I’ll share my short list if you share yours! You know my credo: eat lots, analyze, then replicate at home. Here’s where I’ve had consistently good Shanghai soup dumplings (xiao long bao, XLB):
[Note: This list is not presented in any particular order.]
Joe’s Shanghai (New York Chinatown): It’s like a cult following. Everyone in Manhattan who is into soup dumplings goes there. There are no reservations, pay with cash only, and the dumplings are served with little metal tongs for you to pick up. The tongs (see photo below)seem kind of cruel but maybe they're trying to showoff the strength of their wrapper. Be ready to share a table if you want get seated quickly or be prepared to stand in line. Service borders on surly at times. But it’s all worth it. The dumplings are very good — the skins are indeed very thin (almost too thin) and you’ll find lots of soup in the dumpling. I have to say that the overall flavor of soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai tends to be fattier than it needs to be. The little side dishes, such as pressed tofu salad, are good too. Look at what others are ordering and point.
Mei Long Village (Monterey Park, California): Really nice soup dumplings that make you feel like they were produced by mortals. Other Shanghai specialties on the menu are good too. I love this place. It’s homey. I mentioned Mei Long in a post on a roundup of favorite dumpling spots in the San Gabriel Valley. I have friends who buy their Shanghai soup dumplings and freeze them for later.
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