Review Fat Dumpling - Brisbane

Delicious dumplings My husband and I dropped in for a quick Sunday lunch and shared a serve of spicy green beans, wontons in chilli oil and steamed prawn, pork & chive dumplings. It was all very delicious, and the dumplings had a lovely home-made feel about them, but we did think that the portions were a little on the small side. Nicey but pricey!

Nice atmosphere and friendly customer service. The steam dumplings were great and juicy. The pan fried ones were not as good.

Randomly came across this place and glad we did. The vege gyozas and scallion pancakes are fire. Would come back.

Nice dumplings but the seating in this restaurant is quite squeezy!

Best dumplings I ever had, and between you&me that's saying something! The pork broth dumplings are a must! If I ever visit Brisbane again I'm definitely coming back!

Love coming here. They make great dumplings

The absolute best dumplings ever. Cocktails are so yummy as well. Perfect atmosphere as well. Will be returning. Thanks 💓

Dumplings are decent, a bit expensive for what they are. Some of the thicker wrapper dumplings were a bit chewy if you didn't immediately finish them. Pork buns were great. Service was great. Good atmosphere.

Flavour of xiao long bao is nice but the dumpling skin is thicker than traditional XLBs so the top is a bit chewy. Steamed dumplings also nice. Pan fried dumplings were a little dry. Vegetarian spring rolls were definitely the standout. Overall was good but not amazing.

The quantity served was very less. I and my friends were very hungry even after eating one serving. We had to leave office early because we were very hungry.😁 I would still recommend this place for the taste.

The waitress with the braided hair is definitely worth the trip alone, she's amazing :)<br/><br/>The food is phenomenal. Constant morsels of delectable nom noms. Atmosphere is light and casual while having a sense of comfort. You're attended to, fed well, and head home feeling like a bit of a Fat Dumpling yourself ^_^

Three of us were seated at the window bar on a busy Thursday night. It’s a small space and they get the service and meals out really quickly. Loved the all the dumplings and worth trying the cucumber side.

I love this place. Went for the 2nd time last night & had delicious dumplings & salt pepper squid, best squid in Brissy. The hospitality is so warm too! The owner's daughter (I think) complimented me on my hair and made my night, she was so lovely and made us feel really welcome. Coming here always feels really cosy and familiar and also thank you for introducing me to plum wine! Will be back again soon.

I came with family to share a couple plates. The service was great and the place looked great. We ordered a couple plates and they arrived one by one which was great however the food was appalling. The pan fried dumpling were essentially steamed and then blacked on one side. There were actually burnt bits of dough on the plate. The portion size for a $15 fried rice was extremely small and overall the food was overpriced for the portions they provided.

Very good dumpling. Had the pan fried pork and Chinese cabbage ones. Nice staff. Very cosy environment and has Asian beer. Will come back again.

Fat Dumpling is a solid choice for all your dumpling type needs in The Valley. It's well appointed and decent price points. Well, maybe a little on the expensive side but when The Dear Luncher is having meals paid for him by work who the f--k cares right.<br/><br/>The only criticism The Dear Luncher has is the lack of a beef dumpling option. Sure, pork is fine. Pork is great in fact. So great that all three dishes ordered contained pork products. But no red meat option in the form of dumpling is disappointing. People say it's because the isn't traditional or authentic. Well to hell with that. Add these to the menu Fat Dumpling and you will make one travelling Victorian very happy.

To be honest some the food you can get BEST in Brisbane, and Definitely the best dumplings——yeah, The service same as the FOOD so amazing!!!!!<br/> Lovesssssss the nice dumpling Restaurant😘<br/> I would Definitely come back!!❤️

We reserved a table for 3, were seated in average seats, asked to move to a normal table instead because we were up too high, the girl proceeded to say they were busy and that's was all. Yet when new people came in she gave them the seats straight away. Finally, we waited over an hour before one girl realised the order wasn't put through. We had to approach them about our meals and where they were. People who just walked on in got decent seats and food brought to them quickly and had already left before we even got our first meal. Luckily the food is delicious ( a long wait in between each dumpling serving, not together) or we would've just left. Pretty average service, step up your game guys!

Great little dumpling place, with extra friendly staff and delicious food. Everything is tasty and freshly cooked. My only disappointment was the lack of soup in the xiao long bao. Definitely good for a group to share.

