Last Saturday, inspired by Anthony Bourdain and other food adventurists, we took off in search of Shanghai's best Xiaolongbao and Tang Bao.
Xiaolongbao (xiao long bao), are a true Shanghai specialty. They are bite sized dumplings filled with soup and housing a small ball of pork. Quality dumplings are served boiling hot. Pop them in your mouth at your own peril. The little balls will explode in a giant burst of hot oily soup. Eat safely by dipping in vinegar, setting on a spoon, biting a hole in the side, and sucking the soup right out. Seth daringly sets his Xiaolongbao in his vinegar dish for a few moments then tosses them into his mouth. He prefers to absorb the flavors all together.
Xiaolongbao are fairly easy to find and we've been enjoying them since our arrival in Shanghai. Long before we arrived, however, we heard about its cousin, the mighty Tang Bao: a massive dumpling filled with hot soup and served with a straw. We were truly surprised to find that the Tang Bao is the Loch Ness Monster of Chinese dishes. Only a handful of people claimed to have tasted a Tang Bao though none could remember exactly where, and most knowledgeable people only heard rumors of their existence. After it became clear that Tang Bao really wasn't all that well known we did a bunch of man-on-the-street interviews and found that most people had no idea what we were talking about. A typical conversation (in Chinese) went like this:
Liz: Where can we get Tang Bao?
Man-on-Street: You can get Xiaolongbao at...
Liz: No, not Xiaolongbao, Tang Bao
M-o-S: You mean Xiaolongbao?
Liz: No, a BIG dumpling with SOUP in it. (by the way, 'Xiao' means little.)
M-o-S: Oh, Xiaolongbao!
Liz: (gesturing with hands around a large imaginary dumpling) Big! Not little! Big!
M-o-S: (shaking head) I have no idea what you're talking about.
Our Review
Here's our first attempt as food critics. We hope you enjoy our guide to soup dumplings. Let us know which dumplings look the most mouth watering. Leave a recommendation if you know of other great dumpling joints.
Jia Jia Tang Bao (Go early. They sell out by 1:00)
90 Huanghe Lu by Feng Yang Lu (around the corner from the Park Hotel)
This place specializes in serving Xiaolongbao hot and fresh. They prepare them after you order, right before your eyes. The dough is perfect, thin and translucent, not gummy and not too tough. The bags are perfectly shaped teardrops, each one pinched lightly at the top. In addition to pork, this place also serves crab and shrimp dumplings. We tried a crab-pork mix and found that while delicious the crab absorbed the soup and left the dumpling a little hollow.
In this slide show: Seth waiting for his dumplings. A very fancy English menu. Crab dumplings. (We ate our steaming hot pork Xiaolongbao so quickly, we didn't get a chance to snap a photo.) Seth wants more dumpings!
Shanghai Ren Jia
Jing'an Temple Area 1600 Nanjing Lu near Changde Lu
Shanghai Ren Jia is located on the fourth floor of an office building, which is problematic because buildings do not have fourth floors. Four is the thirteen of China. Buildings usual skip all floors ending in four and phone numbers ending in four are cheaper, and often sold to foreigners. The restaurant got around the four issue by giving their floor a name rather than a number. See the slideshow.
Shanghai Ren Jia was one of two places we found serving Tang Bao. Our giant Tang Bao were filled with warm soup swimming with bits of pork. The dumpling dough was tough and thick. Like a bread bowl, it seemed the dough functioned just as housing for the soup and was not worth eating. We had a great time drinking them through straws but they are definitely not as delicious as Xiaolongbao.
They reminded us of fair food, novel, but impossible to eat regularly. Asking for Tang Bao in Shanghai is akin to asking where to buy funnel cake or elephant ears in the US. We've all eaten them but who knows where to find one?
In this slide show: We don't need no stinking fourth floor. Finally, a Giant Soup Dumpling! The restaurant's urinal deserves a 6-star Michelin rating!
Din Tai Fung
2F unit 11A South block Xintiandi
These were the best Xiaolongbao we tasted. However, they are ten times the price of Jia Jia Tang Bao's and only marginally better. The soup is rich and delicious. The bags are translucent and pinched perfectly at the top. The bags are so delicate, you must pick them up carefully. A false move and you'll pierce them with a chopstick, popping the bag and causing the hot soup to explode. This would be a fun place to bring a bunch of people and sample all the dumplings on the menu.
In this slide show: pictures from Din Tai Fung.
At this famous tourist destination, you can find both Tang Bao and Xiaolongbao. Many stalls sell Tang Bao, which were not served fresh. We found the dough dry and waxy and the soup oily and lukewarm. Shanghai Ren Jia's were much better.
The Xiaolongbao stall across from the giant water fountain is the most famous in Shanghai. You can't miss it. Look for the hour long line, crammed with Chinese tourists. Local Shanghainese are not impressed with this place and, after taking one nibble, we learned why. They're awful: thick, gooey, and bland. On the other hand, it's a real treat watching their operation in action!
In this slide show:
pictures from Yu Yuan Gardens.
Wang Jia Sha
Corner of NanjingXi Lu and Shimen Lu
Wag Jia Sha is a food court with mediocre dumplings. It is worth a stop if you're nearby but not worth a detour. The soup was tasty but a bit oily and the dumpling skin too robust.
In this slide show:
pictures of some mediocre dumplings.
[Insert Your Local Dumpling Joint Here]
Xiaolongbao joints are scattered all around Shanghai. These stands are not known for quality control. In any given order you will find fantastic Xiaolongbao on par with Jia Jia Tang Bao side by side with so-so dumplings.
In this slide show:
Some shots from our neighborhood joint at Gongyuan Rd. and Tianping Rd.
Labels: blogsherpa, China, Shanghai
Did you eat xiaolongbao and tangbao all day? I did that with my best Fodorite friend easytraveler (Andy has met her) in San Francisco, 4 places in 1 day, ate till we could hardly drive!
Ali said...
August 10, 2009 at 8:35 PM
Now this is great advance work! We plan to tilt at the tourist record for XLBs, and already sampled mediocre Boston and decent NYC offerings. Your fave is 2nd fave of guidebook, after nearby Crystal Jade, south block, Nanli 6-7, 2nd flr 12A&B. Such addresses are mystifying. Your photos start the cravings.
Beth said...
August 11, 2009 at 5:19 PM
those look delicious! Now I'm going to have to run down to China Town and find some.
Leslie Aiuvalasit said...
August 11, 2009 at 6:31 PM
As someone whose husband struck out on both tangbao and the 2009 eclipse in Shanghai (www.declipsechina.blogspot.com), I find your blog delicious in every way!
Carol said...
August 11, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Oh my goodness gracious! This is just too delicious. They look so much more delicious than Shanghai Joes in Chinatown... ENJOY every last bite YUMMY!
Rene said...
August 12, 2009 at 5:13 AM
Didn't I get an E-mail promising near daily updates? Has the planning for Yangshou cost us a post or two?
Andy said...
August 12, 2009 at 2:22 PM
I'm surprised at how rare the TBs seem to the man on the street since I thought they were reasonably standard. I've never seen ones with a straw though!
Allen said...
August 16, 2009 at 1:04 AM
Mybad, my dad confirms your observations. The TB is not that common on the mainland. He suspects it might be of Taiwanese origin.
Also, you can also refer to the 'xiao long tang bao' for the "little dragon soup dumplings" in mixed lingo.
Allen Lee said...
August 16, 2009 at 7:02 AM