There’s just something about walking into a restaurant and amidst the buzz of ordering and familiar kitchen sounds, seeing those amazing bamboo steamers leaving the kitchen in a mist of steam and wonder. At Jing Ding Steamed Dumplings you are going to get delicious steamed dumplings, but you’re also going to get a whole host of other great dishes, paired with efficient service. But it wouldn’t be right to talk about Taipei dumplings restaurants and not mention the amazing Xiao Long Bao Steamed Soup Dumplings that make this place amazing to live.
In the North East of Taipei Jing Ding Steamed Dumplings restaurant is tucked away in an assuming back street not far from Taipei Arena, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and Chang Gung Hospital. The area is blessed with good food, but Jing Ding Steamed Dumplings stands out to me as one of the best options for a delicious steamed dumplings in the area.
Popular with Taiwanese, Jing Ding Steamed Dumplings not only focuses on their yummy steamed dumplings, but they are also very well known for their beef noodle soup, their stir-fried dishes, their soups, and their noodle and rice dishes.
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The restaurant isn’t going to win any innovative decoration prizes, but it doesn’t seem concerned about that. It seems like Jing Ding are more focused on turning out great food in the area.
If you aren’t sure how to order or what to do when you arrive at Jing Ding Steamed Dumplings, then this is the post for you. See below for How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
The Menu at Jing Ding Steamed Dumplings
The menu is pretty big and somewhat overwhelming. Here are some elements that you might find important from the menu:
- Pork
- 豬肉 zhū ròu
- Chicken
- 雞肉 jī ròu
- Beef
- 牛肉 niú ròu
- Stir-Fried
- 炒 chǎo
- Soup
- 湯 tāng
- Noodles
- 麵 miàn
- Rice
- 飯 fàn
- Steamed Soup Dumplings
- 小籠包 xiǎo lóng bāo
- Steamed Dumplings
- 蒸餃 zhēng jiǎo
What We Ordered
Glutinous Rice Shao Mai/Shumai 糯米燒賣
I wouldn't say that I am keen aficionado of Shao Mai/Shumai, but this time we thought we should give them a go. When they arrived in that characteristic bamboo steamer at the table, I was pleasantly surprised to see delightfully pleated steamed Shao Mai/Shumai with that glutinous rice on top. Underneath the glutinous rice there's some pork filling, too. The skin on Shao Mai/Shumai tends to be slightly thicker than that of a normal steamed soup dumpling, which gives it the feeling of being slightly less refined.
The texture of the soft rice with the soft meat and the chewy dumpling skin made these feel a little mushy, and the actual flavours coming through were more on the heavy side than refined.
Pork & Veg Steamed Dumplings 菜肉蒸餃
A generous filling of pork filling that has been mixed with vegetables in these identically-pleated steamed dumplings is what you're going to get here. Everything is well seasoned and nicely balanced. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here just for these, but I would order them again if I am feeling hungry.
Oolong Tea Flavoured Steamed Soup Dumplings 烏龍茶小籠包
These oolong tea flavoured steamed soup dumplings were what I was really excited to come back to Jing Ding Steamed Dumplings for. Oftentimes a steamed dumplings restaurant such as the legendary Din Tai Fung have their house special, and it tends to be a pork mix with a precision-pleated dumpling and a perfectly weighted ratio of meat to dumpling skin.
But what I really like about 京鼎小館 is that this bamboo steamer full of steamed dumplings breaks the general mould that we have come to expect around Taipei. By adding oolong tea to the mix, they have created a refreshing steamed dumpling that adds so much more to what you have had so far in your steamed dumplings journey around Taipei.
As you break the delicately thin dumpling skin and allow the soup to ooze out, you'll get a refreshing oolong tea infused pork broth on your spoon. The oolong tea flavour really comes through and can be tasted clearly with the pork broth in every single dumpling, which is astounding. The characteristic flavours of oolong tea come through - floral, fruity, creamy, nutty, toasty, and sometimes earthy notes. The great thing about oolong tea is that when it first hits your tongue you get one flavour, that then washes into another, that then hits the back of your throat and generates yet another flavour profile.
