In a cozy eatery nestled close to Melbourne’s Chinatown, the art of crafting dumplings is in full swing.

This vibrant Lunar New Year celebration has attracted nearly 30 culinary enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds.

“I’ve never made dumplings before,” shared participant Gavin Rajahmoney, whose family hails from Sri Lanka.

“I’m currently learning Chinese, and my teacher invited me to join this event,” he explained.

Adam, with fond memories of his time in China, remarked, “The last time I made dumplings was about 25 years ago during my stay in China.” He traveled a considerable 70 kilometers from Geelong to attend the workshop.

The tradition of hand-rolling dumplings has deep roots in Asia, tracing back to China’s Han dynasty thousands of years ago.

The pockets of pastry symbolise prosperity and are traditionally filled with vegetables or minced meat such as pork, ginger and spices.

“Normally we start off with the dumpling skin that’ll be pre-prepared,” customer Paul Hordijenko said.

“Then we roll it out and then get some of the filling, pop it into the middle, and then we have to squeeze it together to make a seal.”

Dumpling restaurant owner Gary Zhao, 33, who came up with the idea of a make-your-own workshop several months ago, said the concept has taken off.

“The reality has shocked me. Many people from different cultures have come along and they are all very interested in this,” he said.

“Also, the customers learn very fast to make the dumplings, even faster than I can imagine, and they really enjoy it.”

Zhao grew up in China’s Guangdong province, and his family — originally from northern China — routinely prepared dumplings for meals.

After migrating to Australia in 2016, Zhao felt disappointed by the local offering.

“I really love to eat dumplings and didn’t find the ones I liked here, so I decided to start my own dumpling restaurant,” he said.

Zhao opened Hoppy Dumpling in Melbourne’s Russell Street in 2024 and will soon open a second venue in South Yarra.

Hoppy Dumpling’s menu spans pan-fried dumplings, premium steamed xiao long bao, wontons, noodles and a range of fried dishes.

Dumplings are served cooked to order, and fresh or frozen for takeaway.

However, Zhao said the workshop offered fillings beyond traditional flavours, with five pre-prepared choices.

“One traditional filling is celery and pork. But other filling flavours are Korean-style spicy kimchi with pork. There’s also a French-style chicken liver pâté, as well as chicken, cheese and corn,” he said.

“I liked the chicken and corn, it tasted really good. It was like a burst of flavour in my mouth,” customer Linisha Condisetti said.

To please the palates of a diverse range of customers, there is also a curry beef option.

“Curry beef I like but I also like all the others,” Rajahmoney said.

While new flavours are well received, many still prefer traditional fillings — with pork and celery crowned most popular.

“Some customers do prefer original Chinese style dumplings,” said Zhao.

“But Melbourne is a very diverse city with people from all over the world and we wanted to offer a fillings inspired by different cultures.”

While the choice of filling may be to personal taste, there’s one thing many agree on:

“The dumplings that you buy in a supermarket are just quick and convenient, with pretty standard taste,” Hordijenko said.

“But the ones that you make by hand, they taste much fresher.”

Hordijenko’s family migrated from Ukraine, where dumplings called varenyky are also popular. They are crescent-shaped, boiled and made from unleavened dough.

“Ukrainian dumplings are normally quite a lot bigger and the skin is thicker and sticky. And then the traditional filling that you will get inside is normally a mix of potato and cheese,” he said.

Hordijenko said he discovered more about the history of Lunar New Year celebrations during the workshop.

“Today I learned that in China, people normally put a coin inside the filling for good luck, for prosperity.”

Good fortune has certainly arrived for Zhao, who said sales have soared since he introduced the first DIY dumpling event.

“Previously, we sold about 1,000 dumplings a day. But after launching this event, now we average 2,400–2,500 dumplings a day,” he said.

“Business is getting better and better so we also plan more make-your-own dumpling events, and also hope to open even more branches.”

For many customers, making dumplings together helps to bring the family closer.

“It is a really nice activity for family bonding and a really great way to learn the art of making traditional dumplings,” Condisetti said.

Zhao can only agree.

“Gathering to make dumplings and eat dumplings — no matter the holiday and even if people are busy across the country — sharing dumplings does unite families,” he said.

“This is the food culture we really want to convey.”

This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Chinese.

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