Missy K

LOCATION
On Fitzroy Street in Surry Hills. 10 minute cab from the CBD or take a bus to Taylor Square and it is a 5 minute walk.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Missy K already has a loyal following of dumpling addicts. We visit on what I thought would have been a quiet Tuesday night. As we walk up Fitzroy Street, past Vietnamese favourite’s, Cochin and Non La, Missy K is packed. Lucky to get a table, we watch as takeaway orders whip past us faster than the two female waitresses can handle. But despite the apparent popularity of the place, the wait for food isn’t long and when it arrives, it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

The interior of Missy K is like a tiny jewel box, scattered with trinkets and colourful teapots. In one corner, a huge basket is filled with traditional rice-picking hats while black bamboo sticks and tea light candles line the bright red walls. The main attraction, however, is the open wooden counter where dozens of dumplings are kept warm in huge bamboo steamers. Diners watch as the heat evaporates into the air, letting the lure of the fragrant pork and chive filling ooze through the restaurant space. It makes it criminal not to order dumplings.

The menu is written in chalkboard at the entrance of the restaurant. Among the appetisers, the Peking duck pancakes stands out, with lashings of moist duck proudly sitting inside the thin pancake. The hoisin sauce is not too sweet however the cucumber and shallots are a little too chunky for the delicate entree. The drunken noodles are rich with chilli and bamboo shoots, served with a wedge of lime for an acidic counterpoint, while crunchy bean sprouts add a freshness to the dish. However, as Kim, the owner and head Chef at Missy K explains, it is the dumplings that are the major draw-card here. Pork and coriander, fish, vegetarian, beef and leek, lamb and onion, chicken and shitake, prawn or pan-fried, these babies come in every shape and form.

Anna Lisle