I went to Fat Dumpling with two friends last night. We order Pork Belly, Green Beans, Pork XLB and some pan fried dumplings. The beans are amazing, I would highly recommend it. For the fried dumplings, I love pork and cabbage most. Also, nice staff and quickly service. Can't wait to come back.

Outstanding dumplings, the XLB is AMAZING!!!!<br/>Went on a monday night, service was above and beyond. For the quality of food i felt the prices were more than reasonable.<br/>2nd visit and will be back.

Best dumpling spot in Brisbane hands down. I'm actually from Sydney and I reckon it beats all the spots there too. Friendly staff, great and quick service and UH-MAZINGGG dumplings

Had Sunday lunch at this eatery two weeks ago. Was the first table dine-in and service was very attentive. Ordered the Cumin Lamb Skewer, Pork XLB, Stir-fried Green Beans and Fish Dumpling. In addition, we got a bonus of Crystal Cucumber Salad to compensate the missed Fish Dumpling order at the end. Cumin Skewer tasted good but I think they deep-fried them first then grilled surface, so they were all lack of the original flavour from traditional grilled lamb skewer (3/5). XLB presented with nice crown and folds and thickness of pastry was just right so I can easily hold it up with chopstick and dipped some dark vinegar than put the whole Bao in my mouth without losing any soup inside the Bao, well done (4.5/5). Stir-fried green bean was prepared with (Wok Qi), however, if the green bean was put in a hotter oil then the effect would be much better (3.5/5), bonus Crystal Cucumber Salad should be a traditional dish that cucumber should be beaten by cleaver instead of sliced and chopped in pieces but this version enhance nice visual effect (4/5). Fish Dumpling was the hero. where the ingredient was juiced with very rich flavour (4.5/5). Overall, I think the owner's strategy to set this eatery at this location because price wise he can have a better profit margin (compared to the Golden Dumplings@Sunnybank, they have a better profit). However, the team's passion within this eatery and good staff's training deserve a big TICK. These are essential elements to have a successful business. Cheers!

As far as dumplings go, this is my new favourite. <br/><br/>Had a mix of steamed and fried dumplings and sides for lunch. <br/><br/>Fried fish were easily my favourite, the inside texture was kind of like a fish cake where as the steamed was more like.. steamed fish. <br/><br/>Chicken skewers were 👌 spicy delicious, would have been great with a small side of rice (love my carbs).<br/><br/>Other people liked the cucumber salad- it was pickled.. could have been a little more pickled for me. But the beans- they were so good- gingery goodness- would definitely order again. <br/><br/>Shallot pancake.. not so much.. undercooked so doughy tasting. Also, no ice for drinks.. huh? <br/><br/>Looking forward to having dinner there

I’d been recommended to visit Fat Dumpling by a few people, Friday night, upon learning it was BYO was the night. . When we arrived they said half an hour but then seated us straight away. Service was certainly slow – they could do with an extra staff member for sure. The hilarity began when I was opening the champagne. I took the metal and foil off, ready to pop the cork but the waiter distracted me. POP!!! The cork flew straight up to the roof and ricocheted back. Suddenly the whole place wanted to chat to us.

Nothing too standout. Slow service, felt cramped. Nobody closes the door and the noise from the road makes it loud. Other frustrated guests closer to the door got up to close it regularly, but could see a lot of people looking over to see if anyone would do it.<br/><br/>Doesn't compare to a local family owned dumpling shop in the suburbs for flavour or value.<br/>Strangely didn't give bowls or plates until asked, just chopsticks and sauce ramekins. Better be good with chopsticks, or risk dropping them on the table if sharing. <br/><br/>XLB (soup dumplings) a bit inconsistent - some with soup inside, some none at all, but not broken. No fresh ginger.<br/>Chicken skewers suprisingly the best thing we tried.<br/>Dumplings also tried: boiled pork & cabbage, poached fish, fried prawn garlic chives. Nothing special.<br/>Asked for chilli oil, but to no avail. Kindly offered sriracha or sweet chilli sauce.<br/><br/>Two of us were still hungry, but went elsewhere to fill ourselves. Not keen to return.

