They break out in fever at the mere thought of pineapple on pizza or eating a dumpling made by anyone outside of an ageing auntie in a Guangzhou suburb. This casually refined restaurant, minimally decorated with slight industrial vibes that you might find in a trendy loft in a hip corner of Manhattan, offers up an exotic collection of small plates, with dumplings inspired by anything from cheeseburgers to apple pie as the main draw. Though it has been officially running for nearly a year, the pandemic has seen it closed more often than open, and it is only in the last two months that the restaurant has fully found its feet.
The weekend we visited, it was completely full with a diverse crowd of patrons ranging from young families looking for fun food for the kids to young professionals seeking something different. They met at a pop-up run by Redmond in the summer of Bain, and her husband Jules, had been keeping an eye out for someone to start a business with.
They soon went about looking for the right spot. They came across their current location seven months later, and the Grumpy Dumpling was born. Redmond confesses to having had a mild obsession with dumplings since she was a teenager and has thrown regular dumpling parties ever since.
But we got it done. Arriving at the restaurant, the place is buzzing, and we opt for a couple of sharing plates before our dumpling tour. The green bean salad is served cold with white miso, sesame and spring onions. The food is fresh and zingy, highlighting everything great about Southeast Asian flavours. Cool and tangy, the beans have an ultra-satisfying crunch. The green curry cauliflower is served with slices of red chilli, lemongrass, lime, coriander, shallots and galangal and has a pleasant spicy kick without leaving you gasping.
The cauliflower has beautiful charcoal undertones, which are set against the zestiness of all the other flavours β a delightful dish. One of the pleasures of eating at the Grumpy Dumpling is the tapas-y nature of all the dishes.
