Dorshi, a Southeast Asian restaurant in Bridport is one of the best places I have eaten at this year.

It wasn’t by chance that we found ourselves here as I had done my research in advance of our visit down this way to Dorset and had been recommended this spot due to my love of a Dumpling

The star dishes here are the dumplings which everyone says are fantastic. Listening to fellow diners around the room the murmurs are “…and you must get the dumplings they are fabulous!”

The menu lists them all out, loud and proud, with tick boxes to check off those that you desire to taste with a passion (or maybe that was how I felt as I composed myself to choose). I was already in love just reading the options

Tough as it was we held ourselves with a little restraint ordering just three platefuls, picking perhaps somewhat safely but also ones we knew we would like

The choice was two from the Steamed Dumpling section with one of the ‘Organic Pork, Leek & Ginger‘ and one of the ‘Organic Curried Lamb, Curry Leaf & Cayenne‘ and then one from the Fried section picking out the ‘Free Range Chicken, Lime & 4-Pepper, Japanese Style Mayo‘

DUMPLING ACTION

Every dumpling was a little work of art, perfectly crimped and folded, the steamed ones looking all silken and plump, the fried ones all nicely crisped up.

ORGANIC PORK, LEEK AND GINGER

The ones filled with “Organic pork, leek, and ginger” were probably the most familiar of the bunch. A gentle well seasoned mince of good quality pork mixed with just enough ginger and leek to give a bit of flavour were just divine.

The dumpling wrapper was soft, lightly chewy and a perfect container for the crumbly minced up pork filling. A scattering of chopped up chives added a hint of fresh mild onion which lifted them up one notch on my tastebuds

ORGANIC CURRIED LAMB, CURRY LEAF AND CAYENNE

The second bite of steamed dumpling were of the “Organic curried lamb, curry leaf and cayenne” which had a much more intriguing flavour profile.

Curry leaf is always a great addition, when I cook with it at home the aroma lingers for days and it was just the same here lasting for more than a brief moment on my palate as it clings on to your taste buds

The cayenne and the drizzle of sauce on the dumplings added quite a bit of spice heat to each mouthful tantalising the senses and making my mouth water ever so slightly

FREE RANGE CHICKEN, LIME 4-PEPPER AND JAPANESE STYLE MAYO

The last set of dumplings we tried were the Fried ones described as being filled with and topped as thus “Free range chicken, lime and 4-pepper with Japanese style mayo”

The crunch and crispiness of the wrapper added such great texture to each bite. The lime and pepper gave a fabulous tang and made my mouth pucker and the mayo cooled everything down and added some lovely creaminess

These ones were my favourite and I say were ‘outstanding’ without a pause and using the word correctly and without hesitation

If I could never eat another type of dumpling again apart from these I would not hesitate to accept

AND THERE WAS MORE!

The dumplings were amazing and fabulous just as we had hoped and expected. We knew that they would be and it almost seemed criminal that we had ordered more dishes as well that were not more dumplings

We did though, I picked out a bowl of Hakata Noodles (just because I am a noodle fiend), and we also could not resist a plate of Pork Belly and one of Chicken Kaarage as well

HAKATA NOODLES

I was gobsmacked when presented with this bowl of perfectly made Hakata Noodles in a House Broth. The art of preparing such a simple dish is lost on many who try to overcomplicate when it is not necessary

I could have slurped my way through several bowls of these and if I lived nearby I would be back at least once a week to do just that

ROASTED PORK BELLY

The roasted pork belly with pickled mustard seeds was unctuous, rich and fatty in all the right ways

This was also so fantastic that it was really hard to share with my dining companion. I attempted to distract them with a stray dumpling so I could gorge myself but it was all in vain

I had to share and we both fell upon the dish plucking out slices of meat with our chopsticks almost with gay abandon but both with one eye on the other to make sure neither got more

If you come here to Dorshi you really must have a plate of this pork! It went great with my noodles!

CHICKEN KAARAGE

The fried chicken Kara-age with lemon pepper butter dressings shone brightly on the table and was another excellent example of making good food properly

I have never had a plateful as well prepared and cooked as good as this dish in this country.

The moist juicy chicken coated in a crumbly, light, yet also thick, this crisp coating was sublime

The lemon pepper butter dressing was genius and just moved the dish several rungs up the ladder to occupy a lofty perch where it deserved to be looking down on all whom had been cooked up before

Just thinking about this chicken as I write makes me long to be back here at Dorshi dining again

Dorshi as a dining experience and for the sheer fabulous food was Overall a clear 10 out of 10.

All I can say is that I really do wish I lived next door 🤪🧐😎

Located at 6 Chancery Lane in Bridport, it is a little tricky to find as it is down a small alley leading off the main road through the town. Luckily there is a bright chalkboard to give you a hint

Check them out on their Website, and Instagram Profile