These oolong tea steamed soup dumplings are well worth your time!
Spicy Wontons 紅油抄手
I like spicy wontons a lot. I especially like the spicy chilli oil that Din Tai Fung uses in their spicy wontons as it brings a fragrant smoky flavour that rivals anywhere else I have eaten them. These ones at Jing Ding Steamed Dumplings are good, but are they enough to sway me away from Din Tai Fung?
The skin is nicely thin yet still chewy, and the contents are a mix of veg and pork that is higher on the veg ratio than it is on the pork. That results in a refreshing wonton, but I think the spicy chilli oil/sauce isn't quite what I expect from spicy wontons. The smokey chilli flavour is missing, and the spiciness isn't really there. However, the wontons themselves are really good.
The Ultimate Guide to 15 Amazing Xiao Long Bao Restaurants in Taipei
Egg Fried Rice W/ Pork Chop 排骨蛋炒飯
Egg fried rice is one of my favourite fried rice variations. It's simple, but it's often fragrant because of the egg and green/spring onions used in the cooking process. It isn't overcomplicated or imbalanced by salty pork or chunks of other bits. Take that fragrant egg fried rice and then slap a fried pork chop on top, and I'm a happy man, indeed.
The egg fried rice here seems to have quite a high egg content, evidenced through the bright yellow colour of the rice. 京鼎小館 use white rice for their fried rice, and this particular bowl was on the softer side of fried rice. If I have the choice, I often opt for a brown rice fried rice in order to more easily maintain that harder rice texture. That may well be a personal preference, though.
The fried pork chop here was really nicely seasoned and overall tasty, albeit more on the dry side of juicy. Compared to the offering from Din Tai Fung, I'd say that I prefer the flavour of this one, but Din Tai Fung win on succulence.
Braised Belly Pork 東坡肉
Having not eaten this in such a long time, I thought it was about time to give it another go. When I first tried this kind of big slab of fatty belly pork, I really struggled with that layer of fatty skin on the top. I really enjoy belly pork and everything it offers, but there was something in it when I first tried it that I just couldn't get on board with - the texture.
The texture still remained with this fatty piece of belly pork, but I think the way this particular one was cooked sat that little bit better with me. It was succulent, it was juicy, and really every mouthful punched flavour. The flavours are all pretty salty and dense on this, but taking a bite of this fatty belly pork and eating it with some rice really was good.
Stir-Fried Cabbage 炒高麗菜
There's not a whole lot I can say about stir-fried cabbage. It was green, it was healthy, and I liked it.
Fresh Date Steamed Dumplings (Sweet) 棗泥小包
Oftentimes you see a bamboo steamer and think pork dumplings, steamed soup dumplings, or occasionally you might think about steamed buns like char su buns or even shao mai/shumai. But seldom may you think that inside of these little pleated parcels is a mouthful of deliciously sweet dessert.
Inside these sweet steamed dumplings is a date paste that is smokey, rich, earthy, and deliciously sweet. It tastes a lot like a mix between a candied date and a fresh date (jujube). I really like them, and I will order them every time I see them on a menu. They are a great way to end a meal, in my opinion.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? Yes, Jing Ding Steamed Dumplings is a great option if you're in the area.
What is the best dish? The most interesting dish is the oolong tea flavoured steamed soup dumplings. You should definitely get those if you go to 京鼎小館.
Are there other places like this? There are plenty of steamed soup dumplings restaurants around the city. I still think that the best is Din Tai Fung, but you can take a look at this post entitled The Ultimate Guide to 15 Amazing Xiao Long Bao Restaurants in Taipei for more information on alternatives.
We were so pleased to be able to share your latest meal at this restaurant during our visit to Taipei. I’ve been waiting for the updated blog post ever since!! Really loved the oolong club, the date ones, the wontons, and that belly pork was outrageously fabulous! Everything was really!!!!
It was our pleasure! lots of fun + and delicious food = happy times