Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside – the Q-textured water dumplings of Taichung

Text and photos by /San Gao Eats China

For our two-day, one-night hot spring trip, since we planned not to go out again after arriving at Fresh Spring Hot Springs up Dashan Mountain, we decided to stock up on dinner food before checking in. Girl J said she wanted to eat Matsamura Smoked Flavors (how many times have we had that now?), while I remembered hearing that the water dumplings on Dadun 11th Street were pretty good. So after finishing our meal at Fasen, we headed to the water dumpling shop, Matsamura, and Ballet Bakery.

When we arrived, the first batch of the afternoon was just about to come off the pan. Friends who love water dumplings might often try different places—I do like them, but I’m not obsessed. Most specialty shops (or stalls) I’ve been to in the past only sell them in the morning, and the taste can vary quite a bit. This stall only starts selling in the afternoon tea time. It seemed like they used quite a lot of oil; besides frying both sides, the edges were also slightly pan-fried.

There were no bamboo shoots available that day, so I got shredded radish, napa cabbage, and chives. Each dumpling was individually wrapped in a small paper bag, not all lumped together in one bag. If you want it spicy, they’ll inject sweet chili sauce into the dumpling using the nozzle of the bottle. The moment you get your hands on them, the aroma is simply irresistible.

I had said I’d save them for dinner, but I ended up eating half of them in the afternoon... (because they’re best when hot!) When I opened the paper bag, I found they weren’t nearly as oily as I’d imagined—very clean-looking. The surface looks a little different from the usual water dumplings, more like the texture you get when the wrapper is lightly fried. They’re super fragrant and Q-textured when you bite into them~

The wrapper isn’t super thin, but it’s also not as thick as some water dumplings where you mostly taste the dough. Mainly, it’s that Q-chewy texture that I really love. Even when they cool down a bit, they still taste great, and they’re not greasy. The napa cabbage filling is generous, with large, crisp pieces (but not overly rough or hard), and there’s just the right amount of sweetness.

I’d never had shredded radish flavor water dumplings before. They’re shaped a bit long, and the radish shreds inside are actually crispy and fine-cut too.

Besides the radish shreds, they also added some fried tofu, cilantro, and other ingredients, plus a bit of sweet chili sauce. The flavor is actually quite rich—surprisingly delicious.

The chive and vermicelli ones are also fantastic. As the saying goes, “January is for scallions, February is for chives,” so it’s about the right season. The chives are fragrant and tender. I didn’t expect that all three flavors of water dumplings at this stall would be to my liking—definitely ones I’d want to eat again.

Speaking of which, the Matsamura Smoked Flavors I bought this time in Taichung felt different from previous impressions. In the past, the ones I got in Tainan always had a smokiness that felt a bit too strong. But this time, with the chicken leg, fish cake, and tofu skin, the smoky flavor felt just right, and I could also better appreciate the sweetness.

Later, I figured it must be the difference in items. For example, the duck feet had the same strong smokiness as I remembered. I also bought spicy duck tongue, which I hadn’t tried before. The flavor was pretty good—not just spicy, but also fragrant, and the texture wasn’t dry or tough.

Dadun 11th Street Water Dumplings
Address: No. 152, Dadun 11th Street, Nantun District, Taichung City
Business Hours: 2:00 PM ~ sold out (closed on Sundays)

Matsamura Smoked Flavors (Taichung Store)
Address: No. 163, Section 3, Dongxing Road, Nantun District, Taichung City
Phone: 04-23203329
Business Hours: 12:00 PM ~ 9:00 PM

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