SAN FRANCISCO — My mouth watered in anticipation as the waiter placed a large bamboo steamer in front of us. Inside, nestled on top of napa cabbage leaves were ten succulent little soup dumplings waiting for me to eat up.
Known as Xiao Long Bao, or Shanghai steamed dumplings, these labor-intensive dumplings of love are a favorite among foodies, and for good reason. Once you bite through the thin, smooth skin, your mouth is flooded with a shock of hot, rich broth and a savory pork filling.
Shanghai Dumpling King’s Xiao Long Baos are appropriately delicate, juicy and satisfying. The swift churning out of their house specialty helps to ensure that you will get a fresh batch out of the steamer.
Smaller than those I’ve previously encountered, I was at first disappointed with their diminutive size, but I quickly realized the genius behind it: I could pop the whole dumpling in my mouth and experience the explosion of intensely tasty, hot soup without wasting a single drop. The smaller size also provides a strategic health benefit. The dumplings are able to cool faster, effectively preventing the common case of burning one’s mouth in the excitement of getting XLBs into one’s tummy. So smart, Dumpling King.
The Hangzhou Crab And Pork Steamed Dumplings similarly contained flavorful soup, but sadly, were not as juicy. I was also left wishing the filling had more substantial amounts of crab in it. The bit of crab roe on top added a nice touch of color, though (I’m a sucker for presentation). A few dollars more expensive than the standard Pork XLB — and with a fewer pieces given — I would rather have had another steamer of the classic version. In fact, an entire meal of just Xiao Long Bao would be totally acceptable, and possibly preferable.
The Scallion Pancakes sprinkled with sesame seeds were a miss. They were too thick and not full enough of the green onion flavor I expected. The Beef Chow Mein was respectable, with tenderized and well-seasoned meat, but the dish was nothing spectacular.
The Spicy Chive And Pork Dumplings were ok, although again, they didn’t hold a candle to the Xiao Long Bao. The thicker skin of these boiled dumplings had a nice balance of chewiness and tenderness, and they were served with an array of fragrant accoutrements: fried garlic, scallions, sesame seeds and a pool of tangy, spicy sauce. I was pleasantly surprised that the fiery-looking chili oil was not too hot. Be forewarned though, this is an oily dish.
Towards the end of the meal, a server came around to each table offering plates of egg puff — huge sugar-dusted balls of fried temptation. It was ambiguous as to whether these were complimentary … It seemed like every table got one.
No, not free. Just a brilliant marketing ploy to make sure everyone sees these golden beauties. Who could refuse freshly fried dough covered in exorbitant amounts of sugar dangling right before your nose? Clearly not me. I would have never thought to order these off the menu, so I’m glad I’m a sucker for direct marketing. These little bombs were delightfully airy and the texture was more like a light eggy custard than dough.
The owners are hoping to expand to another location in The City in the near future. Fingers crossed it happens soon. More Xiao Long Baos for all!
–
Visit Lick My Spoon for more food reviews, recipes, and food musings from Asian Eats writer Stephanie Im.
Shanghai Dumpling King
3319 Balboa Street
(between 34th Ave & 35th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 387-2088
……….
Hours:
Monday, Wednesday-Friday, 11:00 am-9:00 pm
Saturday-Sunday, 10:00 am-9:00 pm
Mandarin Scallion Pancakes
Recipe adapted from Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking
Lazy Cook’s Note: Be creative with your flavorings. If you don’t have green onions or cilantro on hand, parsley or chives will work fine. If you don’t have shallots, try yellow or red onion. A little garlic never hurt anyone either.
Ingredients:
½ cup boiling water
1 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus more for kneading the dough
3 teaspoons cold water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ cup vegetable oil
3-4 shallots, thinly sliced
2 green onions trimmed, and sliced thinly on the bias
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
Cornstarch for dusting
Dipping Sauce:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon spice vinegar
1 tablespoon ginger, julienned
Preparation:
Pour the boiling water over the flour in a medium bowl and mix as best as you can. Add the cold water and stir until the dough is evenly moistened. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and satiny, about 5 minutes. Re-flour the surface and your hands as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Return the dough to a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
Stir the sesame oil and vegetable oil together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Sautee the shallots with a little oil in a pan until they are soft and lightly caramelized. Mix together in a small bowl with the green onions, cilantro, and salt.
Cut the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll one portion of the dough into a circle 5 to 6 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick. Brush the dough circle with a thin film of the reserved oil. Sprinkle about one quarter of the shallots and herb mixture over the dough and roll the dough into a cylinder (like a jellyroll).
Coil the dough cylinder into a round patty and tuck end of dough cylinder under the patty.
Lightly dust your work surface with cornstarch. Roll the patty out to a 1/8-inch-thick circle, dusting with more cornstarch as necessary to prevent sticking. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Heat a skillet wide enough to fit a cake comfortably over medium heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Slip a cake into the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining cakes, adding more oil as needed. Slice each pancake into 6 wedges and serve hot.
Makes 4 cakes.
Way to go! You got my mouth watering with your description of those soup dumplings. Shanghai Dumpling King sounds like a great spot to try out. Thanks for the review.
Yeah, I personally know Stephanie Im and she is the last person in the wolrd that should be writing for Asian week. She cares nothing about the Asian-American community and is using this just to further her career.