A small parcel with a long story
At Yuan, we love dumplings! They are delicious, fun to make and to eat, and can be paired with rich sauces that we enjoy so much.
In northern China, dumplings – jiaozi – are home food before they are restaurant food. They are made around the kitchen table, by whoever happens to be there, and eaten together while they are still hot.
That is the spirit we bring to our blue container at Alserkal Avenue: a simple dish, made by hand, meant to be shared.
Nearly two thousand years of history
Chinese tradition credits the first dumplings to Zhang Zhongjing, a physician of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25–220).
The story goes that one bitter winter he saw villagers with frostbitten ears, so he wrapped lamb and warming herbs in dough, folded it into the shape of an ear and boiled it for them.
He called them jiao’er, “tender ears”.
Whether or not the legend is exact, dumplings are truly ancient.
Archaeologists found a bowl of them, dried and preserved by the desert air, in Tang dynasty tombs (AD 618–907) at Turpan, on the Silk Road in western China.
Made by hand
A dumpling needs very little: flour and water for the dough, a filling, and a pair of hands.
- The dough. Flour and water are kneaded until smooth, then left to rest so it rolls out easily.
- The wrappers. Small pieces are rolled into discs, thinner at the edge and thicker in the middle, so the dumpling holds together when it cooks.
- The fold. A spoonful of filling goes in the centre; the disc is folded into a half-moon and the edge is pleated and pressed to seal it.
- The cooking. Boiled, steamed or pan-fried, and eaten straight away.
At Yuan, our fillings are homemade: Beef & Dill, Lamb & Carrot, Chicken & Zucchini, Egg & Zucchini, and Chinese Cabbage for vegetarians.
Each order is five pieces of one filling, with a dressing of your choice, and our dressings are amazing.
We love the Mediterranean touch of the rosemary with the elegant Spanish extra virgin olive oil; the hearty complexity of our Palestinian za’atar; the intriguing sourness of the Greek tzatziki; the bold spiciness of the Sichuan chilli oil; and the silent flavour explosion of freshly chopped coriander.
Try them all, one at a time!
Simple on purpose
Dough, a filling, a fold.
Nothing more is needed, and that simplicity leaves room for good ingredients and for the flavours of the place where you are.
And because a good dumpling deserves a good cup, ask us to pair yours with the right tea.
