Food and drinks
- Alcohol Served
- Beer available
- Small plates restaurant
- Lunch menu available
- Dinner menu available
- Dessert available
01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
One pleasure of ordering dumplings at Chinkairou is choosing shrimp-filled ones grilled, steamed, boiled or fried. The grilled, steamed and fried versions have a cabbage-based filling; the boiled dumplings are chive-based. Diners who have tried several styles mention the savoury, browned flavour of the grilled dumplings, the chewy wrapper and smooth texture of the boiled ones, and the smooth wrappers of the steamed ones. Some also find them substantial: each dumpling is large, with shrimp in the filling. Try the grilled and boiled versions first, then compare them with steamed or fried to see which you prefer.
To make a fuller meal around the dumplings, add a cooked dish or fried rice. Sichuan-style mapo tofu comes in a regular portion and a half-size, useful when you want to share several dishes. Diners' reactions to it vary: some say its moderate heat makes them want rice, while others found the dish did not suit their tastes. If preferences for spice differ around the table, you could also compare the shrimp-miso mapo tofu or the chilli-sauce shrimp and scallops. The black-vinegar sweet-and-sour pork stands out as another meat dish alongside the dumplings; diners have praised its tender, yielding pork as well as the satisfying crispness of its coating.
Fried rice is available with a choice of toppings and ingredients. Options include mixed fried rice, pickled mustard greens, Chinese sausage and seafood XO, adding a different flavour to a shared spread of dumplings and cooked dishes. One diner praised the balance of the pickled mustard greens fried rice, noting that the greens had a distinct presence alongside egg and meat. It was also well received by someone who ordered it with the black-vinegar sweet-and-sour pork.
Small plates and beer are available, so you can keep things simple with dumplings and a drink or add fried rice and cooked dishes for a full meal. The restaurant is described as suitable for both solo diners and groups, and dinner reservations are available. Reservations are recommended for dinner, so booking once your party size is settled may make it easier to plan your meal.
