If comfort foods are measured by their rustic simplicity, few things can comfort you like northern Chinese dumplings. You can just see all the comfort in their primitive form: a simple, white flour dough around a lumpy bite-size filling of pork and chives or whatever happens to be lying around. They’re like pugs: so ugly that they’re almost cute. It’s probably more diplomatic to say they’re like old ceramics: their beauty lies in the flaws that arise naturally and accidentally from the maker’s hands. They’ve got character, you might say. And if you’ve never tried them, just wait until you take your first bite.

Let’s play it in slow motion: Your teeth begin to touch the hand-rolled flour wrapper, slick and moist from having just been boiled, and as you bite in, you feel just the slightest resistance against your teeth, a sensation that’s sustained as you continue into the minced pork filling. Warm, sweet juices from the pork gush out onto your arching tongue, and soon the chives begin to invade that sweetness, pricking your taste buds. As the tape speeds up just slightly, you begin to chew and your saliva works into the succulent pork, tenderizing something already so delicate, so supple. As the tape accelerates, so too does your heart; your breath grows heavy and wild. Your jaw thrusts up repeatedly to… wow, are you thinking what I’m thinking? That I should try my hand at trashy Romance novels?

Anyway, these dumplings taste great. I love them. Hong Kong, though a very southern city, is home to great Chinese food from all over China, as a recent Time Out Hong Kong article confirms, so you can find some delicious northern dumplings here. There are several on a single block of Wellington Street in Central. I used to go to Dumplings Yuan which has two locations on that same block and is recommended by the Michelin Guide. Then I discovered Wang Fu, an even older establishment run by a lady who works like she’s still in her 20s and makes the best dumplings I’ve ever had. I might hug her if she didn’t look like she’d kick me in the balls if I so much as stared at her too long. But in all seriousness, she’s tough but quite sweet. Judging by all the clippings on the restaurant’s storefront, Wang Fu seems to get as much attention from the press as Dumplings Yuan. But unlike it’s neighbor-competitor, all but one of the write-ups are by Chinese publications. That should tell you something.

When I go to Wang Fu, I order two plates of dumplings and nothing else. That’s all it takes to comfort me.

Wang Fu
98-102 Wellington Street
Central, Hong Kong
2121-8006

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Still opening doors for customers after all these years

The menu at Wang Fu behind bottles of soy sauce and vinegar

Wang Fu's storefront on Wellington Street, Central

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