Cheap Eats - Steamed (Dumplings in the CBD)

http://www.steamedcatering.com/

Dumplings, dumplings, dumplings.  I just can't seem to get enough dumplings of late.  It was not that long ago that I only thought of dumplings as an entree, to be eaten only at the beginning of a meal.  Last year I completed a gyoza shootout (see post here) and really started to get a taste for the delectable little bites.  Ever since then I have sought out every opportunity to chase down dumplings and gyoza in the CBD.


Then, a couple of weeks ago I discovered that there were now a couple of options for gyoza and dumplings in the city.  I was pretty excited, but also a bit dismayed to learn that they had been around for ages and I had been missing out!  How could this be?  I normally have my ear to the ground for such things......


Steamed is my new lunchtime destination and I have been going there every day for a couple of weeks now and there is no sign of my desire for dumplings abating.  Steamed is located on Turbot Street, just around the corner from Roma Street and is a tiny little shop where all they do is dumplings and steamed buns.  There seems to be a heap of names for dumplings, with the Japanese version being gyoza but at Steamed they call them jiaozi (phonetically: j-ou-za) which is the Chinese version.

The jiaozi come in three flavours at Steamed, Harbin Pork, Chicken Donggu and Zen which are essentially vegetarian.  Steamed sells the jiaozi in packages, you can get 4 for $6 or 8 for $10 in any individual flavour or any combination of flavours.  I generally get the 8 for $10 package, which is just the right amount of food leaving me hungry for more.  My favourites are the Pork and the Chicken and both are usually steamed to perfection.

They make their own jiaozi on site at Steamed and you can watch them preparing the dumplings while you sit and eat your meal.  These dumplings are really fresh, it's not long before they are made then steamed in the traditional bamboo baskets and served to customers.  It's important that the dumplings are steamed in the bamboo baskets to infuse that unique and fresh flavour that makes dumplings so addictive.

You can also get steamed buns here too.  I have never been a big fan of steamed buns and it is no exception at Steamed.  I always find the balance of dough to contents to be too heavily biased towards the sticky dough.  But this post is not really about the steamed buns, it's all about the dumplings.

There's a great little vibe inside Steamed, there is not much space but the space is well utilised with a large communal table where you will find diners enjoying their dumplings with chopsticks in hand.   It does get a little crowded at times, but that just adds to the cool feel in the place, like you could be sitting in downtown Hong Kong, cheek to cheek with your dining companions.

On a side note, http://www.streetfoodaustralia.com.au/ have a mobile dumplings bike located at William Street in the CBD.  The guys at Street Food Australia are also feeding my addiction to dumplings and obtain their dumplings fresh from Steamed on a daily basis.  Look out for them on Twitter!

I am not sure when my current addiction to dumplings will end, but I am going to enjoy it while it lasts!

@FoodMeUpScotty