Stepping down into the familiar doorway, the soft pale red walls of the quiet room still surprise me. Booths now line either side of the room and leave a wide gap in the middle of the restaurant. A faint archery and paper scroll motif on the walls are paired with a flat screen television playing a Chinese game show quietly in the background. We’re given a smile and a gesture to take any seat we like and some tea and menus are laid out in front of us. The popularity and success of a cheap dumpling shop marked this spot a few years ago, similar operations have cycled through but none with quite the same blend of value, uniqueness and delicious food. The shine of the original operation did fade with its growth, but Yummy Yummy Dumpling returns me to the homey character that drew me in before with their Northeastern Chinese dishes.

The dumpling skins are wonderful. Robust enough that they don’t burst with each tug from the steamer and resist a little with each bite. Fried variations have a crisp and dry exterior. All are matched with moist fillings seasoned with hints of ginger and garlic. The Barb Fish dumplings have a meaty quality in their texture and taste that leaves us nearly mistaking it for an incorrect order, but as it cools the flavour comes through more distinctly and perhaps a little too much for some. But the Mutton and Vegetable is really the option that requires a particular palate. Pork and Chives are a delicious standard and the Chicken, Cabbage and Mushroom hits all the right savoury spots. Dipping the dumplings in their house made chili oil leaves you with a lovely nutty warmth.

Hot dishes and noodles fit the homey niche, but more so due to their subtlety and simplicity than nostalgia. Beef Noodles soften over time and lightly spiced cubes of braised meat sit in a basic but pleasant broth. Pork with Chili Pepper is an example of translations gone awry, an almost buttery sauced napa cabbage and wood ear mushroom stir fry arrives with a bare handful of pork slivers.

Under the well-browned doughy exterior of the Beef Pancake is the succulent gem of the restaurant. Biting into one of the rounds sends a gush of liquid out, enough to make you believe this must be the large cousin of the xiao long bao. It’s juicy, beefy and fantastic.

• JoAnne says:

  March 12, 2012 at 4:01 PM

  Now I’m really craving dumplings. Curious how would you compare Yummy Yummy to Mother’s and Northern Dumpling Kitchen?

  Reply
  • vanessa says:

    March 12, 2012 at 4:33 PM

    Mother’s has also lowered their quality over all, and I would only go there for the Da Lu now. It’s hard to beat Northern Dumpling Kitchen because of the breadth. Yummy Yummy’s menu is rather small and being from Northeastern China, is a little different from most of the other Northern Chinese spots. If I were doing a direct comparison of similar filling types, I think Yummy Yummy is better. I was eating take-out of the fried chicken, cabbage and mushroom and it hit me how perfect those skins were and the fillings are unfathomably moist. I wouldn’t say it’s worth a special trip down only because the menu is so small, but it’s definitely the best option downtown.

    Reply
• vanessa says:

  March 13, 2012 at 10:30 PM

  one day after i decide to write about them, they expand their menu significantly. can’t wait to sample it all – http://www.wix.com/ceciliahe0422/yummy-yummy-dumpling

  Reply
• Ananda Gabo says:

  March 20, 2012 at 2:14 PM

  Wow! I haven’t been able to find a decent dumpling place except for my grandmother’s place.
  I’ll definitely have to stop by here.

  Reply
• prima says:

  April 27, 2012 at 9:46 AM

  Loved the beef pancake. Thanks V!

  Reply
• D.C. United at Toronto FC says:

  October 6, 2012 at 11:27 AM

  [...] that are a Michael Phelps butterfly (or a short ferry ride) from the downtown waterfront, and Yummy Yummy Dumpling, a dozen-booth, subterranean hole-in-the-wall on a side street in [...]

  Reply