There's a secret in every dumpling at Sydney's Mr Yip

The shatteringly crisp, pristine white shell of the Snow Mountain barbecue pork bun at Mr Yip is an enigma.

How can it be baked to fluffy inside, crisp-outside without even a hint of golden bloom on the top?

But after the first bite, you discover the "how" is irrelevant. Surrender yourself to the sticky, dark barbecue pork filling and the outer bun, whose slight sweetness touches the realm of dessert.

Mr Yip's menu is full of surprising dishes that challenge assumptions about eating dumplings. For example, is dipping sauce necessary?

When I sit down at my table at the minimalist Military Road eatery, I automatically scan for bottles of soy sauce and black vinegar, but there's nothing on the table, so instead I nurse a cup of delicate jasmine tea and wait.

Dishes arrive in quick succession and as I eat, I realise there's no need for sauce. Every component of every dish has presence and flavour.

The seafood and greens in the scallop, prawn and asparagus dumplings are sweet with a pleasant crunch.

The mushroom filling in the truffle and vegetable dumplings is masterfully wok-fried before being wrapped into pretty triangles with a translucent potato starch skin.

The xiao long bao – each one so generous it's hard to eat in one bite – is filled to plump with fragrant broth and pork.

The secret is uncompromising freshness, according to owner and chef Kirk Yip.

"We make every dumpling fresh in the morning," he says. "The best quality is to make it every day. That way you can taste all of the different vegetables and each dumpling is tasty and juicy inside. When you re-steam dumplings from frozen it's a totally different flavour and texture."

Each step of the process requires care and skill, from cooking the fillings to handmaking the skins to deftly wrapping and pinching closed each dumpling.

"With the fillings, it's about mastering time. You have to control the fire and temperature to cook the vegetables in the wok just enough so they're still crunchy," he says.

Yip spent 10 years cooking in Hong Kong, then Singapore, before coming to Australia, where he worked at Lotus Dining under group head chef Chris Yan.

Yan has high praise for his former chef, calling Yip's snow bun "the best I've ever had".

Yip is humble about the praise. "I'm touched by what he says but I don't believe I should be called a dumpling master. I always consider myself a student because I'm always learning new techniques, and there are always improvements that can be made."

Striving for constant evolution is why the Mr Yip menu regularly changes. Ingredients come in and out of season, and Yip likes to experiment, often coming out of the kitchen near the end of service to see what diners think.

Considering the care and work that goes into creating dishes, Mr Yip is surprisingly affordable.

"I want my customers to enjoy the food and pay a reasonable price. I don't just want to make money, I want everyone to be able to afford it, so they can see what modern dumplings can be, and learn that Chinese food isn't just sweet and sour pork."

The Neutral Bay eatery is Yip's first venture, and he's focused not just on the food, but on the example he sets for staff.

"I want to train young people to be the best in the kitchen and front of house. We have a great team and everyone works with so much heart."

The North Shore isn't the first place you'd expect to see a dumpling house of Mr Yip's calibre.

The location was deliberate, and Yip has plans to expand the menu to offer everyday yum cha in Neutral Bay.

"I wanted to stand out in an area without too many dumpling houses. We don't want to be compared with others, we just want to create our own way."

The low-down

Main attraction Exquisitely crafted, delicious dumplings at a more-than-fair price point.

Must-try dish Extra-large pork xiao long bao.

Insta-worthy dish Snow Mountain barbecue pork buns with pristine white outer shell and sticky, delicious pork filling.

Drinks Tea and the usual soft drink suspects. A liquor licence is in the works.