Eating Xiao Long Bao in Shanghai
You couldn’t possibly leave Shanghai without eating Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings)! These delicacies are renowned the world over, are impossibly fun to eat and so yum! Similar to Peking Duck, you haven’t really been to Shanghai until you have tried these since this is where the xiao long bao was born. What makes them special is that in addition to the usual meat and vegetables there is soup broth inside. If you were to ask where the best soup dumplings can be found in Shanghai you’ll get different answers. But here are my top two places that are loved by locals too.
Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant
If you are in the Old City you must have lunch at one of the best xiao long bao (soup dumpling) restaurants in Shanghai! At Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant, you can also order a GIANT xiao long bao which is amusingly served with a straw. The restaurant is also conveniently located right next to the famous Yu Gardens. Note that the restaurant tends to get busy and usually there are lines to get in. Interestingly, depending on which level you are seated on the average price point of the menu differs. First floor is for takeout and for those who want to eat the dumplings at standing tables and leave in a jiffy. We ended up on the second floor, which has a proper spacious, seating area, servers and a lovely ambiance.
There are lots of different varieties of xiao long bao offered including seafood, vegetarian, and poultry options. I couldn’t resist ordering a giant dumpling for myself, which you can only get in some places. They served it with a straw and tucked neatly in a plastic “bowl” to prevent accidental spillage. But I have to say, the dumpling skin was quite thick and hard to puncture with the straw alone. I had to take a bite off the top to get access to the soup. Unfortunately it was served lukewarm, not as hot as I wanted, but maybe this was for safety reasons. Imagine having searing hot soup exploding into your lap (or face)! Given the thickness of the skin the texture was also not as lovely as the original ones and is perhaps not meant to be eaten. But I ate the whole thing anyway!
What I noticed about the flavor of the xiao long bao at Nanxiang is that it is slightly sweeter than what I am used to. Not sure why, maybe in China these dumplings have always been less savory? After all Shanghai is where this illustrious dumpling was born. You get used to the flavor profile though and it tastes especially good dipped in the ginger and vinegar sauce. We also ordered a pot of hot oolong tea since it was so cold out. Totally recommend doing this as it was delicious and they have an extensive tea menu in general. As a little gift they gave us a tiny box of jasmine tea to take home as well. How thoughtful!
Din Tai Fung
You may have already heard of this popular restaurant chain, which is originally from Taiwan! They have locations from California, Singapore to Dubai. But interestingly enough, even in Shanghai Din Tai Fung is still considered one of the best places for xiao long bao. Although Rob and I are huge fans of the locations in Singapore we wanted to compare and see if there were any differences! Interestingly enough we found the menu to be a bit different and more extensive. Although we ordered the classic chicken and pork versions there were other interesting “special” varieties and the drink list was also quite long. We also ordered sides of spinach and garlic, spicy cucumber, and noodles with special sauce. For drink I ordered a hot honey and kumquat tea, which was so delightful for the rainy weather outside! Although Din Tai Fung has multiple locations in Shanghai as well, the one we visited was in Xiantandi (French Concession), which was perfect after spending a morning walking around the artsy district. Highly recommend this for an easy lunch!
Overall, the flavors of the dishes we got were consistent to the ones we have in Singapore. My sneaking suspicion is that the reason why Din Tai Fung is recognized by Michelin is that it always delivers on the high quality of food no matter where you go in the world! Since the soup broth is more savory I actually prefer this over Nanxiang. But I could imagine getting used to a sweeter profile, which undoubtedly grows on you.
Another small detail that I appreciated is that they added a tiny “chicken” shaped dumpling skin in the steamer that held the chicken xiao long bao to differentiate it from the pork. They don’t do this in Singapore and it was adorable! I was a bit puzzled by the fact that it had four legs though?! Let’s hope chickens in China aren’t that different from the rest of the world!! Have you ever seen little animals in your steamers before? By the way if you are curious, yes, I ate the tiny chicken at the end of my meal. Chewy.
How to eat a xiao long bao!
If this is your first time trying xiao long bao, you’re in for a lifelong addiction! Here are some friendly tips on how to go about eating these delicious treats without scalding the roof of your mouth or tongue:
1. Add vinegar to the sauce plate with shredded ginger provided.
2. Pick up dumpling carefully without puncturing it (always from the denser, swirled top) and place it in the soup spoon.
3. From there, gingerly dip dumpling in sauce and put it back on the spoon.
4. Poke or bite a hole at the top of the dumpling and suck some of the soup out to prevent it from exploding all at once! Be careful not to burn yourself.
5. Consume the remains of the dumpling in a single bite when some of the heat from the soup is dispelled!
I also learned that Shanghai has another unique kind of soup dumpling that is pan fried. Unfortunately given our short time in China I wasn’t able to try it out. But if you’ve got the chance be sure to check out Yang’s Fried Dumplings, which comes highly recommended! Do you have a favorite xiao long bao restaurant in Shanghai or where you live? Let me know! I definitely have great memories growing up of eating xiao long bao in Flushing, New York with my family!