If you take a walk down Brockley Market on a Saturday or Victoria Park on a Sunday, you might spot a vintage fire truck, but it’s not there to put out any fires, it’s serving up some of London’s most talked-about dumplings.
Chubby Dumpling is a food truck operating out of a converted vintage German fire engine. At the helm are Joe and his daughter, Chantel, a team combining decades of culinary experience with a heartwarming family story.
A family recipe on wheels
Joe, who moved to the UK from Hong Kong, successfully ran his own Cantonese restaurant for 30 years. After retiring, he decided a quiet life wasn’t for him and teamed up with Chantel to share his recipes.
The name is a nod to their bond, as Chantel explains, “Chubby Dumpling is what my dad used to call me as a kid ‘cause I was chubby and I used to eat all the dumplings that he made.”
On the menu you’ll find classics like pork and onion or chicken and shiitake ushroom dumplings. They also serve weekly specials, such as the aromatic duck, and vegan options too.
Each portion comes steaming over noodles with Asian pickles and a side of mum’s house-made sesame chilli sauce, a family recipe that completes the meal.
Where to find the dumpling truck
You can find the Chubby Dumpling fire truck at two London markets. They are at Brockley Market every Saturday and on Sundays, you can find them in East London at Victoria Park Market.
Chubby Dumpling also caters private events, film sets and festivals.