Shanghai Dumpling King (Kingsway)

For the longest time, I've been trying to pay Shanghai Dumpling King on Kingsway a visit.  But every time I've been foiled by either a long lineup or lack of parking available in the tight parking lot and/or on the street.  Also, with all of the other places I can eat at, I just lost interest.  However, Ophilia insisted I go and we made plans to have dinner there on a weekday night in hopes of avoiding all the aforementioned challenges.  So we were able to find a parking space and actually snag the last small table in the place.  Finally, mission accomplished!

Getting right to the point, the one dumpling that you must order here is the Potstickers.  These are so on point with a medium-thick skin that is pliable and also has nice elasticity.  The bottom is crisped up beautifully while the pork & cabbage filling is tender and juicy.  In fact, it is beyond juicy because there is actually soup inside.  In terms of taste, they are well-seasoned and I could taste the natural sweetness of the pork.  If you order one of their combos, a Tea Egg is included.  They are bound to be overcooked because they sit in the warm braising liquid before it is served, yet as you can see in the picture, they are not that overcooked.  Flavours do penetrate nicely into the egg.

The next must order dish here is the Dry Noodles mixed with scallion oil.  This is even better with the Pork Chop braised in soy.  So aromatic and bright, the chewy noodles have just the right amount of oil that is infused with the flavour of scallions.  It is also well-seasoned where the balance between savoury and sweet is just right.  That pork chop is braised to the point it is falling apart.  It is glazed with a sweet and savoury sauce that has a bit of smokiness as well.  If you want it all, then you must order The Meeting of Three that includes Spicy Pork and also Pickled Vegetable with Sliced Pork.  Of the 2, I think the pickled veg & pork would be my choice.  Too bad it is cold, would like it hot.  However, this normally goes into a soup noodle which warms it up.

They have 2 wontons on the menu in the Secret Stuffing Large Wonton as well as the Tiger Prawn Small Wonton.  Both feature medium-thick wonton skins that are delicate with a bit of bounce texture.  I find that the large wontons are the shepherd purses with leafy greens and pork.  They are fairly dense and definitely eat like a meal.  These go well with the supplied chili oil at the table.  For me, the shrimp wonton are the right size and light texture that I enjoy.  I think the seasoning can be more aggressive, but at the same time, it allows us to use the smoky and mildly spicy chili oil condiment once again.  As for the soup, it is super light, yet comforting during these cold months.  In general, the menu at Shanghai Dumpling King is limited and the food is pretty straight forward.  Yet, that is what makes the place appealing.  They offer only a few things and they do it well for a reasonable price.

 

The Good:

- Those scallion noodles and pork chop

- The potstickers

- Reasonable pricing

 

The Bad:

- Not a lot of seats and it is tight in there

- Wontons are not bad, but not as good at the other dishes