I COULD stand staring in the window of Braddon’s Yat Bun Tong Dumpling House and watch delicate dumplings being made for hours.

I wouldn’t have the patience to fuss filling thinly rolled, tiny pieces of dough and then tenderly sealing the edges of each dumpling by pressing or crimping, but am glad the staff do.

Yat Bun Tong opened about three months ago on Lonsdale Street and we dashed over for lunch on the recommendation of a foodie friend.

The menu is a veritable encyclopedia of Chinese dishes, complete with photos. One photo of dumplings neatly arranged in a bamboo steamer – a combination of chicken, beef and vegetables in three colours (natural, green and orange) – caught our eye so we selected that to start ($14.80 for 12).

Sizzling squid in XO sauce ($19.80) was our next choice and then deep-fried pork chops with spicy peppery salt ($16.80) and Chinese broccoli with ginger shallot (also comes with garlic, $14.80).

The first dish arrived with lightning speed. We were surprised it was the squid. It was obvious the dumplings were the way to begin lunch so asked staff to hold back on the other mains until we caught up. The dumplings were as fresh as and all the more tasty when dipped into the selection of sauces sitting on the table.

The squid missed the mark. It was thickly cut, tough and rubbery. Management didn’t disagree when we asked for the dish to be exchanged. They handled our concern well, even offering a refund if we’d prefer.

Lunch ramped up several notches when we got stuck into the pork chops. They were sensational. The meat was tender and the spicy peppery salt just as it promised to be. We substituted the squid with kung po plump prawns ($19.80), served with crunchy cashews, vegetables and more chilli. And to inject more vitamins into our system, we munched on the crispy, bright green broccoli.

The décor at Yat Bun Tong Dumpling House is warm and inviting. The space is large, with wood a predominant design feature. The tables are deep and wide, to accommodate the sharing of dishes, but the chairs exceptionally low and uncomfortable for eating (especially for the vertically challenged like me). Our glass table top needed a good clean – it was streaky and sticky.

The service at Yat Bun Tong was friendly and while staff seem keen to please, the service needs fine tuning. We waited too long for our bill and had to flag someone down so we could head off for the rest of the afternoon. It was strange given that we arrived towards the tail end of lunch when the place was far from packed out.

Yat Bun Tong, Lonsdale Street, Braddon. Licensed and BYO. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Call 6152 0880.