Zi Lin Steamed Dumpling, or 頂好紫琳蒸餃館 as it is known in Taiwan, is an absolute delight for any dumpling lover. It is not a tourist place, but rather a local favourite that has been serving up mouth-watering dumplings for over 20 years.
Upon reaching the place, you can smell the fragrant aroma of freshly steamed dumplings. As I am walking the place, I was very impressed by their commitment to making everything by hand. From the dough to the filling, every component of their dumplings is crafted with care and precision.
They have quite an extensive of dishes but I will only be reviewing some of the dishes only.
The Ordered List:
Steam pork dumplings (鲜肉蒸饺， NTD105, $4.50SGD): These are their signature dumplings which come in 10 pieces.
At first, the skin looks thick and rough but once you bite it was thin and chewy, with the broth bursting with flavours in your mouth. The filling ratio was 8:2, with 8 being the pork and 2 being the combination of chives and cabbages. Very meaty flavour type of dumpling. In fact too overpowering.
Pan Fried Dumpling (锅贴 80NTD, $4SGD): Same with the steamed pork dumplings, it comes with 10 pieces too. The top of the skin is soft and chewy while the bottom is crispy with a satisfying crunch. The filling is also the same as the steamed version however the taste is more balanced compared to it.
Wonton Noodles (馄饨面 85NTD, $4.2SGD): A very bowl of noodles, the serving size is like for 2 persons. The noodles are handmade which use the same dough as the dumplings, chewy and firm. Wonton wise is the same fillings from the dumpling but with wanton skin, no surprises. The soup was rather bland.
Egg Flower Soup (蛋花汤 35NTD, $1.7SGD): The egg was well cooked but the soup base is the same as the wonton noodles
Thoughts
As a tourist, it is always an exciting experience to try the food in the local's hotspot eatery. The dumplings are good, especially the pan-fried ones. The soup can be improved as it was too bland and eating the wonton noodle can be quite repetitive with the dumplings as they both used the same ingredients. They do have other noodles dishes such as beef or mutton noodles, which I think would be more compatible with it.
Overall, it is a better-than-average place for lunch and dinner for dropping by if you are nearby.
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5 forks
Location:
Address: 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District, Section 4, Zhongxiao E Rd, 97號B1樓
This place is quite hard to find. Upon alighting Zhongxiao Fuxing station head to Exit 11 you will find this building around the area
Walk towards the staircase to B1 and you will find the store
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