Zoe serves up the spring rolls with duck at Goodenia Dumplings, Eden. Photo: Lisa Herbert.
Goodenia Dumplings, Eden, is what you might call a dumpling house, high on the main street of the Bega Valley’s southern-most township.
It boasts a simple, stylish interior with beautiful spherical windows, a pretty impressive wine list, including plenty of wine by the glass, and, an extensive plump-dumpling laden menu – steamed, fried, pan-fried and sesame seed sprinkled.
There’s also gyoza, wonton soup, dry noodles and even dessert choices of steamed buns or fried mantou.
And there are helpful staff to guide you.
If you love dumplings (who doesn’t?), there is a lot to choose from with a menu that includes steamed and fried dumplings and buns, classic dim sum, steamed rice noodle wrap, gyoza, dumplings of crab, scallop, pork, mushroom, vegetables, fried shallot pancake, bean curd rolls and noodle dishes with wontons or scallion.
I ordered enough for two so I could take away my dinner (yes, I could eat dumplings for three meals a day), and enjoyed my wait with jasmine tea and prawn crackers.
A star anise broth laden with chicken wontons arrives at the table. Photo: Lisa Herbert.
The little order forms set on each table, required to make your order, reminded me of yum cha brunches past, in the large Chinese restaurants of Sydney’s Chinatown.
I believe dumplings are made to be shared. My server on the Wednesday I visited was a delightful Cantonese woman, Emily, who told me a little about the cultural beliefs around the sharing of food.
She said that sharing food in China was an expression of love. Sharing meals together was an important part of family life, where a parent would bring food to the family table that was nutritious, beloved and an alternative to children having to eat out too often.
She also said some of the beauty of yum cha trolley service was the sense that you were shopping and choosing from the trolleys.
“We are not quite busy enough to offer this yet, although over summer we had to open up the back of the restaurant,” she said.
The stacked steamers arrived and the dishes I ordered were all between $9 and $15, with 2-3 pieces each. I chose prawn and spinach gow gee, fried duck spring rolls, steamed scallop and chive siu mai, steamed chicken dim sim, and wonton soup that held six plump chicken wonton.
Mixing up the steamed dumplings and siu mai with a crispy duck spring roll, plenty of crispy chilli oil and soy as the sun streamed in the large round windows and chatting to the lovely wait staff was a delight.
The dim sim were salty and unctuous, the delicate crunch of the duck spring rolls extremely morish, and after adding a little soy to the fragrant anise soup broth, I enjoyed the bowl with its many wontons. My favourite was, and possibly always will be the prawn gow gee, but the scallop topped siu mai were also tasty.
I couldn’t justify dessert on the day, but will return with some help from my friends soon. Goodenia Dumplings is a perfect winter retreat from the coast’s southerly winds.
Goodenia Dumplings, Eden is welcoming, with an extensive dumpling laden menu. Photo: Lisa Herbert.
If you feel like sharing some love with your friends and close ones, book a table at Goodenia and indulge yourselves. Or, indulge yourself, although as Emily says: “Many customers order dumplings for themselves, but in China we always share dishes …
“Sharing everything together, even with your different preferences, that’s fine, you get to share and try everything. Sharing with family or friends is a manifestation of sharing love.
“If you do come for yum cha here you can order lots and try everything; please do come, share and talk about the food. Life is about love.”
Goodenia has a sister restaurant in Merimbula, housed in the lakeside resort Robin’s Nest, which also holds the company’s fine-dining restaurant.
Goodenia Dumplings, Eden is at 195 Imlay Street, Eden. Open for lunch and dinner every day. (Check public holiday hours.)
Goodenia Restaurant and Bar is at 110 Lakeside Drive, Merimbula. Open Tuesday to Sunday 5:30 to 8:30 pm and from 11:30 am Friday, Saturday, Sunday. (Check public holiday hours)
