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I’m going to take a bet that plenty of people reading this have never heard of this little dumpling shop in Cyrildene. I’m also going to suggest that, once you’ve eaten here, you’ll wonder why.
From the pavement, there isn’t much ceremony. An open metal gate, a glass counter and a tiled floor lead into a small, practical space. Above the entrance, four Chinese characters announce what you’ve come for. It would be easy to keep walking. My advice is to stop.
The sign reads 北方水餃, or Běifāng shuǐjiǎo: northern-style boiled dumplings. You’ll find the business listed online, with a slightly different English spelling, as “Northan Dumpling”. For anyone trying to locate it, that name and 13 Derrick Avenue are useful starting points.
What makes this place particularly interesting is that its story reaches back to the beginnings of the Chinatown around it.
In his published history of Cyrildene’s Chinese community, researcher Liang Xu records Northern Dumplings opening on Derrick Avenue in 1995. He identifies it as the first mainland Chinese business on the street, following an earlier Taiwanese-owned noodle restaurant. Other businesses followed during the 1990s as the area developed into the Chinese commercial neighbourhood we know today. This little shop belongs to that early story.
On my recent visit in October 2026, ten lamb skewers cost R80. The cold bean-thread and shredded cucumber salad was another R80. My advice is to go with a few friends, and choose a few items off the menu, I’ve been told the shredded potato salad, cold noodle soup and eggplant are also absolute winners.
But the dumpling soup is the reason I’d send you here.
I have a particular weakness for a meal built around a bowl of dumplings, and this is one of those places where I’d suggest starting with that order and working out the rest afterwards. Everything I’ve had here so far has been fantastic and I’m almost embarrassed to say how long it took me to discover it.
There is chilli oil and black vinegar on the table, so you can adjust things to your own taste. I’d start by tasting what arrives as is, before adding either. Part of the pleasure is finding the balance you enjoy, rather than immediately covering everything in the hottest , saltiest condiment within reach.
I also noticed diners eating raw cloves of garlic alongside their meals. It’s a detail worth understanding: eating raw garlic with dumplings is familiar in parts of northern China, including the northeast.
These are among my favourite dumplings in Joburg, served in a place I’m happy to return to. I won’t pretend that declaring the best dumplings in South Africa is a matter of objective fact. But I will suggest you order a bowl here before making up your own mind.
Find it: Northern Dumplings, listed online as 北方水餃Northan Dumpling, 13 Derrick Avenue, Cyrildene, Johannesburg.
Nick’s order: Dumpling soup, lamb skewers, and cold bean-thread and shredded cucumber salad.
Prices: Ten lamb skewers R80; salad R80, as recorded on the October 2026 visit. Prices may change.