[Invite] – click here
I was delighted to be invited to The Dumpling Tree to try their authentic Chinese cuisine. They specialise in dishes from the Yunnan Provence in West China but also offer a wide range of classic dishes from all over the country.
The restaurant has been here since 2019. Previously, it was located down Homerton Street, which made it quite awkward to get to (especially if you don’t live in the centre of Cambridge).
Its new home is on Perne Road, making is more accessible for people from outside of town. This is also made easier thanks to its free parking out the front. 🅿️
It has been a long time since I last visited the venue. In fact, back then it was a pub called the Master Mariner. I wasn’t sure what to expect this time. Remembering how the pub used to look, I was expecting it to be very much the same but with a few Chinese ornaments placed around the restaurant but I was entirely wrong. The team at The Dumpling Tree have put a ton of effort into transforming the restaurant and it is now unrecognisable!
Entering, you are warmly greeted in a striking bar area. I was particularly fond of the stunning Chinese furniture and red parasols on the ceiling. The interior is detailed, spacious, and capable of hosting large numbers of people. It’s gorgeous throughout.
There are a selection of beers available, ranging from Neck Oil, Tiger, and a few ciders. After being off the wagon for the past… FOREVER! I decided to finally behave and order a green iced tea. This was served in a plastic bottle with a glass. It really took me by surprise with how refreshing it was. There is a subtle perfumed tea flavour that was light, delicate, and smooth. I recommend giving it a go as it’s refreshingly different and fits into the theme of the experience.
Dumplings
The tables have the menu placed under a sheet of glass. This makes life easier but did make my photos look quite busy. I can understand the logic of this choice but I think I would have preferred to be able to see the table.
Our first round of dishes were dumplings presented in a wooden tub. This consisted of mini pork steamed buns, prawn & pork shumai, and prawns and celery.
The prawn & pork shumai were my favourite (pictured at the top). They are open wrapped with prawn and pork and then steamed. This gave a nice meaty mouthful with a complex flavour with a delicate fragrant aftertaste.
The other dumplings in the box were also really well prepared with a generous stuffing.
All dumplings at The Dumpling Tree are hand made fresh to order and it really comes across in the food. Top marks!
We were also given the chance to sample their open Prawn Wontons. These reminded me of a prawn cocktail somewhat but it came served in a cracker. This not only made them easier to eat but gave a satisfying crispy crunch. The prawns were nice and juicy but the thick creamy sauce also worked well with the contrasting crackers. It was a dish with a great balance of texture.
Last but by no means least was the taro puff dumplings. These were another favourite of mine and are stuffed with mash potatoes and came with a satisfying crispy shell. I thought they were interesting and stood out from the other dumplings on the menu. They are well worth a try if you are looking for something a little different.
The street food platter
There is an option at the top of the menu for a street food platter. This is essentially the Chinese equivalent of Turkish kebabs. These are eaten commonly across China, especially in the evenings and while on the go.
We were given a set of 4 to try – Chicken, lamb, prawn, and vegetarian. They come as a set for £20 or you can buy them separately. Buying them as a set looks to save you £1.50.
The honey chicken comes in a soy sauce marinade with aromatic spices. I was impressed with the size of the skewers and the chicken was beautifully sticky and tender. The honey gave it a subtle sweetness while the soy added a slight salty flavour.
The cumin lamb comes marinated in cumin and chillis. This is one of the most popular dishes in Yunnan and it’s easy to understand why. It was soft and tender while still holding together on the skewer.
The giant prawn skewers were a firm reminder of how lame our prawns are in the UK. These big meaty beasts were a real sight to behold and looked fantastic and on skewers. They were a little messy to eat as the shell needed to be peeled off but surprisingly, despite ticking all the right boxes, I found that they lacked a little flavour.
The vegetable skewer was a real winner. I will admit that I sometimes struggle to get excited by vegetarian food (despite being impressed by it time and time again) but this was a fine example of how vegetarian food can stand out. It came with mushroom, aubergine, sweet potato and courgette, all deep fried. Oh yes!
The taste from Yunnan
If you ever visit The Dumpling Tree then make sure to explore the Yunnan menu. This was the highlight of the entire evening and offers a range of authentic dishes that will blow your socks off.
First, was the incredible Thousand Layers Pork. Don’t argue with me, just order it!
This dish is made of marinated pork belly slices with Meigan leaves and spices. It is fried as an entire block then steamed, creating an intense flavour of pork that is incredibly tender. You can pick this up by the slice and eat it with chop sticks. It also works well as a communal dish to share.
The Spiced Charcoal Beef was out of this world! We were presented with a diced slab of beef belly that, according to menu, has been “marinated and seared to perfection”…I couldn’t have put it better myself. This was incredible. The beef has a spicy and crispy skin that is soft and succulent inside. The texture was perfect and the spice was not hot enough to scare anyone away.
You’ve likely noticed that these two dishes consist of pure meat, so I recommend ordering Grandma’s Potatoes as a side dish. This is a home-cooked classic that consists of fluffy potatoes which are fried with spring onions, Sichuan pepper and chilli oil.
Like everything else at The Dumpling Tree, the portions were impressive and the potatoes looked fantastic. The spring onions gave it a nice crunch and the spices turned the potatoes a lovely golden colour that added a bold flavour. They were light and fluffy but also versatile enough to go with anything – the perfect side.
Rice Noodles
All the rice noodles here are home-made in-house. There is a selection of 7 Yunnan style noodles to choose from, including a special that is served in three parts. According to the team, their noodles are very popular with a lot of local Chinese people and are one of their most popular dishes – this is as authentic as it gets!
The beef in this dish is tougher than the Charcoal Beef from the previous course but it still worked well. The soup had a deep soy flavour that may be a bit salty for some. This may be credited to the rice noodles used in the dish that have a blander taste than the egg noodles we may be used to. This makes the soy stand out and dominate the flavour. If you love soy then this is the dish for you.
Dessert
We ended our meal with a few sweet treats. We were given another box that contained two doughnuts with a custard filling.
I thought these were fantastic. The doughnuts were squishier, heavier, and more doughy than you may be used to with classic doughnuts but it really works. The custard oozed out in a satisfying fashion and it was also surprisingly filling.
Conclusion
Both my guest and I were genuinely impressed by our visit tonight.
The restaurant is stunning, which was something I was not expecting (thanks to the bias I had from my time drinking in the Master Mariner).
The service was highly attentive with staff frequently checking on us and clearing up. They honestly couldn’t do enough for us.
The menu is large with lots of interesting things to try. I bet even seasoned fans of Chinese food would find something to excite them (I highly recommend the Yunnan menu btw).
Prices were fair, maybe slightly edging towards higher than expected, but I didn’t mind because the quality was easily enough to justify it.
My guest made a good point that The Dumpling Tree would be great for parties or big events, as the place is large and atmospheric. Speaking with the team on the night, they said that they occasionally host big parties and can put tables together, so it is something to keep in mind.
I’m a big fan of The Dumpling Tree and I look forward to coming back again. I have a feeling it won’t be long with dishes like the Thousand Layer Pork on the menu 🤩
Thanks for reading
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