The dumpling comes in many forms: jiaozi, gyoza, wonton, har gow and shumai from China and Japan, mandu from Korea, momo from Nepal and Tibet, and manti from Central Asia and Turkey. Fillings range from meat to seafood and vegetables. Here are 11 restaurants across Cyprus that serve them.
Nicosia
Sumosan Cyprus
The Japanese restaurant brand at The Landmark Nicosia gives gyoza their own place on the menu. The Prawn Gyoza pair prawn with jalapeño and spring onion, served with sesame soy. The Wagyu Beef Gyoza are filled with wagyu beef, cabbage and onion. Sushi and sashimi sit at the centre of the menu, alongside signature dishes including the Sumosan Lobster Salad, Sashimi Taquitos, Wasabi Prawns and Miso Black Cod. There is also a cocktail, wine and sake list. The décor combines the brand’s contemporary look with references to Japanese and Cypriot culture.
The Landmark Nicosia, Autograph Collection, Archbishop Makarios III 98, Nicosia, 22 653500.
Tocayo
Chef Andreas Andreou draws on Asian cooking and Nikkei favourites for a fusion menu. The dumplings on the seasonal menu, designed for warm nights, are filled with prawns and served with bisque espuma, dumpling sauce, mixed sesame, panko, baby coriander and fresh coconut.
Prevezis 10, Nicosia, 70088089.
Sentio
Chef and co-owner Andreas Giangoulas mixes Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian cooking, with references to regional Greek cuisines. Tables are set in private arches. His Shiitake Dumplings combine mushrooms with a miso cauliflower purée, ginger and ponzu.
Stasandrou 13, Nicosia, 22 322324.
Limassol
Seasons Oriental
Dumplings have their own section on the Cantonese menu that chef Guan Ruijiong created for the Four Seasons restaurant. The Steamed Prawn Dumplings (Har Kaw) are filled with prawn and bamboo shoots in a wheat-flour wrapper and finished with orange caviar. The steamed Siu Mai contain chicken, prawns and wild mushrooms. Pan-fried options include Scallop Dumplings with chopped prawn, celery and sweet peppers, and Minced Chicken Dumplings with cabbage, preserved vegetables, ginger and spring onion. The Steamed Spinach Lobster Dumplings come with prawns, shiitake, superior broth and abalone sauce. Beef and vegetarian dumplings are also on the menu. The Traditional Dumplings Combination brings har kaw, siu mai and fresh scallop dumplings together on one platter.
Four Seasons Hotel, Amathountos Avenue 67-69, Agios Tychonas, Limassol, 25 858000.
WoknRoll
The central Limassol restaurant offers dine-in, takeaway and delivery. Its dim sum section lists four dumplings. The Pork Dumplings are filled with minced pork, spring onion, ginger and soy sauce, and the Prawn Dumplings with prawns, cabbage and spring onion. The Vegetable Dumplings combine spinach, edamame, cabbage, spring onion, ginger and soy, while the Duck Dumplings pair duck with cabbage, spring onion, ginger and soy. All are served in portions of six.
Agias Fylaxeos 97, Limassol, 77771707.
Shumi Pan-Asian
The menu takes a modern approach to Asian cooking, with sushi, bao buns, tempura and signature dishes. The Prawn Har Gow is the classic Cantonese choice, filled with chopped prawn, spring onion and sesame oil. The Beef Shumai contains minced beef, carrot and spring onion. Chicken Potstickers with chicken, carrot, spring onion and sesame oil complete the list, and a Dim Sum Combo lets diners try more than one.
Mediterranean Beach Hotel, Amathountos Avenue 71, Limassol, 25 559999.
Nerea
Seafood is at the heart of the menu at the AMARA hotel restaurant. The exception is an Asian-inspired Aubergine Dumpling. This vegetarian and vegan dish comes with mushroom sauce, miso aubergine purée and toasted hazelnuts, a change from the usual meat or seafood fillings.
AMARA Hotel, Amathountos Avenue 95, Limassol, 25 442222.
Dionysus Mansion
Chef Dimitris Chaidemenos cooks modern Cypriot food built on local produce, local producers and the traditional flavours of Cyprus and Greece. A long-standing dish on the menu is Lefkara-style ttavas dumplings. They are filled with pieces of lamb and served with potato cream and a cumin-scented tomato sauce.
16 Iouniou 5, Limassol, 25 222210.
Paphos
The Farmyard Asian Restaurant
The Farmyard, in the Paphos district village of Kathikas, serves pan-Asian dishes with a list of Cypriot and international wines. Its handmade dim sum include Chicken Sui Mai, which are open steamed chicken dumplings, and Prawn Har Gow, the classic Cantonese prawn dumplings.
Kathikas, Paphos district, 99 369473.
MOMO Asian Kitchen Bar
MOMO is in the renovated Municipal Market building, with views out to the sea. Its interior mixes exotic and industrial touches. The menu runs from sushi to ceviche, tartare and Japanese fusion mains. The handmade gyoza come in three versions: prawn, duck and vegetarian. They are served in portions of five.
Petraki Miltiadous, Paphos, 26 352060.
O’ Shin
The pan-Asian menu at the Elysium hotel restaurant includes sushi, sashimi and nigiri. Other dishes include Japanese Wagyu beef fillet with grilled asparagus, enoki and shiitake mushrooms, and beef cheeks with aubergine tempura, crispy leek and a miso and yuzu sauce. The Pork Dumplings Gyoza are steamed, then fried. They are filled with pork flavoured with garlic and ginger, and served with a soy and lemon sauce. There are also steamed Chicken Dumplings with chicken, garlic, ginger, chilli and spring onion. The Shrimp Dumplings are filled with shrimp, garlic, ginger, chilli and lemongrass and come with the same soy and lemon sauce.
Elysium Hotel, Vasilissis Verenikis 6, Paphos, 26 844444.
