a round of fried gyoza to go with it. Daintily thin-skinned with a delicious garlic bite, these pork and cabbage pockets are fried on one side, then water is added to the pan and the lid is sealed, steaming them to juicy doneness. RMB 18 for an order of eight.
Click here to see the January issue of the Beijinger in full.
Photos: Tom O'Malley
