The best dumplings in Sydney are found in Ashfield

I love Chinese dumplings-the boiled, steamed, deep-fried and pan-fried. Dumpling is carb, protein and fiber in one perfect little parcel. While I have been to many restaurants that charge big bucks for mediocre Chinese dumplings, there is one place that I can't stop going back to, for both culinary and economic reasons-the dumplings there are addictive, to say the least, and the price tag is negligible compared to the quality and quantity you are getting. And no, the place is not some fancy well-decorated restaurant in the City, it is a small and humble diner on the main drag in Ashfield (for those international readers, it is a suburb in Sydney). Don't be put off by its idiotically generic name: "Chinese Dumpling Restaurant" (located at 355 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield, Sydney), as most Chinese restaurant owners seem to be too busy cooking to care about the name of their restaurant. The regulars are certainly not put off by the name at all, as the tiny diner is always packed to the ceiling everytime I am there. The food is deceivingly good, especially given the price. For AUD$7.5, you get 16 boiled home-made dumplings, and for AUD$8.5, you get 12 pan-fried dumplings. I always go straight to the pan-fried ones, as the crispy bottom, perfectly-steamed top and juicy filling always get the better of me. 10 seconds later, I find myself having wolfed down a dozen dumplings and wanting more. Luckily, there is always plenty of dumpling vinegar to keep my digestive system going! BRING ON ANOTHER DOZEN, I SAY!