The Thousands

I’ve been reluctant to write about Ho’s for two reasons. One, dumplings are on the list – with pho, cider, hangovers, being tired, not liking work and bikes – of things that get tweeted about too often; and two, which is my main concern, I don’t want anyone else to know about it.

If we’re being generous, this is a ‘humble’ place: a tiny shopfront on a nondescript block of Pitt Street. Less generously, it’s basically a bench between an industrial kitchen and you. But atmosphere is not the point here. The point is being able to walk in and self-yum-cha. Sitting right there are about twenty types of fresh dumplings for you to point at and have the lovely ladies pick and mix for you. My fallbacks are the combination dumplings, bbq pork pies and vege spring rolls, but there’s also gow gee, egg tarts, pork buns and more. Everything is also available frozen, as the kitchen services many of the local restaurants. So if you need 50 lotus seed buns for dinner, that’s easily accommodated too.

Now I feel terrible. Not only for contributing to the forced feting of a simple if magnificent food genre, but also because I’m scared I’ll now have to stand in line behind even more people who want to eat themselves to a standstill for $8.