Shanghai Dumpling House

Shanghai Dumpling House: not to be confused with Shanghai House, Shanghai Noodle House, or Shanghai Inn!

This place is always full; and on weekends, expect to have to queue up to get in. I still don't really know why this place is so popular. The dumplings can be a little bit doughy, and the service speed is a bit unpredictable: sometimes you get your meals in an instant, and sometimes it's difficult to even place an order. The place is almost always completely packed, and most times you'll have to rub elbows with your neighbours, literally: if you arrive with a party of four, expect to share a table, that seats six, with a couple you've never met.

The place certainly has some character. It's run by a sweet old couple, who insist on playing some really funny music tracks. I've heard the happy birthday song being played a number of times. Everyone looks up, thinking it's somebody's birthday. But nope. Most times, they play the song just for fun.

Recommended menu items:
Mushroom and vegetarian dumplings
Mini pork buns (for those of you who are Chinese, these are really what my mum calls 'xiao long bao'... not barbecue pork buns)
Vegetarian fried noodles

Cost:
If you split your meals it works out to about A$10 per person. Pretty decent for Melbourne.