Xi Home Dumplings Bay - Review

Inspired by Dalian, China, Xi Home Dumplings Bay is a dumpling haven on Blossom Street near Liverpool Street Station. Founded by 27-year-old Wenjun Xiang. The restaurant offers over 20 authentic, handmade dumplings, along with tea pairings, cocktails, and detox juices. Dishes are freshly prepared by selected Dalian chefs, and diners can watch the action in the glass-panelled open kitchen.

Hidden down an unsuspecting side street by Spitalfields Market, it was 1:30 PM on a Wednesday afternoon, and the place was packed. With a lively lunchtime, we were lucky enough to arrive while the owner was there. She talked us through the menu and shared the most popular options. We apologized in advance for the amount of food we were about to order, as we wanted basically everything.

Kicking things off with their signature dumplings, these Northern Chinese delights have earned their reputation as some of the best available in London. We ordered the fresh jade lobster dumplings (which we were told was a best seller), these vibrant and fresh dumplings were an absolute winning dish! The lobster inside was fresh, meaty, and very moreish.

We also ordered the mushroom dumplings, which were fresh, flavourful, and perfectly balanced between filling and casing. I'd highly recommend finishing them off with a healthy drizzle of the house chili oil if you enjoy spice.

We also ordered the Instagram-worthy ‘pork soup bun,’ which I can only describe as a giant soup dumpling that you enjoy through a straw. It sounds and looks a bit strange, but it’s so delicious — who doesn’t like trying something new?!

We followed the obligatory dumplings with a selection of items from each side of the menu. The super fresh smashed cucumber salad was crisp, crunchy, and packed with umami flavour, perfectly complementing the heavier items we ordered. The sweet and sour mushrooms had a crispy exterior with a chewy inside and a sauce that truly packs a punch. They also offer a chicken version, which they assured us is just as good as the vegan option.

The handmade cold noodles were my personal favourite; served with sesame sauce, seitan chunks, vegetables, and more chili oil, this was a truly epic version of the famous Chinese dish.

Definitely not to be forgotten were the Dan Dan noodles, featuring a spicy sauce that was another outstanding vegetarian option, bursting with flavour and fresh ingredients.

For dessert, we had the steamed sticky pumpkin cakes: little sweet patties with a crunchy crumb crust. Served as miniature cakes, these are a great sharing option when you want something sweet but can’t eat much more.

Given the monumental amount of food we ordered there was plenty of leftovers but the team gave us containers to take this all with us so there was zero waste. We also picked up a couple of jars of their ridiculously good homemade chilli oil which is honestly a reason to visit in itself.

I Would highly recommend XI Dumplings home to the Chinese food lovers out there, one of the best in London!

Opening Times: Monday to Sunday 8:30am – 10pm

Address: XI Home Dumplings: Blossom Street, London, E1 6PL

Website www.xihomedumplings.co.uk

Written by Jordan Crowley

Photography by Nyla Sammons