Great small spot for dumplings! In the heart of the Valley, there's no spot better for these gold gems. Staff were friendly and helpful, we ordered a bunch of variant dumplings as well as the lamb skewers which were amazing. All servings were cooked to order and did not have to wait long. My only minus is that it is quite a small space, I recommend calling to book ahead of time and don't rely on just walking in. Chances are that all the tables would be reserved. Would definitely come back here and try the rest of the dishes :)

I had the pleasure of joining Joe K for lunch at Fat Dumpling over the weekend.<br/><br/>When I arrived, we were two of only six customers in the restaurant and although small, the layout did not feel crowded. However, within ten minutes virtually every seat filled and then it became quite apparent that you were sitting on top of your neighbour - we were so close that I 'accidentally' answered one of their questions when they both failed to come up with an answer and were reaching for Professor Google.<br/><br/>We began with beverages, Diet Coke and a Tsing Tao for me (I was quite parched) and Green Tea for Joe.<br/><br/>Knowing that we had another lunch planned after this, I had only planned to try the Pork Xiao Long Bao, but Joe got excited and also ordered the Pan Fried Pork and Cabbage Dumplings and the Pan Fried Chicken and Asparagus Dumplings.<br/><br/>Without question, the highlight of the meal was the Pork Xiao Long Bao. They were beautifully prepared and were filled with delicious soup. These rated a 4.5.<br/><br/>The Pan Fried Dumplings were both very good, but not as good as I have had recently at Little Red Dumpling. I preferred the Pork and Cabbage to the Chicken and Asparagus, but they both rated 3.5-4.<br/><br/>I let Joe eat more of the Pan Fried Dumplings so I could save a little room for our next adventure - thanks for the sparkling conversation and for hanging in there Joe!<br/><br/>I wouldn't hesitate to return and I will look forward to trying their new location.<br/>

<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>I've been looking forward to this lunch with Meatballs And Beef Cheeks. I walk into Fat Dumpling and it is a small dimly lit restaurant with tables for 2 and 4! We are served a Coke, Tsingtao beer and green tea (for me). We order the steamed Xiao Long Bao, fried pork & cabbage dumplings and fried chicken & asparagus dumplings. <br/><br/>When the 3 serves of dumplings arrive, they look freshly made, then fried and steamed perfectly. We tried the XLBaos first, hot and thankfully not scalding, the filling tasted fresh and the broth was sweet. Excellent by Brisbane standards and rated 4.5! The fried pork and chicken dumpling fillings are fresh, tasty and pan-fried to a near golden brown. I rate them 4.0. The green tea was served in a quaint metallic tea pot and I enjoyed this hot strong brew. <br/><br/>The only downside dining here was that the tables were uncomfortably close together. Diners on either side of us could hear every word of our conversation. That said, I understand that management needs to squeeze in as many tables as possible into this small dining area. Thank you M&BC for this delicious dumpling lunch.

Came here for dinner with my wife. It gets pretty busy so I would recommend making a booking. We had the chicken dumplings,pork dumplings and pork belly which were pretty good. Price could be better and we did wait a bit but nothing hectic

Good solid option with a relaxed and very laid back atmosphere. Good service with excellent dumpling. Pork belly in sweet soy was delicious. Basic but very tasty menu. Steamed, boiled and fried options on all dumplings.

Not sure what I was expecting, but with a healthy rating and walking distance from our holiday accommodation it was worth the chance. We arrived early so there was no difficulties getting a table for 4. <br/><br/>We ordered the Soy Pork Belly, Green Beans, Xioa Long Boa and pan fried Pork, Chicken & Pork w Chives and Vegetarian dumplings. <br/><br/>We had to send back our first plate of pork dumplings because the meat came out under cooked and pink. The wait staff took it away and said they would make us a fresh batch....just as we finished all our other dishes, the replacement dumplings appeared - 5 only. The original plate came with 6! Again two of the five dumplings were undercooked and pink! So we left the two dumplings dissected on our plate, paid and left disappointed. <br/><br/><br/><br/>

Perfect dumplings, fried shallot pancakes and cucumber salad! Definitely book in advance, every time I've been here it's been full. Despite being busy, the service is always good and the food comes quickly. This is my go to place for cheap, delicious food in a happy and cosy restaurant. Plus its BYO!

Authentic dumplings. I've been here quite a bit now and haven't had a bad experience yet. Always fresh and tasty, food comes out quickly. <br/>Reasonably priced. The dessert Spring rolls are a must!

Atmosphere was nice & servers were really enthusiastic & friendly. Ordered the crystal cucumber salad & the pork Xiao long bao as they were raved on reviews. The cucumber salad was well seasoned and indeed yummy but the Xiao long bao was disappointing. Authentic Xiao long baos have a good broth...

