Wei ‘David’ He is the head chef and owner of Little Steamer. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Littler Steamer is a cosy Chinese restaurant tucked into the edge of London Circuit. And with a second entrance from the rear in Hobart Place, you can avoid all roadworks and fences!
Wei He, who goes by David, opened Little Steamer with his wife, Kim Zhang, almost five years ago. He’s lived in Canberra since 2008 and loves it here – he says the weather reminds him of his hometown province, Henan – and he’s noticed that lots of local Chinese restaurants offer much of the same fare.
Tired of seeing Mongolian lamb and Shan Tung chicken, he’s crafted a menu that celebrates the dishes he loved to cook and eat at home, plus a few of his own creations.
David trained as a chef in Beijing, spending three years at culinary school and completing an apprenticeship at an international hotel before migrating to Australia on a skilled visa. He’s been awarded a number of accolades in China for his innovative and masterful cooking.
The roast duck at Little Steamer is succulent and delicious. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
One of the specialties he brings to the menu at Little Steamer is authentic Beijing roast duck, a specialty he acquired during his training in Beijing.
“We start with a local supply of duck, and we marinate it with Chinese Five Spice overnight. Then, we put it in boiling water and brush it with a mixture of maltose and vinegar before leaving it to dry overnight again. And then it goes in the oven to get the red, deep colour,” he told Region.
“It’s a long process; it takes two days.”
David expertly slices the duck meat with a wickedly sharp knife, and serves it with fresh pancakes, cucumber, shallot and a spiced hoisin sauce. It’s a delight to build perfectly balanced rolls, and the half duck size (with 12 pancakes) is a good size for two people to enjoy with a range of other dishes, and comes served on a twee plate with a duck’s head! You can also choose to accompany this dish with noodles, fried rice, duck soup or salt and pepper duck bones (which they describe as ‘beer’s best friend’) for a complete meal, or select other dishes on the menu.
We also ordered another of David’s specialties: cured chicken. The thigh meat is marinated and roasted at a low temperature to create a deeply flavoured dish. The slices are served with a sweet honey plum sauce.
The dumplings at Little Steamer are handmade, and we happily slurp up the pork soup dumplings, accompanied by soy and vinegar. It’s clear that so much care and craftsmanship have gone into every dish.
Kim brings us a large teapot of Chrysanthemum tea, which is a lovely accompaniment to the dishes (and seems to never run dry). Small steamer baskets and blue and white china adorn the walls, and comfortable, cushioned chairs are thoughtfully decorated with floral motifs.
We also enjoy the sizzling beef fillet, which is tossed in a generous serving of black pepper. To accompany all this meat, we crunch on steamed Chinese broccoli. David explained that he prefers to steam foods (hence the name):
“Lots of our dishes are steamed so you can keep the original flavour and it is more healthy.”
We’d return to try the steamed pork belly and the roast pumpkin hot pot, and I’d love to try the prawn dumplings next time too.
The service from Kim is warm, friendly and attentive. This is a family-run operation (on busy nights, you might also see Kim and David’s daughter serving), and it feels like you’ve been welcomed into their home.
Come for the duck, stay for the hospitality.
Little Steamer is located at G06/39 London Circuit. They are open for lunch from 11:30 am to 3 pm, and for dinner from 5 pm to 10 pm. Follow Little Steamer on Instagram.
