Meet ShanDong MaMa.

We were looking for a place with dumplings. A friend of Rajiv, Michael, recommended the MaMa, and reserved a table for us there though another friend.

So we took a taxi and got off in the CBD, the central business district, as Aussies call their downtowns.

We were looking for it in a rather unspectacular shopping arcade. Nothing you would have walked into.

The MaMa herself, our incredibly young looking host called Meiyan Wang, worked in China as an accountant for over 40 years, than retired, packed up, set sail for Melbourne and has been serving the city her incredible dumplings ever since.

Steamed or pan fried, with numerous inventive fillings, they are all hand made and with love.

We had a table full of food. Zucchini or Scallion pancakes, soy beans, salads, noodles… all inspired by the recipes of the Shandong province.

We also met her daughter and talked about recipes, especially the newly invented soy bean seasoning…

They recently won the Time Out Food Awards 2013 in the ‘Best Bang for Buck’ category.

We will be back. Mama promised us to make something special if we let her know we’re coming.