Dedicated to dumplings, this new little restaurant comes from the expert team at Sober Ramen.
Steamed, fried or floating in broth, the cheap and cheerful pillows of taste known simply as dumplings have become a staple in Geelong. Whether you fancy them stuffed with minced pork and prawn, or mushroom and chives, we’ve just scored a brand new dumpling house that promises to deliver.
Meet Drunken Dumpling Bar, the newest restaurant from the team at Sober Ramen.
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- Drunken Dumpling Bar is the newest restaurant from the team at Sober Ramen.
- The restaurant is dedicated to Chinese dumplings, spanning steamed and pan-fried options
- It’s located at 83 Little Malop Street, Geelong and open Friday to Tuesday.
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Located at 83 Little Malop Street, right in the heart of Geelong, the restaurant has finally opened its doors after almost a year of hospitality worker shortages and is already hitting the right note with Geelong diners.
The anticipation of plump, juicy dumplings takes hold quickly as you walk through the door of the Little Malop venue, signposted by a red neon sign and an intimate interior that mirrors that of Sober Ramen – the heavyweight champion of delicious and authentic ramen since its opening back in 2017 by Alex Pan of Sumi, and Nathan Johnston, who also operate Cartel Coffee Roasters on the same street.
With bar seating, window seating and a line of compact restaurant seating down the wall of the venue, Drunken Dumpling keep it simple offering a signature menu, designed for sharing or to indulge in on your own. Here you’ll find a selection of Jiao Zi (Chinese dumplings), including steamed veggie dumplings, steamed wagyu dumplings, Hargow Prawn Dumplings, pan-fried pork boa and Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (small dumplings filled with meat and soup), as well as Pork Pot Stickers and steamed chicken and prawn dumplings.
The chefs make these hearty packets of flavour by hand every day and then take them to tables with the option of three signature sauces to dress them in – spicy soy, Szechuan chilli oil and/or spicy sesame.
Alongside the hero dish of dumplings, there’s also a truly mouthwatering selection of Xiao Chi aka Tapas on offer, which can be credited to Pan who has long been an innovator when it comes to Asian-Australian flavours.
Try the salt and pepper calamari, the Szechuan fried chicken, poached oysters and the spring onion pancake, or indulge in the Cantonese cured salmon, Taiwanese braised pork with rice, or drunken chicken (a dish made up on chicken, aged Shaoxin wine and goji berry).
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A welcome addition to the Little Malop Street hub, the food is stylish, vibrant and balanced – it’s this harmony that’s vital in Asian cooking and something that Pan and Johnston have nailed with their restaurants, each and every time. With warmth and excitement added to all their dishes and a variety of textures and contrast, plus beer, wine and cocktails, the passion here is infectious, truly making this the new spot that deserves devotion.
Drunken Dumpling is open Friday to Tuesday for lunch and dinner. Find it at 83 Little Malop Street, Geelong.
