HuTong Dumpling Bar

14-16 Market Ln Melbourne, CBD VIC 3000
03 9650 8128

HuTong Dumpling Bar (HuTong)'s dumpling is by far one of my personal favourite dumpling place. One of their signature dish is the Xiao long bao. The first bite into this little dumpling is an explosive of pork broth, which is extremely flavoursome, aromatic and just delicious.

Xiao long boa

HuTong is located in a little Market Ln. You can enter Hutong from with China town (little Bourke St) or from Bourke St.

HuTong from the outside

Me and my friend visit HuTong for lunch on Thursday. At 1pm, the place is pack with office worker and lunch date.

Entrance to HuTong

The way that HuTong has decorated their store is modern Chinese place, quite elegant really!

Lunch menu

 HuTong has lunch time special. In their lunch time menu, it includes some of their signature dishes such as Xiao long bao, deep fried spring roll and so on. 

HuTong's menu

Beside the lunch time special, HuTong main menu is also available at lunch time. I decided to go with the smaller version of HuTong dishes on there main menu, which is also available in the lunch time special menu.

Lunch time menu with HuTong's special dishes

I decided to order the Xiao long bao. I have to say, it took approximately 10 minutes for this dish to arrive.

Xiao long bao, $9.50AUD

Xiao long bao contain 10 Xiao long bao serving size. It comes with thin slide ginger, which according to my Chinese friend, it is to be eaten with Xiao long bao.

Inside Xiao long boa

When I cut open the Xiao long bao, the clear golden pork broth just burst out of the Xiao long bao. The pork ball inside was super moist, tender and very clean tasting. The pastry that wrap it  was not too starchy, thin and almost really just there to hold together the pork and the delicious broth.

Bursting of pork broth

My Chinese friend recommended to add soy sauce and ginger as the accompanied, and that work wonderfully. The soy sauce was not too salty. It had a nice splash of vinegar mix into it. The ginger added a nice spice complementary to Xiao long bao.

Szechuan Bean Curd with Minced Pork and Rice (Szechuan), $9.80 AUD

As for the main dish, I decided to go with the very famous Szechuan Bean Curd with Minced Pork and Rice. This dish is cook in traditional Szechuan style, that is lots of spice. 

Eating with rice is the best way

Personally, this dish is way too oily for me. However, I found that when eaten with rice this help to de-oil. The first few bite of this combination is delicious. However, once rice is situated with the oil from the dish it become overly oily again. Yet, that is just me though. My Chinese friend just keep on eating this dish like there was no obstacle at all.

Eggplant with minced pork in chilli sauce, $9.80 AUD

My friend when with the Eggplant with Minced Pork in Chilli Sauce with rice. Initially, I though my dish was oily, yet the level of silliness is nothing compare to this dish. As shown in the picture, this dish is almost "flooded" in oil. However, the taste is absolutely fantastic.

Best to eat with rice

The eggplant was sweet, the sauce was tangy and salty. But a perfect marriage of minced pork and chilli. Similar to the first dish, this dish is best eaten with rice. As the rice will absorb majority of the excess oil.

Chinese lady hand make the dumpling

Beside the joyful of eating delicious food at HuTong, another joy of eating at this place is the pressure to knows that every thing is make fresh!

The dumpling is make one by one

Watching the Chinese lady making HuTong's dumpling one at a time, surely make me felt like love and care really has been put into HuTong's food. That is no wonder why the food is absolutely delicious there. HuTong, you totally gave me a gracious experience eating there.