Cheap Eats Auckland CBD: Nice Dumpling
My previously regarded cheapness, coupled with a desire to continue content on my blog has given birth to The Student's Guide to Even Cheaper Eats, in which I endeavour to satisfy my tastebuds and stomach during my schooling years in Auckland CBD with a meal on no more than $5 a week.
NICE DUMPLING
This week I've carried over last week's $1.2 to total a very generous $6.20 budget, traipsing the area accompanied by Sister #2 for a good solid meal with the minimal student wallet. We settled upon a small but promising store directly adjacent to No. 1 Pancake, a small shop called Nice Dumpling that offers a limited, but dirt-cheap menu. The impressive crowd from previous wanderings made it a promising destination and a definite must-try on any Cheap Eats list, and with a companion to aid my cheapist adventures, my sister and I took advantage of the deals to try a range from the menu.
MENU AND ORDER
The prices centre around $5, which can buy 3 steamed buns, 10 pan-fried or steamed dumplings, or 6 small pan-fried buns. Without any ideas of what to expect, we opted for one barbecue pork, one vegetable, and one red-bean steamed bun, and 10 dumplings topped with vinegar (soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, and hot chilli sauce also available). As the food was already cooked and required only packaging into boxes, the exchange, including lining up, ordering, and paying, took a mere couple of minutes. We suspect that steamed dumplings take longer, as they were not available on the counter. Disposable utensils were on the table for self-serve, so we picked up a couple of pairs of chopsticks and were in and out before an order of pancakes next door was complete.
PRICE
$10 for two means $5 each... just within budget, but definitely not complaining!
FOOD
The dumplings were dissected for maximum observation of filling-to-skin ratio. First glances were not good, as the skin was thicker than what my sister and I prefer, but it turned a surprise to eat and discover that the balance was actually perfectly fine. The skin dulled the sharpness from the vinegar and kept the entire thing packaged together without falling apart after one bite. A good deal, most definitely.
The steamed buns were another shocker. These things were huge in size, about 11-12cm in diameter and very plump. The fillings, however, were very meagre, though while I would have liked to see more stuff inside the bun the size and price are nothing to complain over - one bun is $2, and we agreed that one of us would have survived on two of the monstrous servings. The bread itself is fine, as it's hot, fluffy, and with some flavour already, so while it's not overall unpleasant, it would still have been nice to see a little more filling.
FILLING-NESS
If the mention that there are leftovers does not indicate the filling-ness of the meal, it's difficult to describe in words.
FINAL RATING
13/23, lower for some lack of filling, but a good deal for the size, time, and simplicity. I would likely eat it again, if I had little time and very few coins.
MENU AND ORDER
The prices centre around $5, which can buy 3 steamed buns, 10 pan-fried or steamed dumplings, or 6 small pan-fried buns. Without any ideas of what to expect, we opted for one barbecue pork, one vegetable, and one red-bean steamed bun, and 10 dumplings topped with vinegar (soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, and hot chilli sauce also available). As the food was already cooked and required only packaging into boxes, the exchange, including lining up, ordering, and paying, took a mere couple of minutes. We suspect that steamed dumplings take longer, as they were not available on the counter. Disposable utensils were on the table for self-serve, so we picked up a couple of pairs of chopsticks and were in and out before an order of pancakes next door was complete.
PRICE
$10 for two means $5 each... just within budget, but definitely not complaining!
FOOD
The dumplings were dissected for maximum observation of filling-to-skin ratio. First glances were not good, as the skin was thicker than what my sister and I prefer, but it turned a surprise to eat and discover that the balance was actually perfectly fine. The skin dulled the sharpness from the vinegar and kept the entire thing packaged together without falling apart after one bite. A good deal, most definitely.
The steamed buns were another shocker. These things were huge in size, about 11-12cm in diameter and very plump. The fillings, however, were very meagre, though while I would have liked to see more stuff inside the bun the size and price are nothing to complain over - one bun is $2, and we agreed that one of us would have survived on two of the monstrous servings. The bread itself is fine, as it's hot, fluffy, and with some flavour already, so while it's not overall unpleasant, it would still have been nice to see a little more filling.
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| Very reasonable bun size |
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| Relatively skimpy fillings |
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| Vegetable bun had cabbage, egg, and some sort of noodles, and more decently-filled |
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| Red bean bun had the least filling, likely as red beans are expensive |
FILLING-NESS
If the mention that there are leftovers does not indicate the filling-ness of the meal, it's difficult to describe in words.
FINAL RATING
13/23, lower for some lack of filling, but a good deal for the size, time, and simplicity. I would likely eat it again, if I had little time and very few coins.
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