Gemma E

Gemma is a 37-year-old chef patron from Naples, now working in Edinburgh, who runs a plant-based food truck in summer. She had significant prior experience, claiming to have folded hundreds of gyoza in a hotel kitchen. Her folding technique was excellent and clearly showed that experience. However, she rolled her dough too thick, meaning the wrappers didn't fully cook in the time available — they were almost chewy and hard to eat. Her filling was chunky but actually quite tasty. The biggest issue was her dipping sauce: she used too much sugar that didn't dissolve, creating an uncomfortable graininess, and the combination of soy sauce and excessive chilli made it hot and salty. She managed to plate four dumplings, beautifully folded but let down by thick wrappers and a flawed sauce.