Juicy Dumpling
Juicy Dumpling is a takeout joint that's revolutionizing the art of quick, cheap, and delicious soup dumplings.
While dumplings are aplenty in Chinatown, this express line in Dragon City Mall rises above the competition with exceptional speediness and, as per the restaurant's name, its explosively juicy xialongbaos.
Livening up the ground floor of this mainstay Chinese mall, Juicy Dumpling is the to-go counterpart of Shanghai Dim Sum, serving up the same renowned Shanghainese-style dumplings that they offer at their Scarborough and Richmond Hill locations.
It can get ridiculously busy here at lunchtime, but considering the size of lineups, wait-times are relatively quick.
That's because Juicy Dumpling tries its best to present your order within five minutes.
Xiaolongbaos are steamed or fried with utmost efficiency to get lunch crowds moving in and out the door, though there are enough seats and bar stools to fit around 30 diners.
Because of the delicacy of the dumpling skin, it's recommended you eat your order within ten minutes for peak consumption.
It should be noted that all the buns at Juicy Dumpling are ridiculously succulent, as exemplified by the soup splatters on the window, which needs to be cleaned periodically.
Pro tip: avoid splatter by nibbling the side of the skin and slurp out the soup before taking a larger bite.
The cheapest item here is the six-piece order of mini soup dumplings for just $2.99, making one or two boxes the most popular grab-and-go option for lunch.
For added flavour, I highly recommend the six soup dumplings with pork and Canadian crab ($5.99).
Pan fried juicy pork buns ($3.99) are bigger and served in fours. While there's no actual soup within, there is tons of oily juice inside.
These bulky pockets are served with slivers of green onions and black sesame sprinkled on top.
There are also pan fried chicken dumplings ($3.99 for four), which are served in traditional crescent shapes.
Traditional xiaolongbaos usually aren't pan fried since the skin is too thin for the fryer, but Juicy Dumpling offers the best of both world with fried mini pork soup dumplings ($3.99 for six).
Making their xiaolongbaos with a slightly thicker skin, these dumplings bave soup inside and a crispy bottom. There's also a crab and pork version for $6.99,
Also at your disposal is a sauce counter with ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, and sriracha.
For something sweet but still dumpling-shaped, you can order kusa mochi with red bean paste inside ($3.99).
A Shanghainese herb with lots of health benefits, kusa gives this moist mochi a rich green colour and comes individually preserved in saran wrap.
In total, less than 20 minutes at Juicy Dumpling will leave you satiated with delicious dumplings and likely wanting more, while barely putting a dent in your bank account.
Hector Vasquez