Ding Tele has been in the Kovan area for several years. Miss K and I have heard so much about it that we just had to check it out recently.

Their speciality dish is the shanghai sheng jian bao or pan fried dumplings. I will be honest and admit that I have no idea what is the difference between sheng jian bao, guotie and potstickers. Ding Tele however does theirs differently. The folded edges (which usually face upwards) are placed face down on the frying pan. This means that you get nicely charred golden brown folded edges with white plump bottoms.

The dumpling skins are slightly thicker compared to other joints. I guess this is because the folded seals have to be sealed completely to prevent the juices from leaking out onto the frying pan. I will hazard a guess that the skin is thicker so as to allow it to expand without bursting when the meat and soup inside warms up.

Most pan fried dumplings tend to be a tad dry so we were surprised to find the dumplings exploding with soup stock when you bite into them. Be careful though because it could easily burn your tongue! The soup stock was clear, subtly sweet and depth. This is probably the closest you can get to a deep fried xiaolongbao!

At $6.70 for 4 pieces, it may be a tad expensive but definitely worth it!