One of the best finds in Bayan Baru is Wan Jia Dumpling House.
It was a stormy Saturday, and I was craving noodles and dumplings before returning to George Town.
One challenge for many people living on the northeast side of Penang Island is finding good food on the southwest side.
While searching Google for dumplings, I discovered Wan Jia Dumpling House.
It has a rating of 4.2 based on 82 reviews.
The prices range from RM1 to RM20 at this Chinese restaurant.
It seemed reasonable, and I thought it would probably be a community café.
Wan Jia Dumpling House
Wan Jia Dumpling House is one of those hidden gems you stumble upon during a food hunt.
It’s one of those places that makes your heart go “mmmm.”
The restaurant owner is from China, and I could communicate with her haltingly.
She was lovely and pleasant.
Her fresh handmade pork dumplings are made daily.
The dumplings had smooth wrappers and boasted flavorful fillings of pork and vegetables.
You can choose from combinations like scrambled eggs with pork or white cabbage with pork.
But my favorite was the one with pork and chives.
Chives and Pork Dumplings
The filling has a mild, garlicky leek flavor which adds a delicious and unique taste to the dumplings.
The juicy ground pork and fragrant Chinese chives in the pork and chive dumplings create a classic combination that always hits the spot!
I tried the fried dumplings at the restaurant and took home some boiled cabbage and pork dumplings.
Both versions were delicious, but I preferred the fried dumplings, which were eaten hot and crisp from the pan.
Wan Jia Dumpling House specializes in homemade dumplings, available in servings of 5 or 10 pieces.
The fillings include leek and egg, chives and pork, and corn and pork dumplings.
They also offer a variety of authentic Chinese dishes, including rare specialties.
Hot and Sour Noodles
Hot and sour noodles (Suan La Fen, 酸辣粉) are flavorful and balanced with spicy, sour, and savory tastes.
Since I couldn’t communicate well, I looked up the description of the flavors later.
The spice comes from chili pepper oil or white pepper. Chinese rice vinegar or black vinegar adds sourness.
Savory ingredients like soy sauce, sugar, and scallions enrich the flavor.
They serve the dish topped with pickled long beans, mustard greens, and roasted soybeans that add a fragrant nuttiness.
Often made with slippery pea or potato glass noodles, since these noodles don’t agree with me, I requested a change to Lamien.
It was my first bowl of hot and sour noodles, and I liked the taste.
Their cold dishes looked interesting, but I was alone and didn’t relish wasting food if I couldn’t finish.
Cold dishes include Cold Cucumber, Cold Beef, and Salad Pig Ears!
Wan Jia Dumpling House Menu
Here’s a clean, organized version of the menu for Wan Jia Dumpling House in English.
Cold Dishes
Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes: RM8
Braised Dishes
Braised Pork Sausages, Braised Chicken Feet, Braised Chicken Leg, Braised Pork Ribs, and Chicken in Water
Handmade Noodles
- Authentic and Delicious Noodles (RM7 to 13)
- Chongqing Noodles, Fat Sausage Noodles, Beef Noodles, Tomato & Egg Noodles: RM9
- Beijing Zhajiang Noodles: RM10
- Wuhan Hot Dry Noodles: RM7
- Pork Chop Noodles: RM13
- Chicken Leg Noodles: RM13
- Acid Powder Noodles: RM10
- Nanchang Mixed Powder Noodles: RM10
- Spicy Soup Dumplings: RM10
- Fresh Meat Wontons: RM10
Drinks
- Freshly Ground Sweet Soy Milk: RM2
- Master Kong Series: RM5
- Wong Lo Kat Series: RM5
- Coca-Cola Small Can Series: RM3
Wan Jia is likely the only place in Penang where you can find Wuhan Re Gan Mian, a flavorful noodle dish from Wuhan, China.
A couple runs the restaurant from mainland China, and the menu is completely in Mandarin.
Fortunately, they had local staff who spoke Hokkien; otherwise, I would have needed to bring a Mandarin-speaking friend to fully enjoy the experience.
Wan Jia Dumpling House (万家饺子馆)
Address: 3, Lintang Mayang Pasir 5, Elit Avenue, 11900, Bayan Lepas, Penang.
Business Hours: 10 am to 10 pm. Closed on Mondays (every fortnight).
Blog Disclosure: This is a NOT sponsored blog post. All opinions are mine. The writer and friends paid for their meal.
