Xiaolongbao are dumplings filled with soup and other filling (typically pork, but sometimes crab or other stuff). These dumplings are usually associated with the region of China in or around Shanghai.
It was one of my favorite foods while living in Shanghai. It was super cheap there, and there was one place I went to that was like open almost 24 hours a day. We’d go there pretty often after a night out. I want to say that it was somewhere on West Jianguo Road, maybe near Gao’an Road.
Eating
How do you eat xiaolongbao without spilling the soup all over yourself? Usually you pick up the xiaolongbao with your chopsticks, take a bite out of the side, and then suck out the soup. Then you typically dip the xiaolongbao in a dish of vinegar (not soy sauce!).
Also, I don’t know if this is traditional, but you can also add chili flakes to the vinegar if you want more of a kick. My friend Carl showed me this, but he’s not from Shanghai and I don’t remember if I saw many others do this as well. On the other hand, the food stalls had chili flakes for a reason.
Making Xiaolongbao
I’ll need to add a recipe at some point. I’ve tried making xiaolongbao with mixed results, the biggest problem being that I made the xiaolongbao too big. Shaping the dumpling is definitely a craft I haven’t learned yet.
If you’re wondering how they get the soup in the dumplings, the trick is to make the dumpling filling with a frozen soup gelatin. I did this with broth and agar. When you steam the dumplings, the broth/agar liquifies and becomes a soup.
Oh, and the other thing I f’d up when making XLB was I added egg to the dough, which seemed to make the dough too yellow.
In the US
You can get xiaolongbao in the US, but it’s a lot more expensive. That alone is one the main reasons I enjoy it less here, but I also think it’s usually not quite as good for other reasons like:
- Serving them in tin foil cups
- Trying to make the dough too thin (making it rip easily and giving it less chew).
- Literally not having enough soup in it, or maybe oversteaming them so all the soup escapes.
Here are some places I’ve gotten xiaolongbao in the US (and what I remember about them):
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Din Tai Fung
Got this in Santa Clara at Valley Fair during the pandemic. I think the xiaolongbao were all right, but I think they were just way more expensive.
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United Dumplings in Berkeley
I really didn’t like the xiaolongbao here because they were served in tin foil cups, and the skin was so thin and sticky that it tore. The place had just opened up, so maybe they’ve gotten better.
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Nan Xiang Express in Boston
Got this in July 2023. As far as XLB goes, I think this place is the best I had in the US so far. Mainly because they focused a lot on xiaolongbao specifically, and they had the right condiments on the side like vinegar in a small dish. Price-wise I think it was decent too, maybe a bit cheaper than SF and the XLB were larger as well. Obviously not as good as the place I’d get in Shanghai, but not SF prices either.
XLB on a spoon from Nan Xiang Express. Underneath is a dish with vinegar and chili. 
Six xiaolongbao in a to-go container. These XLB were pretty sizeable. Also, we got them to-go because it seemed like it would be hard to get seating inside. -
Din Ding Dumpling House in Union City (map)
Went here on 2024-07-26. Probably the best xiaolongbao I’ve had in the Bay Area. Like, the xiaolongbao were a good size, the texture of the dough was good, there was a good amount of soup. I often like feel in the US xiaolongbao isn’t worth it because you’ll often get a small serving. This place wasn’t like that at all.
XLB from Din Ding Dumpling House in Union City. Taken on 2024-07-26. I need to add some more pictures. The interior decor of the place was pretty good too.
They also have chocolate and strawberry dumplings as a dessert, and these were surprisingly pretty good.
