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“Hey, do you know about this new dumpling place?” My friend said as he showed me the picture of a relatively new stall at Sembawang MRT, Zhujiao Dumplings. An avid dumpling lover, I had to make the trip down to give it a try.
With the owners originating from Shandong, I reckoned that they would whip up some authentic Chinese dumplings and noodles, and could not wait to dig into the dishes that we had ordered (after taking pics for you, of course).
What to order at Zhujiao Dumplings
We started off with a classic Xiao Long Bao (S$3.80 for 3) – these steamed dumplings with a juicy filling and thin skin always get me jumping in excitement to feel the soup bursting in my mouth, and I expected nothing less from this place.
Anticipating an explosion of juices, I was let down by these xiao long baos in that regard. Their filling was slightly dry, and no soup spilled onto the plate as I bit into them. Their filling-to-skin ratio was also slightly off, with the skin being too thick and wrapped around too little filling.
The saving grace of their xiao long baos, however, was surprisingly the thicker skin. While it was unlike that of a typical good xiao long bao, I found myself really enjoying the bounciness that the xiao long bao skin had.
Imagine a chewy focaccia texture, and mix that with the texture of a good steamed mantou – yup, hold that thought – that was what the skin reminded me of.
So, while it was not what I expected, and I ended up eating mini steamed baos instead of juicy xiao long bao, it was still good if you enjoy mantous and chewy bread.
Next, of course I had to get my hands on some dumplings at a dumpling store. I tried their recommended item, the Shrimp and Crab Roe Dumplings (S$9.80 for 10 pieces, S$11.80 for 15 pieces).
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it had purple skin, reminiscent of a dragonfruit with the black sesame seeds. I would take a guess that the colour comes from beetroot, though no assurances here!
Upon taking a bite into the dumplings, my first impression was that the filling was juicy, more so than the Xiao Long Bao I tried earlier. The taste of chives, ginger, and crab roe hit slightly later, with the ginger and chive taste being stronger than that of the crab roe.
However, the crab roe tasted more like tobiko in my opinion, lacking the creamy, “ocean” taste often associated with fresh crab roe. Nonetheless, the crab roe added texture to the dumplings, giving a satisfying crunch in my mouth.
Lastly, we had their Braised Beef Noodle Soup (S$6.80). This was actually my least favourite of the dishes of the day, as I felt like the bowl of noodles was… not giving.
Perhaps it was because we took a bit too long to take our pictures, but I thought that the noodles were slightly overcooked, lacking the bite that good springy noodles would give. The soup felt lacklustre and one-dimensional in terms of its flavour profile.
Hong Peng La Mian Xiao Long Bao: $5 Michelin-recommended handmade dumplings & noodles
However, the meat was soft and tender, and though it was not fall-off-the-bone or blow-me-out-of-the-water tender, it was enough to redeem this dish slightly.
For someone like me who loves intense, strong flavours, I would give this bowl of noodles a pass. But hey, everyone likes their noodles and soup cooked to varying softness and aromatic flavours, so who’s to say others won’t like it?
Who is Zhujiao Dumplings best for
I would say that Zhujiao Dumplings is best for those looking for a taste of less oily Chinese food. Their braised beef noodles and xiao long bao fillings were not too oily, and their soup was not too salty.
They also make their dumplings fresh daily, wrapping them after a customer places their order. So don’t expect the food to be served quickly, but be assured that their dumplings will be served fresh.
How to get there?
Zhujiao Dumplings is located beside the Kopitiam at Sembawang MRT. For those taking the train, turn right at the gantry via Exit B, and you should come face to face with Zhujiao Dumplings. For those taking the bus, alight at Sembawang station and make your way towards the Kopitiam.
Do we recommend Zhujiao Dumplings?
Overall, I would not go out of my way to eat Zhujiao Dumplings, but if I were in the area and looking for relatively affordable, comforting Chinese food, I would consider them as an option.
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