Almost every culture has a version of dumplings, but sticking to the most familiar is a disservice to your stomach. Here are 10 places that will take you on a dumpling world tour.

Hutong

Since its city laneway inception in 2008, HuTong has put up a fierce fight for the title of Melbourne's best xiao long bao. Thin-skinned, juicy and a burn hazard for the impatient, the kitchen is on display as masters fastidiously fold each soup dumpling. The chilli wontons and translucent crystal prawn dumplings are just as good. There's a second HuTong in Prahran.

14-16 Market Lane, Melbourne, hutong.com.au

Momo Central

This small Nepalese venue opened a week before the first COVID lockdowns, but it's made a strong recovery thanks to its momos (Nepalese dumplings). Chicken, vegetarian or buffalo momos are available steamed or fried and come with house achar for dipping (chutney made with tomato, sesame and garlic), or order them in soup or tossed in chilli sauce.

347 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, momocentral.com.au

Pierogi Pierogi

"So good you have to say it twice" is Pierogi Pierogi's calling card. Find the blue-and-pink shipping container slinging Polish dumplings at Grazeland food hub, markets and pop-ups around town. The core range is made with organic beef and sauerkraut, mushroom and sauerkraut or creamy potato and cheese. Look for specials served with pink sour cream infused with beet and pickle juice.

20 Booker Street, Spotswood, pierogipierogi.com

Ashy's Afghan

Big portions, friendly staff and a fantastic introduction to Afghan food is what Ashy's is all about. Canvases add pops of colour between concrete floors and wooden ceiling blocks, but most of the vibrancy comes from the food. Try mantu, steamed lamb mince and onion dumplings topped with chana dal (split chickpeas in tomato gravy) and garlic sauce.

3/305 High Street, Ashburton, ashyscaferestaurant.com.au

Tay Do

This no-frills restaurant in Westville Central specialises in banh xeo Vietnamese pancakes, but we're here for banh bot loc, chewy tapioca-flour dumplings with prawn visible beneath the translucent casing, like the nucleus of a cell. There's also a smattering of pork mince, spring onion and fried shallots – all the better dipped in nuoc mam cham.

84/62 Nicholson Street, Footscray

Nevsky Russian Restaurant

This family-owned restaurant is one of few in Melbourne dedicated to traditional Russian cuisine. Most tables in the homely brick dining room, complete with chandeliers, order dumplings. There are pelmeni (pork and mince tossed in butter and dill, or chicken in garlic and mushroom sauce), as well as potato and caramelised onion vareniki (aka pierogi).

476 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick, nevsky.com.au

Anatolia Tantuni

Takeaway gozleme, kebabs and tantuni (chopped meat cooked in tomato, herbs and spices in a wide pan, served in a wrap or on rice) fly out the door as takeaway here, but the manti are best when you pull up a chair in the unfussy, warm environment. The tiny, ravioli-like dumplings are stuffed with beef mince, onion and doused in yoghurt sauce.

15 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, anatolia-tantuni.square.site

Yulongfu

From black truffle and pork, to oversized soup buns with crab roe, there are half a dozen varieties of xiao long bao at Yulongfu. Wontons, buns and pan-fried dumplings also abound at the two-storey, 130-seat Shanghainese restaurant. Wave at the husband-wife owners folding 16 pleats into soup dumplings and cooking family recipes dating back to 1904 behind the display window.

136 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Secret Kitchen

Also in Glen Waverley, Chadstone and Doncaster, this reliable yum cha stalwart doubles down on dumplings. The Chinatown flagship is recognisable for its signature fish tanks in the windows, but all branches share classic dim sum. Fresh and firm scallop siu mai are essential, while assorted seafood dumpling soup comes with half a dozen of Secret Kitchen's finest.

222 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, secret-kitchen.com.au

A Little Joy

Hidden away in the Target Centre, this takeaway shop only has four seats. Once you try shengjianbao – a Shanghainese specialty similar to xiao long bao but fried to a crisp at the bottom – you'll be a convert. Here they're filled with veggies, pork, prawn or both of the latter. Wash them down with house yoghurt or honey pomelo tea.

Target Centre, 222 Bourke Street, Melbourne