Shrimp Dumplings Goes Large With Quality Seafood Jiaozi

Missing your favorite hole-in-the-wall dumpling place? Galled by the shopping mall restaurants that are encroaching on Beijing’s dining scene? Well, Shrimp Dumplings (喜家德虾仁水饺 in Chinese) should offer some small consolation. The long-running chain is one of Beijing’s absolute best destinations for jiaozi, despite being criminally overlooked by expats who often flock to more bilingually-friendly spots like Mr. Shi’s and Baoyuan Dumplings on Maizidian.

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Shrimp Dumplings doesn’t skimp when it comes to its namesake item. In fact, each of its seafood jiaozi is stuffed with big, juicy whole prawns, rather than the skimpy ground-up shrimp fillings that lesser restaurants might try to pass off on you (a dozen bite-sized dumplings go for RMB 30, which should be enough to satisfy one hungry patron). The "three delicacies with shrimp" dumplings (as they are referred to on the bilingual menu) are rounded out with egg and veggies.

During our recent visit to their U-Town branch, we delighted in the dumpling's springy, fresh dough, as well as the fact that you can watch the irresistible morsels being rolled and folded to-order by staff members in the glass-encased open kitchen near the doorway. Other varieties of the dumplings include the salty pork and mushroom (RMB 26 per plateful), the tart pickled vegetable dumplings (RMB 27), celery and pork dumplings (also RMB 27), and shrimp-only dumplings (RMB 37). 

The place isn’t going to win anything for its ambiance, with gleaming plastic chairs and a floor-to-ceiling window that wouldn’t be out of place at McDonald’s. A huge TV displays how the dumplings are made and how the chain imports their premium ingredients from locales like Canada. It's not a gimmick though: the quality and freshness is evident as you gobble the dumplings down. Commitment to quality is also why Shrimp Dumplings don't deliver – sticking to a prompt "roll ‘em up and serve ‘em up" policy ensures that their treasured wares don't get soggy in a waimai box on the way to your desk. In short, their dumplings are worth the trip.

Shrimp Dumplings, despite its slick corporate trappings, offers up a highly satisfying alternative to your old favorite mom-and-pop stand and is a convenient place to stop while you're shopping at U-Town. In fact, it's one of the few mall restaurant chains worth trying in town, among the swaths of mediocre options in Chaoyangmen.

Read: Craving Yunnan Food? Try the Solid Chain Yunhaiyao at U-Town

Shrimp Dumplings
Daily, 10am-10pm. 4/F, 2-417, Bldg 5, U-Town Mall, 2 Sanfeng Beili, Dongcheng District (6588 9585)
 东城区三丰北里5号楼4层401内2-417号

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Photos: Kyle Mullin