Mr Shi's Dumplings (老石饺子) namesake dumplings are sublime.

The classic boiled dumplings are very strong renditions of the classic northern dumpling - thick and juicy with good skin.

Their trademark fried dumplings (煎三面较), though, are as unique as they're delicious. The flash frying sears the outside of the filling, forming a thin, crusty layer on the outside that prevents the savory juices on the inside from leaking out until you take a bite, even though the dumplings are open on one side. Everything about them works perfectly.

Their menu is overwhelming, with likely over a hundred variations on fillings, many of them very unusual. The cheese works very well, and I also enjoyed the coriander and other herb pairings.

The whole place is incredibly on the beaten track of Beijing tourism, and looks like a typical backpacker's haunt with the signatures on the walls and the foreign cash under glass on the tables, but who cares when they're making some of the best dumplings I've ever had.