Dumplings are a dish belonging to many cultures and tastes. Both Eastern European and many Asian cuisines are famous for their dumpling selections, and with intrigue surrounding the dumpling hype, Little Dumpling on Mary Street seems to be worth closer inspection.
The restaurant is unassuming, located on a side street just after The Church Restaurant and Bar. Its hot pink exterior is inviting and unmissable once you see it. The small restaurant, which seats very few, is cosy and charming. The decor is simple and true to its humble nature. My friend and I were seated immediately in a nook with high wooden tables and stools. The place is not for big groups, a max of four people could sit together, so perhaps this is one to be saved for date nights or one-to-one meetings, which is a positive as the restaurant is sublimely calm yet not too quiet. As the restaurant is new, it was no surprise to us that it was cash only, which we were told upon arrival.
The menu is small, though includes both plant-based and meat options. My friend chose the mushroom and spinach dumplings, vegan at €6, while I had the meal deal, €10 for miso soup, a dumpling selection and side, which included a choice of rice or homemade kimchi. I asked our waitress what she would recommend and she pointed to the duck dumplings, which I had already seen hype about online. Naturally I ordered them and got the homemade kimchi. Water was on the house and the servers ensured our glasses were constantly refilled. All dumplings range from €6- €7 and include at least 4 on a plate.
“For anyone who likes aesthetically pleasing food, this place is not to be missed”
The wait wasn’t long at all and, in saying that, it is a place where you won’t mind the wait. If you’re in a rush, they have a takeaway option, but I would recommend sitting in and relaxing. The atmosphere facilitates conversation. My friend and I were deep into a good catch up when our food arrived. For anyone who likes aesthetically pleasing food, this place is not to be missed. The dumplings were excellently presented, but it was more than aesthetics that impressed us. The duck dumplings were tasty and light, coated with hoisin sauce. The kimchi was surprisingly addictive, mildly spicy and just enough to satisfy. The vegan dumplings were large and flavourful, and the miso soup was warmly appreciated as an accompaniment to the lunch.
“The dessert was the star of the show”
We couldn’t get enough and decided to order a dessert between the two of us, Nutella dumplings with ice cream and marshmallows for €5. Thankfully, we are both big Nutella lovers, so this went down a treat. The dumplings had a hard taco shell like texture, while the inside contained glorious gooey nutella. The ice cream on the side was the perfect addition to balance an otherwise overly rich dish. The dessert was the star of the show.
This restaurant oozes charm. Fellow customers could be seen happily enjoying and sharing food with each other, and heard subtly raving about how good it all was. Although Mary Street isn’t renowned for having good food spots, Little Dumpling will bring droves to the area. They accept reservations which may be needed once the word is out about this gem of a restaurant. Beat the January blues and treat yourself to a little dumpling or two.
