Dumpling Shack
Desperation can manifest in fascinating individualistic ways. I think current nomenclature likes to refer to this as “providing for tailor made needs”.
For me, the process was an interest that became an urge. That soon took on further shape by crystallizing into a tangible objective. That then morphed into a requirement for food from the Far East.
Or you could just say, I had to have some Chinese food.
The problem is that with an enforced dictate that we should stay local, there wasn’t that much which was good on the cards in the vicinity. Bayswater, Paddington and Leicester Square were all sadly out of reach as my craving was not great enough to outweigh the cost of a 2 or 3+ hour walk each way.
Let me be a bit more specific as I’m sure that many people would like to correct me. It is not that there isn’t oriental cuisine on offer within walking distance. I would clarify that there just isn’t any worth eating. This is especially true given the sad slide by some eateries not just into mediocrity but attempts to injure customers (both in food quality and prices) of a place which has previously made me very happy.
Thankfully, the surrounding area is a nice place to walk, so we departed for our daily mandated exercise to distract from such depressing thoughts.
This building helped to brighten up my day.
A bit of contrast around the corner.
More interesting architecture further on.
While on our daily mandated vigorous activity (if you can call walking slowly that), we were distracted by Chinese food just off the main path – Dumpling Shack.
Pork pan fried soup dumplings. Crispy and fulsome exterior dough, joyous soup and meat waiting inside. Excellent. Even if in my greed I managed to get soup all over my shirt. Should be treated with caution. Dough was slightly too thick but it did have to contend with holding liquid treasure inside.
These were slightly dear at a per dumpling price but then again, that is similar to what seems to be having to all foodstuffs in the UK now as the government attempts to inflate away its debts.
With immediate urges sated, we walked off towards the happy skyline of Canary Wharf safe in the knowledge that next time a hankering for something oriental overcame us there is something oriental worth eating within a quick dash.
A quiet eating 8/10.
A snack of four dumplings was GBP 6.50 excluding service.
The Collective
20 Crossharbour Plaza
London E14 9YF