JML DUMPLINGS Wolli Creek — Restaurant in Sydney

I walked in at 8:45pm on a public holiday. I was unsure if it was open but the friendly woman at the register waved me in. After perusing the menu I decided on two servings of the pork and chive dumplings.

Once seated I attempted to pour tea from the full pot without spilling it. I failed. The hot green tea provided a comforting warmth on the chill Autumn evening.

As I patiently waited for the dumplings to be served I appreciated the warm light globes chosen by the owners. They were not the stark, harsh, inhuman white light that some restaurants decide to blind their customers with.

When the dumplings were served I consumed the first one without any condiments. The true test of any dumpling. It was exactly what you expect a good quality pork and chive dumpling to taste like. It had a perfect ratio of dough to filling. The dough was fresh and soft whilst still maintaining structural integrity. The filling emanated a fresh well balanced flavour. A soothing melange of fresh pork, hints of ginger and a balanced presence of spring onion. Excellent. If a dumpling cannot stand on its own it cannot be rated higher than a 5/10.

I consumed the remaining 23 dumplings by poking two holes in the base of each and then bathing each dumpling in an emulsion of 1 part chilli oil 1 part vinegar. The dumplings had been expertly seasoned so there was no need for the incorporation of soy to the bathing amalgam.

As I sat there enjoying my dumplings I was able to appreciate other aspects of the restaurant. Boxes astride my table. Scuff marks from the back of the chairs on a concrete pillar in front of me. A homely feeling. The owners had focussed on what truly matters: value for money high quality dumplings.

As they cleaned the restaurant for closing I felt no passive aggressive feelings urging me to leave. They could see I was consuming their wonderful dumplings apace. I was making it clear in unspoken language that I would not outstay my welcome once I had consumed my dumplings and had my fill of tea. Upon exiting I said my farewells to the friendly staff and remarked upon the superb quality of the dumplings. I would return.

Some people like pork buns exclusively, While myself, I say there is naught, nor ought there be, Nothing so exalted on the face of God's grey earth As that Prince of...

Firstly, i gave 4 stars because i'm being generous as some food is not as bad as other dishes. There's hit and missed. The pork rib served in a container when the rest of our dish came in a bowl and plate. It's unbelievable as to why it is served in a container. Customers like me could miss understood if it's a leftover takeaway or last night left over food, maybe it's actually a leftover food. At least do give effort to warm it up and put in a plate??

It's awkward to see food in containers giving to customers to eat. And we're not the first ones to experience this. This would've been 1 or 2 stars if the juicy dumplings weren't good. We really like the dumplings.

Also, i don't care if the waitress could communicate in Chinese to the customers, but just remember, not every asain is Chinese. Please hire another person who can at least speak basic English. I'm surprised the aunty at the counter speaks English better than the waitress, and she smiles nicely at us before we leave. I don't want anyone to lose jobs here. But please, communication is key to customers and the kitchen, so no misunderstanding could happen.

Keep up the good food. It's our 3rd time here. The soup dish is great but a little mild, 'little bit' of saltiness would be nice since the noodle itself is quite a...

I give 3.5 stars as it was hit and miss tonight. Shepherds Purse, Tofu and Prawn Soup - really enjoyed this, felt nice to eat on cold night. Big bowl serve. Prawns diced throughout. Yum. Chicken corn soup - pretty good flavour. I enjoyed it but wish there was a little more texture with chicken or corn pieces Shanghai dumplings (xiao long bao) -absolutely perfect! Best I've had in a long time. They give you a sesame seed chilli oil which is perfe t with the dumplings and also soy sauce. I moaned after every bite. Mapo Tofu - this dish wasn't great. It was only, lacked any douchan (bean paste) and sichuan pepper. This is a dish I always order everywhere, it's my fav, but sadly would not order this from JML again. Had a weird soapy flavour. Seafood Noodle in XO sauce - very very very very bland. No flavour JML special fried rice with meat and veg - this is a spicy fried rice and contains seafood which is not specified. So the person who ordered it couldn't eat it. I however like chilli and thought it was nice. But I probably won't order again.

The soup and dumplings were really good. But the mains didn't quite meet my...