Good news for east Londoners, Beijing street food cafe Mamalan has just opened in Shoreditch, to accompany its other spots in Dalston and East Village.
To celebrate, founder Ning Ma has collaborated with Dan Doherty, executive chef at nearby Duck and Waffle, on a special limited edition duck dumpling. But to taste it, you need to get a move on, as it’s only available until the end of the month.
I popped along a few days ago to check out the new cafe and of course, try this VIP dumpling. The space is petite and bright with a warm atmosphere and friendly, relaxed staff. It has a really homely, neighbourhood feel, echoing Mamalan’s roots as a low-key supper club six years ago.
We sat at one of the simple wooden tables and ordered a few bites while sipping on home-made rose lemonade and ginger beer (there are also Chinese-style cocktails if you’re in the mood).
The first dish to arrive was Dan Doherty’s duck dumpling – a celebration of his favourite meat, made with duck, salted cabbage, duck broth, roasted chili oil, fresh coriander and spring onion.
The duck was perfectly seasoned and the pan-fried dumplings were kept tender with a subtle and aromatic broth with soft morsels of duck skin and goji berry. The chili added depth without overwhelming the broth and I liked that it was quite gentle in flavour, rather than being too punchy or salty.
It’s hard to pick a favourite, but Pork buns were seriously delicious and I can see myself ordering a plate of them all to myself next time. The Beijing toasted buns are quite different to the fluffy steamed buns that most of us are used to – they’re like lighter versions of English muffins with a crisp, bubbly outside.
They were generously filled with the most juicy slow-cooked pulled pork and accompanied by pickled cucumbers – so satisfying and moreish.
We also enjoyed the Fried vegetable balls, which were served piping hot with a side of sweet chili dipping sauce. The balls were crispy but not at all greasy and filled with shredded, lightly picked vegetables in an airy batter.
Dumplings are a big part of the menu, and what Mamalan is known for, so we ordered a few more plates to give them a good try. Beef and spring onion dumplings were generously filled with hot, slightly oily minced beef and just a hint of spring onion, and the dumpling skin was pleasantly on the thicker, chewier side.
I liked that Mamalan’s hand-made dumplings are quite meaty with simple, pure flavours. The dumplings are so authentic that they’re actually from a family recipe created by Ning Ma’s grandad when he ran a dumpling stall in the street markets of Beijing.
Pork and Chinese leaf dumplings were equally tasty and bold – they went particularly well with the dumpling vinegar at the table. Be sure to order them alongside the beef dumplings for a nice contrast.
The buns were so yummy that we couldn’t resist trying the Prawn buns. The grilled buns were filled with a plump and succulent prawn patty and garnished with slivers of iceberg lettuce and sriracha mayo. They were super-tasty and fresh, but the Pork bun had the slight edge.
The dumplings and buns can be intensely flavoursome and rich, so I highly recommend balancing them with the light and refreshing Seaweed Salad. A plentiful amount of chilled seaweed was doused in a mouthwatering mix of soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil, topped with toasted sesame seeds. It was so tangy and silky and the portion size was large enough to order it for the table.
Mamalan is perfect for a quick and affordable dumpling fix in east or south London. I know I’ll be back soon for more dumpling takeovers and to try those big bowls of noodle soup…and obviously more buns.
For more information and to see the menu, visit: www.mamalan.co.uk
Chérie City was a guest of Mamalan
All photos by Chérie City
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