Located on a quiet cobbled street just off Spitalfields market is Xi Home Dumplings Bay, part of a family of three with other spots in Covent Garden and Colindate.
Xi Home Dumplings Bay is a home to Northern China cooking, all things pastry: dumplings, fluffy mantous to crispy pancakes and the Instagram famous Pork Soup Bun where the pork broth is sipped through a straw.
We are first to arrive to Xi Home Dumpling as it’s Monday and still a bit early only 6. But it quickly gets filled despite it being January with people still in full swing of pursing their healthy goals and resolutions.
We settle by a neon décor with dumplings on the wall and start glazing through the menu. When it comes to Chinese food my most favourite are dumplings, steamed especially and there is a sea of them here.
In December I’ve already had a little sneak peak of Xi Home’s work. In a form of Christmas themed buns delivered to my door, which were one a masterpiece to look at but also so delectable. So I’m both keen and excited to try their full menu.
At the moment Xi Home is running a special Burn’s Night menu with five whiskey based cocktails and special haggis dumplings. So that’s the first that we’re ordering.
Along with a selection of eight different dumpling fillings and the highly recommended sweet and sour pork for a main. We are told even the Chinese diners rave about it.
The dishes don’t take long to arrive, it’s very fast passed here with now a constant flow of delivery men collecting bags of take aways, the chefs behind the glass wall kitchen are kneading fast.
Our dine commences with a variety of dumplings. And with so many flavours it’s just too many to go through them all here.
But I will say this all dumplings we tried were masterly crafted, thin fresh wrapping, you can tell it’s made to order, with a filling so juicy you even get a bit of broth inside with each of them.
Squid ink stands at the top, a distinct black ink pastry and a seafood stuffing. It’s juicy with a little chewy texture in the dough.
As someone with pescetarian eating habits it’s exciting to find so many seafood dumping options on the menu. Their most famous one is the jade lobster dumpling.
Resembling somewhat a green cabbage leaf, it’s all the social media claims it to be and more. Cooked just right a generous diced lobster wrapped in fresh dough.
Xi Home also makes the abalone dumpling. Another social media popular name right now with equally striking look.
Belonging to the marine gastropod mollusk, it resembles a cut in half cacao pod to me although some people might associate it with other things.
My guest loved it but for me personally I find it a tad bit too fishy, but when it comes to gastropods I tend to avoid them for that reason exactly.
Having said that it’s a fun experience to try it, abalones are not easy to find in the UK.
Final dumpling to mention before moving onto the other page of the menu is the haggis one. It’s a limited edition dumpling, created to celebrate the Burn’s Night.
From outside it looks just like an ordinary dumpling but inside is your traditional strong haggis, by the taste of it it’s lamb.
It’s soft doughy dumpling shell encased in the sweet and salty meat filling, if you like haggis this is the dumpling to try. It’s here till 28th February.
To pair and to match the Burn’s Night theme we dive into the whiskey based cocktails.
TheWhisperingBloom is a highlight, it uses jasmine tea to create Whiskey Sour style cocktail.
With Maker’s Mark and jasmine green tea cordial, it’s floral with a smooth whisky presence. The jasmine tea marries perfectly with an Asian dinner.
I will admit I was rather skeptical of the cocktail making skills at Xi Home because normally casual Asian restaurants are masters at cooking less so at mixology.
I was happy to be proven wrong. The cocktails we tried can easily be served in a stand alone cocktail bar. Fortune Fizz with Prosecco, Glenmoray cognac and zest is a clever fusion on French 75, less sweet too. It’s not to be missed.
The rest of the meal did not disappoint either the prawn shredded rolls with chunky prawn mix wrapped in a perfectly crispy angel’s hair dough is another must. So is the recommended sweet and sour crispy pork.
Thin pieces of pork loin coated in crispy batter with a perfect dressing of the sauce, designed for sharing or taking home to enjoy later. I don’t think one can go wrong here when ordering.
The menu has plenty of variety to choose from at very wallet friendly prices. Just make sure to arrive hungry. My only regret is not living within the catchment area for the delivery services of Xi Home Dumplings so I can enjoy the dishes on regular basis.
Xi Home Dumplings Bay, 10 Blossom St, London E1 6PL