Love this little hole in the wall, albeit a chic hole in the wall! Great dumplings and happy service. Bonus BYO which means you can bring a bottle of Moët to have with your "street food"!

I have finally found a place that has the best xiao long bao in brisbane! They are fat and so full of flavour. The service was great, the place was very clean, the dumplings we had were all so flavoursom and so well priced for the day portions. I plan to continue coming back to this place so I can try everything on the menu.

After passing this little restaurant constantly, we decided to give it a try on Friday night.<br/>It's not a big restaurant so I would definitely recommend booking a table as it can get quite busy.<br/>We ordered the braised pork belly with soy sauce, steamed chicken & asparagus dumplings, and fried pork, prawn, chicken and chives dumplings.<br/><br/>The dumplings were delicious. Full of flavor, and you could taste every single ingredient in them. But the flavors weren't overpowering each other - they just worked well together. My favorite though would have to be braised pork! Juicy, succulent, melt in the mouth amazingness. Definitely a MUST TRY!<br/>If you're in the area I highly recommend this place over the usual Harajuku Gyoza. <br/>The service is also good too :)

I can't wait to go back here! Everything we ordered was so delicious and I want to try everything else on the menu. A little bit understaffed, poor guy was running around like a maniac trying to serve and clear tables but it was entertaining

They are the best dumplings I can find in Brisbane. I wouldn't say they're the best I have ever tried in my life, but the quality is decent.<br/>If you are after some texture and stronger flavour, go for the steamed dumplings. If you want something smooth and soft, opt for the boiled dumplings. Or simply order both, cause they do come in relatively small serving (6 pieces).

The flavour of the dumplings are good however the filling taste a bit watery for both steam ones and pan fried ones. The dumplings wrapper is too thin so it breaks easily. <br/>The cucumber entree is my favourite especially on a hot day, very refreshing. The lamb skewer is nice too. I find it interesting that I love this other dishes more than their dumplings

A good place for all your dumpling requirements including Xiao long Bao and pork pan fried. The standout dish however was the cucumber salad.

I come here quite a bit actually. I have developed a love for gyoza, which in turn has lead me to all sorts of dumpling varieties. This place is a rock, it has not let me down yet. The only issue i have with this place is the size of the dining area. You are generally smooshed between people, and just makes everything a little awkward. I have had all varieties here, and must say, chicken skewars and pork xio lang bao dumplings are my top faves!! Relatively cheap to so check it out, they do takeaway also, so you dont have to remain crammed if you dont like.

My sister and I went here tonight upon recommendation from a friend. We found the service to be very lovely from start to finish! We were squeezed in without a reservation and service was prompt and polite! <br/><br/>The food was really nice and full of flavour and even though our second plate of dumplings was forgotten about until I asked, we still had a really lovely time and enjoyed the atmosphere in the restaurant! <br/><br/>I will be returning in future

The spring rolls were OK and the pork xiao long bao were good. The service was good and prompt. The place was however very loud with conversations.

Went here a while back! Lively atmosphere, especially for a friday night or weekend nights. The service was excellent, the lady (I assumed she was the boss) was so bubbly and sweet. The dumplings they offered could be cooked in different styles. I think we got steamed most of the time with some pan-fried/poached dumplings to mix it up a bit. Also tried their cumin lamb skewers which were great too and there was plenty of dumplings to share between my friend and I.  Definitely, would come back here again!

Dumplings are really tasty and the restaurant is small and cosy. I would recommend the soup dumplings and the peach spring rolls for dessert are great.

I’d been recommended to visit Fat Dumpling by a few people, Friday night, upon learning it was BYO was the night. . When we arrived they said half an hour but then seated us straight away. Service was certainly slow – they could do with an extra staff member for sure. The hilarity began when I was opening the champagne. I took the metal and foil off, ready to pop the cork but the waiter distracted me. POP!!! The cork flew straight up to the roof and ricocheted back. Suddenly the whole place wanted to chat to us.

The best dumplings in Brisbane! We are regulars and the food quality is consistently good. Love the way the owner has a good chat to us each time come. Good food and good service.

Average but not awful either. Decided to try this place after seeing some good reviews and whilst I don't agree with them having the best dumplings, they were pretty good and affordable. Staff were very friendly and were nice enough to sit us at a table even without making a booking. Their grilled dishes were amazing though and I'd happily order the lamb skewers again, great flavours and just the right amount of spice. Unfortunately the Xiao long bao's I've been craving were a bit of a disappointment. It seems as if it was frozen and overcooked during the steam process. When you taste the best (in Melbourne) nothing just seems to compare :-(. But apart from that everything else was great! Would come back again.

