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Well Lunar New Year is upon us and I could think of no better way of celebrating than to hit-up one of my favourite Chinatown eateries, Mother’s Dumplings. Now, this place isn’t exactly a secret – from what I can tell it has a pretty solid reputation for deliciousness – but for those readers of mine who haven’t frequented it’s greatness, I offer a bit of info about what to expect and perhaps I’ll get those glands salivating a little in the meantime.

The restaurant used to be a little hole-in-the-wall and it was tough to get a table without a good wait. Not anymore! The location just south of College on Spadina (east side) now features about 25 tables and we got a table for two on Saturday at 1pm without a wait. You can also count on some complimentary jasmine green tea as you are seated.

Pork & Dill Dumplings — boiled

These Pork & Dill dumplings were wonderful. $6.10 for 12 dumplings.

These are my go-to favourite dumplings. Although I generally prefer steamed dumplings, my weakness for dill goes a long way and brings this selection out on top. However, if you hate dill, or are even impartial, these just might be a bit too DILLicious for you (Doritos, don’t sue me).

Beef & Chive Dumplings — steamed

Usually a sucker for anything steamed, I was a bit disappointed with these Beef & Chive Dumplings. $6.25 for 10 dumplings.

This was my first rendezvous with this selection and it’s one I won’t be partaking in again. I found these a bit salty and generally just lacking in flavor and texture when compared to the other items.

Pork & Bokchoi Dumplings — pan-fried

Grease is good – these yummy dumplings were $6.95 for 10 dumplings.

The only pan-fried dumplings we ordered, this was the favourite of my dining partner. These were well-seasoned and offered a more subtle and interesting taste than the Beef & Chive dumpling. I’d definitely order these ones again.

Green Onion Pancake

This pancake will cost ya $3.55 — a good deal.

I’m a sucker for anything full of carbs (perhaps explains my dumpling love) and so it would be hard to disappoint with a menu item made predominantly of flour and then fried (although I have experienced this at one particularly bad Korean restaurant). In this case, I was not disappointed.

All this greatness for a bill that came to $30.36 (check out the menu here). Not a bad deal and one worth making again. What about you? Do you have a place in Chinatown that cannot be missed? Tell me and I will go – in the name of “work” of course.