ShanDong MaMa — Restaurant in Melbourne

We tried the Shandong mama in Richmond and now we would try another branch situated inside the Arcade China Town, pretty hidden. The restaurant had a humbly looking place, not a fancy one. It was clean, bright with a typical Chinese restaurants. The customer service was pretty good and quite attentive.

We checked our favourite apps Zomato to find out about the ratings and turned out that it was pretty good. There were plenty of options available on dumplings as they've modernised the whole concept of dumplings.

We ordered: DILL-icious Pork Fried Dumplings for $14.80. It's a finely chopped mince pork and dill, spring onions, ginger and sesame oil. The dumplings were very tasty, delicious and juicy. Perfect when you add the homemade chili oil and vinegar on top of the dumplings for the chili lovers. The combination of mince pork, spring onions, ginger and sesame oil were just right and taste was balance. Unfortunately, it was slightly oily and greasy; Drainage of the oil before serving would be better. In addition, Some parts weren't burnt as you can see from the photos; I reckoned by trimming off the burning part before serving to the customers would be fantastic. Anyway, The taste was still absolutely fantastic but the presentation was slightly awful.

Noodle with prawns, pork, shredded cucumber & coriander in bean taste for $12.80. One of our friends want to try the noodle as it looked yummy from the photo. Unfortunately, it was out of our expectation; The noodle was overcooked, soggy and soft. The meat was very salty and overpowering; It ruined the whole taste and it was very oily as well. Definitely not recommended.

Overall, we had great time having the dumplings but not the noodle.

Taste: 3.0 Service: 3.5 Speed: 3.5 Price: 3.0

Yay: Dumplings were tasty (DILL-icious Pork Fried Dumplings) Nay: Noodle with prawns, pork, shredded cucumber & coriander in bean taste, Dumplings...

Shandong Mama is a cosy Chinese restaurant located in the heart of Melbourne's CBD. The restaurant is known for its authentic and delicious Shandong-style cuisine, which is a type of Chinese cuisine that is characterized by bold flavours and hearty dishes. The décor of the restaurant is simple but charming, with wooden furnishings and traditional Chinese décor that give it a rustic and authentic feel. The menu at Shandong Mama is focused on traditional Shandong dishes, such as dumplings, noodles, and bao buns. One of the standout dishes at Shandong Mama is the pork and chive dumplings, which are handmade and cooked to perfection. The dumplings have a delicate skin and a savoury filling that is bursting with flavour. The noodles are also a must-try, with a variety of options to choose from, including stir-fried noodles and noodle soups. In addition to the dumplings and noodles, Shandong Mama also offers a variety of other dishes, such as fried rice and bao buns. The fried rice is flavorful and satisfying, with a generous serving of vegetables and meat. The bao buns, on the other hand, are soft and fluffy, with a variety of fillings to choose from, including pork and vegetables. The service at Shandong Mama is friendly and efficient, and the staff is always happy to provide recommendations and help with any dietary requirements. The restaurant is also reasonably priced, making it an affordable option for those who want to enjoy authentic Chinese food without breaking the bank. Overall, Shandong Mama is a great restaurant that offers delicious Shandong-style cuisine in a cozy and authentic setting. The quality of the food, the ambiance, and the service are all excellent, making it a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. If you are a fan of Chinese cuisine or just looking for a great dining experience, Shandong Mama is definitely...

Overpriced and underwhelming dumplings! My wife (Sino/Malaysian) comes from a family with a long tradition of fine home cooked dumplings. We eat dumplings at least once a fortnight either delicious, real homemade by my wife or family or from various specialty dumpling restaurants around the traps. I've never found the need to write a review on a dumpling restaurant before as they're all generally pretty good or great. My wife heard rave reviews about Shandong Mama so as we found ourselves in the CBD we thought we try. Arrived at SMs for an early lunch to be greeted by the friendly staff. Ordered only 2 plates of dumplings but found them really disappointing and completely underwhelming to say the least and not worth the hype at all! Our Australian friend (who is not adventurous) ordered his standard Sweet and Sour Pork dish with Special Fried Rice to share - not our choice BTW! The rice was fine but the SP was gross. The overall SP dish was grey in colour with sickly sweet sauce, I know SP sauce is meant to be sweet but this was almost inedible. The rest of the day I nursed this big blob of food churning in my stomach feeling semi-sick. Couldn't believe there were people queueing up outside this restaurant as we left! Perhaps we just had a bad batch of 3 dishes - maybe. Now $80 for 2xdumpling dishes, 1xSweet and Sour Pork, 1xFried Rice, 2xGrassJelly drinks and water - that's definitely overpriced. Although I'll normally give any restaurant the benefit of the doubt - I would not recommend this restaurant. Wife was very disappointed and embarrassed and will be more wary of reviews and hype...