Lunch Hour: May’s Dumplings
This Lunch Hour, we discover the hidden yet delicious May’s Dumplings off Pulteney Street.
Let me tell you a story about heartbreak.
A trusted foodie friend recommended Dumpling City on Field Street to me, and I ventured there with my mum for the first time in April 2023. Well, I fell in love.
Dumpling City was best known for its fried dumplings, which were made with a dumpling skirt (a thin, crisp layer attached to several dumplings when pan-fried in a specific way). This made them supremely crunchy, yet the pork filling was juicy and flavoursome. I’d boast about it to friends, explaining how I’d found the best dumpling spot in Adelaide, and dream of its crispy skirt until the next time we met.
One day, my boyfriend and I had made plans to venture to Dumpling City on a Friday night after work, which was nothing out of the ordinary for us. It wasn’t until we walked onto Field Street and noticed the place had shut down. For good.
To say I was heartbroken was an understatement. I was shattered. I longed for these dumplings – no, I yearned for these dumplings.
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Get a look at this. This picture: Claudia Dichiera.
So, for Lunch Hour this fortnight and in honour of the late Dumpling City (a heartbreak I’m yet to recover from), I ventured to May’s Dumplings. Now I must preface by saying, this is not a direct replacement of my beloved Dumpling City (nothing ever will be).
But for a quick, affordable, here-for-a-good-time-not-a-long-time type spot, you could do far worse.
There are three reasons why I now love May’s Dumplings:
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Firstly, May’s has attitude (in a good way, of course).
Its exterior mirrors a fast-food chain set up like Maccas with red and yellow walls and branding. There are May’s Dumplings-branded tents keeping patrons safe from rain inside Renaissance Arcade. But its location means it’s tucked away – it’s the type of place you can come to when you want to sit and not talk to anyone (or hide from someone you’re trying to avoid).
On the attitude front, the menu flickered on screens behind the counter at a quick pace. It was a somewhat complicated menu too, having to decide between a dumpling filling, the way you want it cooked and the combo you’d like.
I ended up with combo number three, which includes six pan-fried dumplings, hot chips and original chicken wings, on the recommendation of the person behind the counter. This leads me to reason number two.
Great customer service (he was so sweet!). Dressed in a button shirt, suit pants, polished shoes and a tie, he talked through the menu with patience and gave us his top picks.
Thirdly, this was the perfect portion size, and I didn’t leave with that sick feeling in my gut that often comes from eating fried chicken and hot chips. It was fresh, and the dumplings tasted like they’d been hand-made a mere hours before service – and they are, in the kitchen behind the counter.
I’d strongly recommend you hit up May’s Dumplings on your next Lunch Hour (and if anyone, anywhere, knows wtf happened to Dumpling City or where I can find them again, please let me know).
May’s Dumplings is located at 21 Pulteney Street, Adelaide and is open from Monday to Friday from 9am until 8pm, and Saturday from 11am until 8pm.
Connect with the business on Instagram for more.