Fantastic dumplings. My wife & I stumbled across the Fat Dumpling & decided to have lunch there. How lucky for us...they are the best dumplings in Brisbane. Nice little place run by really nice people. We will be returning often!

Best dumplings in Brisbane. Amazing skins and wonderful flavour. Dumplings are nice and plump and lives up to their store name. <br/><br/>Peach spring rolls nothing to write home about. Two pieces of canned peach wrapped in spring roll skin with a dollop of ice cream <br/><br/>Lastly, service was surprisingly slow for a dumpling place. One hour to serve three sets of dumplings and dessert. It would have been OK if it was a Friday night date but unfortunately we had somewhere to be. <br/><br/>Either way, if you are looking for an authentic dumpling experience this is the place!

This place is awesome! Super friendly and fast service. The food was delicious and inexpensive . We will return again and again. Thanks Fat Dumpling you rock!

Amazing! MUST TRY!. Here in Brisbane on business and this was the only place I wanted to visit for dinner. Super delicious homemade fresh dumplings. Very hard to find a place that still makes such authentic Chinese dumplings either steamed/ poached or pan fried. Otherwise have a couple of beers and order some salt & pepper prawns or squid. All in all, it is a must try and the service is warm and welcoming. Will definitely go again!!

Was excited to try this place out but was disappointed with the very ordinary food this may excite some but not me.

Loved it! Friend and I had the stir fried green beans, xiao long bao, pork and prawn steamed and chicken and asparagus. All delicious! Bit different to the dumplings i'm used to in Melbourne but i'll definately be back

YUM. Popped in here for a bite before an art show, had xiao long bao, pork belly, salt and pepper squid, finishing off with the peach spring rolls. Everything was so full of flavour, the staff were lovely and attentive, definitely making this my go to for dumplings and beer. :D

Xiao long bao needs work, dumplings are good. I am very picky with dumplings. Verdict: good steamed dumplings, average xiao long bao. Xlb pastry was too thick and not soupy enough. For xlb I think bamboo basket and even new Shanghai are better. But I enjoyed the pan fried fish dumplings. Cucumber salad was also tasty and refreshing.<br/><br/>Will recommend, sans xiao long bao.

Hubby and I just moved to the area from Melbourne, where we enjoyed juicy, fresh dumplings at least once a week from any of a number of our local restaurants (your grimey tabled, grumpy staffed type variety). Fat Dumpling is definitely up there on the taste scale! Service was spot on (staff actually spoke to us, as opposed to the obligatory grunt we'd recieve in Melb). <br/><br/>Small critisism; xiao long bao could have been soup-ier. But the peach spring rolls (WHY haven't I thought of this?!) were deliscious enough to make up for it.

Sadly disappointed. We went to Fat Dumpling for lunch and were excited to try it out. We were seated very quickly, which was a great start; however, that's about the extent of the service. We were approached to take our order, but the gentleman seemed distracted before he even came to our table. He didn't write down anything we asked for. Instead, he kept looking outside at people going past the restaurant. He stopped my husband in the middle of his order, saying he would be right back. He then left the restaurant! A bit strange and a bit rude, but whatever, we were excited to give this place a try. We decided to wait for him to come back and finish the order. When he did finally come back in, he immediately seated a larger group that were waiting to be seated. No big whoop. Given how quickly he seated us, we thought it was all part of the experience. Decided to keep hanging in there while he finished with this larger group. He then proceeded to help everyone else in the restaurant except us. We never got to finish our order! We gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided to wait to see if he had somehow remembered what we wanted. As we waited, we saw him serve the entire restaurant, including taking the orders and bring the drinks out for two groups that came in after us. After 20 minutes and no service whatsoever, we left. Very disappointing, which is unfortunate because we were looking forward to trying this place out. Won't be going back after this extreme let down.

