BITTERMANSGUIDE
  • HOME
  • GUIDES
    • CAMBODIA
    • FINLAND
    • HONG KONG
    • INDIA >
      • FORT KOCHI
      • GOA
      • KOLKATA
    • INDONESIA >
      • BALI
      • JAKARTA
    • ITALY >
      • BARI
      • CATANIA
      • FLORENCE
      • NAPOLI
    • MALAYSIA >
      • IPOH & TAIPING
      • KUALA LUMPUR
      • PENANG
    • NORWAY
    • THAILAND >
      • BANGKOK
      • CHIANG MAI
      • KRABI
    • TURKEY
    • UKRAINE
    • UZBEKISTAN >
      • KHIVA & BUKHARA
      • SAMARKHAND
      • TASHKENT
    • VIETNAM >
      • DA NANG
      • HANOI
      • SAIGON
      • VUNG TAU
  • REVIEWS
    • CAMBODIA
    • GERMANY
    • HONG KONG
    • INDIA
    • INDONESIA >
      • BALI
      • JAKARTA
    • ITALY >
      • FLORENCE
      • MATERA
      • MILAN
      • NAPOLI
      • PUGLIA
    • MALAYSIA >
      • IPOH & TAIPING
      • KUALA LUMPUR
      • MELAKA
      • PENANG
    • MOROCCO
    • NORWAY
    • SPAIN >
      • MADRID
      • SEVILLE
    • THAILAND >
      • BANGKOK
      • CHIANG MAI
    • TURKEY
    • UKRAINE
    • UZBEKISTAN
    • VIETNAM >
      • HO CHI MINH CITY
  • RAMEN
  • ABOUT

Bop Dumpling - Napoli, Italy

30/3/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Rating:  9 / 10
You get the best food advice from your bartender, especially in Italy.
I was propped up at the bar enjoying a To Øl alcohol free number, when the bartender I had been casually chatting with turned and mentioned there was a great dumpling place in town. I almost dismissed him thinking surely there cannot be a decent place in Naples? But curiosity got the better of me, and when he whipped out his phone and showed me the instagram photos I knew I had to go.
Bop dumplings materdei Napoli
I walked the long and steep hills from Dante to Bop, peering down alleyways and trying to remember not to look in open doors which lead directly to families gathered around televisions. After a half hour of leg stretching I arrived to find two men in line. It had just opened and after a warm welcome from the owner along with a detailed explanation of the 8 dumplings he had on sale, I retreated outside to wait and struck up a conversation with the other clients.
Bop dumplings materdei Napoli
As we waited for the water to boil so our dumplings could steam we found out that we all shared a love for Asia, dumplings and underground bars. Fortuitously enough one of the men standing there was the owner of La Fesseria, my favourite bar in Naples. It was one of those nights that truly reminds you how small the world can be.
Bop dumplings materdei Napoli
Ultimately, we all came for dumplings and when they were ready we were asked in to oversee the sauce dispersion. Bowl in hand, outside again and chopsticks at the ready I dug in. As instructed by the owner I first went for the cod dumpling. Despite his warning that it was the most muted, it sang with appreciation. From then on in a clock-wise manouver I ate my way through a myriad of different tastes, textures and tantalise-ments. Each dumpling stood alone with it's own identity, none of the flavours muddled into each other and became confused. The sofrito one was a new one I had never encountered- this wasn't the spanish sofrito, but an organ meat and chilli version from Naples. Charsui and Lamb with Kimchi, Katsu, a vegan dumpling and a couple others i forgot the ingredients of, all lulled me to dream dreams of being back in Asia. 
Picture
In all my travels it is exactly these moments I live for. To find a small place, off the beaten track, loved by the food-mad locals and spoken about in reverential tones by those in the know. Hats off to the chef for creating such a strong and delicious combination of flavours, and a reason alone to walk the hill to Materdei. I truly hope that more people discover this dumpling house and give the man the credit he deserves.

​Small establishments need our help now more than ever, and you shouldn't think twice about heading here and spending your hard earned money on some consummately prepared treats. ​
These recommendations are just personal opinions based on my palate, things change, chefs get fired or replaced, places open-close, relocate, so take it all with a pinch of MSG  and discover your own gems too. But please do try a few of these, they have been researched exhaustively.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    "Tastes are subjective, so take everything with a pinch of salty tears"
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Amalfi
    Bali
    Bangkok
    Berlin
    Cadiz
    Calabria
    Cambodia
    Chiang Mai
    Copenhagen
    Denmark
    Finland
    Florence
    Germany
    Helsinki
    Ho Chi Minh City
    Hong Kong
    India
    Indonesia
    Ipoh & Taiping
    Istanbul
    Italy
    Jakarta
    Kadikoy
    Kolkata
    Kuala Lumpur
    Langkawi
    Madrid
    Malaysia
    Matera
    Melaka
    Milan
    Morocco
    Mumbai
    Napoli
    Norway
    Penang
    Puglia
    Seville
    Sicily
    Singapore
    Spain
    Tangier
    Thailand
    Trang
    Turkey
    Ukraine
    Uzbekistan
    Vietnam

    RSS Feed

"The hunt for perfection continues...."

  • HOME
  • GUIDES
    • CAMBODIA
    • FINLAND
    • HONG KONG
    • INDIA >
      • FORT KOCHI
      • GOA
      • KOLKATA
    • INDONESIA >
      • BALI
      • JAKARTA
    • ITALY >
      • BARI
      • CATANIA
      • FLORENCE
      • NAPOLI
    • MALAYSIA >
      • IPOH & TAIPING
      • KUALA LUMPUR
      • PENANG
    • NORWAY
    • THAILAND >
      • BANGKOK
      • CHIANG MAI
      • KRABI
    • TURKEY
    • UKRAINE
    • UZBEKISTAN >
      • KHIVA & BUKHARA
      • SAMARKHAND
      • TASHKENT
    • VIETNAM >
      • DA NANG
      • HANOI
      • SAIGON
      • VUNG TAU
  • REVIEWS
    • CAMBODIA
    • GERMANY
    • HONG KONG
    • INDIA
    • INDONESIA >
      • BALI
      • JAKARTA
    • ITALY >
      • FLORENCE
      • MATERA
      • MILAN
      • NAPOLI
      • PUGLIA
    • MALAYSIA >
      • IPOH & TAIPING
      • KUALA LUMPUR
      • MELAKA
      • PENANG
    • MOROCCO
    • NORWAY
    • SPAIN >
      • MADRID
      • SEVILLE
    • THAILAND >
      • BANGKOK
      • CHIANG MAI
    • TURKEY
    • UKRAINE
    • UZBEKISTAN
    • VIETNAM >
      • HO CHI MINH CITY
  • RAMEN
  • ABOUT