One of the top ten things I missed about Shanghai are the 小笼包 xiao long bao. Soft and delicate, it sits in a spoon like a pillow. Every xiao long bao also holds a delightful surprise: there's a spoonful of delicate hot soup. It consists of a ball of minced pork mixed with small chunks of cooled, soldified broth gelée, sometimes with an added dollop of crab or crab roe, When the dumplings are steamed, the gelatin liquefies back to gracious soup. Each skillfully wrapped in a pleated flour dough skin where it involves a labor-intensive balancing act of timing, texture and temperature. There is a lot that can go wrong. The dumpling must be assembled on the spot. The flour wrapper, in the wrong hands, can turn out doughy and thick, or thin and breakable, the meatballs too rubbery, the soup too greasy.
 |
Drunken Chicken is good too
|
 |
| The infamous Din tai fung is good enough to satisfy my sudden cravings anywhere in the globe. |
It's not easy to find good xiao long bao nowadays even in Shanghai. The glorified Yu Yuan Garden xiao long baos are one of the worst ones you can try. With luck, you might stumble randomly upon the masquerading humble snack at the corner of the streets.
 |
| Din Tai Fung Pork Chop Noodles |
 |
| Cravings satisfied with my eating buddy. |
With its international cult status, you need not be in Shanghai to savour the authenticity. The infamous Din tai fung is good enough to satisfy my sudden cravings anywhere in the globe. And if you are in Shanghai, I will also recommend 斗香园 by the 苏浙汇group.
斗香园 Puxi
| 长宁区遵义路100号虹桥百盛风味坊（近紫云路） |
Tel：62370021
斗香园 Pudong
|
蓝天路518号
Tel: 50305377
Till next post, SS.
Labels: din tai fung, Shanghai dumplings, xiao long bao