Epic Authentic Dumplings ! <br/>Well worth a try and will be back. Thankyou

Best Dumpling in Brisbane!. My family and I went to Fat Dumpling on a thursday night. After being turned off dumplings by other establishments in the Valley I was a bit apprehensive about going there, however, my faith in the dumpling industry has been restored and I have now found my favourite restaurant in Brisbane. The service was amazing - seated within seconds, drinks served within a minute, and food out within 10. All of the dumplings were incredible and the sides of beans and vegetables were the best I've had. Will 100% be back. Also, it's BYO with corkage $5. Would recommend x 1000

Well worth trying. Found this place by accident and thought I might try it for a quick lunch. The fit-out is mod-Chinese, with lots of dark wood and rough brick. I was very pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the owners (from Qingdao). I ordered the prawn and garlic chive dumplings and salt and pepper prawns. The dumplings were as good as I've had anywhere, and there were twelve fat prawns in a feather-light crisp batter. This place isn't exactly cheap, but I think the prices are very reasonable considering the quality of the food. This was a lucky find for me and I'll definitely go there again.

Great food and open late. Finally some decent food available after that critical 9pm time when most kitchens are closing. Tasty and fresh dumplings. Easy to share in a small group or couple. The fit out is cosy with warm wood tones. Nice and simple, this place should do well.

AWESOME AUTHENTIC DUMPLINGS. This is a great nook that is appealing to the eye, clean and well laid out. The food was awesome, the dumplings hand-made, (which you can really notice) and the broccoli salad was 10/10. The service was excellent. You must try it if you love Asian!

Good and worth a visit. Nice ambiance, the waitresses seemed a little disorganised (i.e. not communicating to each other) but otherwise the food was good. I'm not massive on Dumplings but my partner is Chinese and misses them and rates this place quite highly. We also had the xiao long bao which were not bad. I would suggest that you would need at least one and a half servings (at least) of the dumplings (they come in a plate of 6 which simply aren't enough). Friendly owners and staff.

DUMPLING HEAVEN!. Fresh, authentic, hand made! What more can you ask for? Pricing is decent too. Probably one of the better xiao long baos i've had in a long time and I really enjoyed the chicken and asparagus steamed dumpling. Staff and the owners are really nice :) Glad I found this place! Such a cute set up as well. I've already recommended it to my friends, and I would definitely go back again!

Great new little dumpling joint in the Valley. Didn't have any side dishes to put Soy/vinegar in which was a bit weird but the dumplings were as good as I've had in Brisbane. Decor was simple. Staff very polite and prompt. Recommend for quick bite before or after a few beers in the valley.

The Pork Belly was a very popular dish. Too bad they only had one serving left that day. My associate was also very confused when it was not served with rice. The Salt and Pepper Squid was nice. I got to try a piece, and found the batter to be light, but the squid to be a bit rubbery. My order in a dumpling place never really varies from one serving of Xiao Long Bao, and one serving of pan fried pork dumplings. While the skin was not overcooked like Dumpling Republic, I felt it could have been more thin. Indeed, I felt maybe the pan fried dumplings had a thinner skin. The soup itself was present, but lacking in quantity, but the meat was nice.  Whilst my pan fried pork dumplings came out significantly later than everything else, I thoroughly enjoyed them. The skin was thin, the bottom was really crispy, and surprisingly, there was piping hot soup inside of it. I almost got it onto the people around me by inadvertently biting into it without looking. Overall, my experience at Fat Dumpling was largely positive, despite a couple hiccups during the ordering process, and the wait for the last dish which I would attribute to the owners not being used to such a large

I'm curious to see how Fat Dumpling does in the Valley. It should be a nice place for late night drinks and food but then again, there are other similar vendors. The beers weren't the cheapest I've seen (I have expectations for cheap booze at Asian vendors) but the dumplings themselves were quite reasonable. I think we saw both the owners (a hubby and wife team?) and they were really polite so I hope they do well.

Fat Dumpling’s name reminds me of that SBS show from the late 90s/early noughties, Fat Pizza . I’m not sure Habib and Claudia McPherson’s antics was what the owners of Fat Dumpling had in mind when they went about naming their northern Chinese restaurant. But whatever, it worked. Throw in a diminutive yet refined space in the heart of Fortitude Valley (but slightly away from the riff raff) and you have a place that’s packed to the rafters even at 9PM on a Saturday night. Thankfully, Greg and I were able to squeeze into a table, but not without some curious glances from the predominantly western clientele – we were the only two Asians in the entire place. I don’t know why the chopsticks instructions are printed in Cyrillic… Pan-fried pork dumplings (six for $7.50) We ordered a few plates of dumplings to share. First up, the ubiquitous pan-fried pork dumplings. Like the restaurant’s name suggests, the dumplings here are massive in size. They were also big on flavour too – the beautifully crispy pork dumplings had a ridiculously tasty filling thanks to the generous