IT WAS more than three years ago that David Wang was pitched the idea of bringing his family’s signature, authentic dumplings to Ipswich and establishing a restaurant in the revitalised Nicholas Street Precinct.
Following the decade-long success of two restaurants in Brisbane, That Dumpling Place was the first tenant to move in and call the precinct home.
“When we saw the plans for the new development of the Nicholas Street Precinct, we were very impressed with the vision for a new city heart,” David said.
“Being the first means we have seen the most change of any of the new businesses here – and we can’t wait for more to come this year.
“Change can take time, but with the Hotel Commonwealth re-opening later this year after its major expansion and the brand-new Venue entertainment precinct also opening its doors this year, we hope this means we can share our dumplings with more and more of our Ipswich community.”
That Dumpling Place features a mouth-watering selection of poached, steamed and pan-fried dumplings which are hand-made with complete authenticity and quality, fresh ingredients. The northern Chinese dumplings are hand-made daily, each one fat, juicy and packed with flavour.
With Chinese small eats and a selection of mains to complement the signature dumplings, That Dumpling Place has built a cult following of loyal regulars who come back time and time again for their dumplings fix.
While David is an architect by trade, the move to restaurateur began with the popular Uncle Wang’s in Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, after David and his wife moved up from Sydney and fell in love with Queensland living.
“We knew that our dumplings were special, and at that stage we were the first to be offering dumplings in this way,” David said.
“We then established Fat Dumpling in Bowen Hills as part of the new urban neighbourhood development there.
“After its success, it made sense to get in from the ground up with this new development in Ipswich, too.”
With Gelatissimo across the road, Stellarossa next door, and the Children’s Library and Tulmur Place only a few steps away, parking is available right underneath the store and is free for up to three hours on weekdays, all-day on weekends.
3 Questions for David
Why did you choose the precinct to open That Dumpling Place?
We thought the vision for the new city heart was fantastic and we could see how our dumplings could be a part of it all. Our restaurant is right in the heart of the city, walking distance to key locations like Tulmur Place, the Children’s Library, the art gallery and, of course, all that’s to come at the new Venue and Hotel Commonwealth. The precinct has the train station right nearby and parking available underneath, so we could see how it could be the place for Ipswich families to visit and enjoy from right across the city.
What does the emerging city heart mean for That Dumpling Place?
Revitalising the city heart takes time, but we love seeing all the progress being made and eager to see more change as more new tenants join this year. The events and festivals that happen in the city heart are crucial to our business, whether it’s St Nicholas Precinct or school holidays activations that bring in people from near and far.
What’s the future looking like for That Dumpling Place in the precinct?
We’d love to see our lunch and dinner sessions get busier as more people visit the precinct and take advantage of all that is available here. At the moment we are based here and running the restaurant ourselves, but we’d love to hire more people to learn the business.
