My Neighbours The Dumplings

Chinese

165 Lower Clapton Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 8EQ

£

My Neighbours the Dumplings is a family run Chinese dumpling house and Sake bar. With their original Clapton establishment gaining such traction, they opened a second in Victoria park, which appears to be a little less shabby and more chic. I was told by so many friends to try this place, some even claiming it to be their favourite restaurant in the whole of London. I had stalked the Instagram page, read the reviews: by the time I came I was thoroughly convinced that this would be my next love affair.

We were closer to Clapton, and could either eat at 18:30 or 20:45. 20:45 was just that bit TOO late, so we decided to opt for an early Saturday dinner at 18:30. Upon arrival, we noticed the bike racks were chocka block – explained in moments by the amount of young, beanied hipsters sitting outdoors. We were guided in by a friendly but distracted waitress (they were pretty full, even this early), to a disappointing table sandwiched in a dark basement between the stairwell and the bar. Some may call me a princess, but I take the matter of eating very seriously, and I like to feel comfortable in my surroundings to truly enjoy the experience – so I asked if we could move, specifically to the garden area which was supposed to be a beautifully decorated haven. After being told the garden was “full”, I asked if we could move to a different table – next to the door to outside but a bit brighter and less in-the-way feeling. I managed to steal a peek at the famous garden during a wee break, which was charming, original, and EMPTY. Hmm.

We ordered two Asahi lagers (£5.5) to get us going as we pondered the paper, tick yourself, dim-sum menu – a great, fun, reliable way to order. From the dumpling menu we went for: pork & prawn steamed dumplings (£6), lamb and coriander fried dumplings (£5.5), and a prawn won ton soup (£8.5). The pork and prawn dumplings were fine, but I’ve had miles better. After seeing the lamb and coriander dumplings fried to perfection in pictures online, I knew I had to try them, even though they would never be a usual choice. Unfortunately, these arrived really late – a good 40 minutes after we had finished everything else. They were over-greased, swimming in oil which burst out onto your chin at the first chew, and not in an indulgently flavoursome way, but a messy way that makes you want to go and wash your face afterwards. The prawn wonton soup was recommended personally as one of the best things on the menu. Again, it was a disappointment, the ‘light’ fish broth practically flavourless, whilst the deflated wontons swam alongside some dishevelled pak choi.

Ok, so NOT a good start, but still with the potential to win us back with the other options. We ordered one smacked cucumber salad (£5), chicken wings with honey soy glaze (£8) and pork belly (£7.5). Two cucumber salads arrived, supposedly served with ginger, coriander and chilli – we couldn’t be bothered to send one back. Whilst they definitely packed a punch, there was no sign of coriander or ginger, instead they were covered in too much soy sauce and sesame seeds… not what it said on the tin. The chicken wings in comparison were exactly what the doctor ordered: drizzled in a positively delicious glaze and coated in the sesame seeds they promised. The redeeming part of the meal definitely came with the meat, with the pork belly in sweet soy glaze also being a hit: cooked well, retaining both a crispy fattiness and tender meatiness.

After the meal was over, we had a moments silence before saying anything. Neither of us was sure if the other had the same “what the heck is all the fuss about” feeling. I eventually cracked, and Tom soon followed. Whilst I admit that Chinese dumplings aren’t my favourite style, much preferring an Indian Momo or Japanese Gyoza, I was definitely expecting these ones to change my mind, or at least be some kind of special. Instead, they were some of the most average and at times disappointing ones I’ve tried. The meal was almost saved by the chicken wings and pork belly, however, again – I have had much better elsewhere, and I think these simply tasted so good because everything else was so… well… bad.

I hate to be THAT person, especially at family-run, independent places like this, but I am the first to admit when I’ve had a good meal. I want to say that the result was down to months of hype and dreaming about this place and that ANYTHING would have been less than perfect, but I am inclined to think that I would have had this reaction regardless. Sorry to all those who disagree, but this one is an affirmative no from me.

OVERALL RATING: **

https://www.myneighboursthedumplings.com/