Never heard of cheeseburger dumplings? Nor have we – until we saw it on the menu at Dirty Bones Soho. Based on the concept of comfort food inspired by New York City, Dirty Bones serves up classic American dishes. Think fried chicken and waffles, mac and cheese, barbecue ribs and oversized bacon cheeseburger.
What caught our attention was their bold take on Japanese and American soul food. This is because, cheeseburger dumplings just aren’t something you’d expect to find in any restaurants; not even fusion.
The majority of the population would have a strong image of what a delicious chubby dumpling should taste like or at least what they’d expect from a burger. With this in mind, most restauranteurs would stay away from a weird combination like this.
Ordered out of curiosity with an expectation of the dish to be an absolute mismatch of flavours, we were left impressed. Unlike the gimmicky sides you’ll find at some restaurants, cheeseburger dumplings from Dirty Bones Soho are definitely worth a try.
Cheeseburger Dumplings at Dirty Bones Soho
The fillings, made up of minced beef and melted cheese, are tucked inside Japanese thin gyoza wrappers. Panfried, the cheeseburger dumplings are served with Dirty Bones’ signature burger sauce and a handful of scallions scattered on top.
Dunk a dumpling in the burger sauce, and then take a bite. The little cheeseburger potstickers are cooked to perfection. Each one of them retains the juiciness without causing the meat to become too firm. Lightly seasoned to bring out the meaty flavours. Meanwhile, the burger sauce acts as a replacement for traditional soy sauce and adds some tang.
Dirty Bones redefines both dishes and opens up more potentials for creative fusion dishes. In fact, this isn’t a new dish on the menu, it’s been on their menu since 2017. Currently, there are four branches of the restaurant chain in London.
The unholy marriage between cheeseburger and dumplings probably won’t please the purists but are sure to leave a lasting impression of satiable flavours.
Dirty Bones Soho
NYC-inspired comfort food & cocktails
14 Denman Street, London, W1D 7HJ
Website
Looking for traditional dumplings? Check out our Q&A with Chantel Yeung, who makes delicious bitesize snacks.
