Chinese Stuffed Dumplings. These are the true stars of the Chinese restaurant Hua Long Zhai, located in the Vršovice district of Prague. Just like at another Chinese restaurant, Chi Xiao Mian, you won’t find “Five-Spice Chicken” or “fragrant, tender duck” here. The specialty of this Chinese restaurant is their dumplings, stuffed with pork, beef, chicken, or tofu. Their flavor here is brought to perfection.
The famous dumplings are, of course, made in-house. The filling is delicately seasoned, portions are generous, and prices are reasonable — for example, 12 large dumplings with pork and onion cost 178 CZK (7 EUR). You also get unlimited freshly brewed green tea at no extra charge.
The demand for these dumplings is so great that the restaurant also sells frozen dumplings, and people take advantage of this option often (another place where you can buy frozen Chinese stuffed dumplings is the Tamda supermarket in the Sapa Prague marketplace, though those are certainly not handmade in small batches). The price for frozen dumplings is lower, and preparing them at home is simple (all you need is a pot with a steamer basket).
The restaurant’s premises are not large, the furniture is traditional and not especially modern, so it’s probably not the place for a first date (unless you’re a sinologist). However, any lack of fancy décor is more than made up for by the incredibly charismatic owner, who is also the chef. She greets guests, seats them, and helps with menu choices. While her Czech isn’t fluent, her willingness to help, honest answers, and the optimism she radiates are truly remarkable.
The walls are decorated with press clippings and photos from her athletic past in kung-fu (wushu).
Menu of Hua Long Zhai Chinese Restaurant
The menu features just five types of dumplings and another twelve dishes on the regular menu. At lunchtime there’s also a buffet with unlimited servings — a “all you can eat” style selection (salad, rice, and three types of meat or tofu) for just under 200 CZK (8 EUR).
Since the restaurant doesn’t have a website, I’m exceptionally including photos of the appealingly short, yet very tempting, menu.
I have a special fondness for restaurants that focus on a single dish. So if you’re in Prague and searching for a place to try authentic Chinese stuffed dumplings, Hua Long Zhai is the perfect spot.
Bon appétit!
For more information about Chinese restaurant Hua Long Zhai, click on the map link:
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