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The Perfect Soup Dumpling
By Meredith Arthur and Eric Slatkin
Andrea Nguyen, chef and author of Asian Dumplings, takes CHOW to Shanghai Dumpling King in San Francisco for what she considers the perfect xiao long bao, or Shanghai soup dumpling. Chef and owner Lu Kuang has been making them for 25 years. Andrea chats with him in the kitchen, then explains how Lu gets the soup on the inside of the dumplings. Plus, the most important information: how to eat them without losing all the soup.
Thanks for the video of Shanghai Dumpling King ! It's terrific ! I am a constant there. Just returned from Shanghai in November (2010) and had the pleasure of eating at Din Ta Fung 4 times. After trying XlB at various other places in town Shanghai King reigns Supreme. Chuck
Though I am a white Jewish girl, I have been eating xbl the right way for 10 years- taught to me by the manager at Joe's Shanghai in Flushing, NY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fIN_SQgphk
There is a METHODOLOGY to XiaoLongBao? Sheesh.
Yep, there are many ways to eat XLB. I advise people to poke the hole first because if you make a hole with your teeth, the hot steam from inside may burn. If that happens, you may not want to eat more. Those of you who bite the hole are graduate level XLB eaters.
Defining dumplings is a tough thing to do. XLB are members of the family of bao, which is often translated into English as buns. But...+READ
Yep, there are many ways to eat XLB. I advise people to poke the hole first because if you make a hole with your teeth, the hot steam from inside may burn. If that happens, you may not want to eat more. Those of you who bite the hole are graduate level XLB eaters.
Defining dumplings is a tough thing to do. XLB are members of the family of bao, which is often translated into English as buns. But XLB share the fundamental characteristics of pot stickers. Both are composed of a filling encased in wrapper of some sort. Pot stickers are considered a type of dumpling in English, so why can't XLB?
As for my Mandarin, I'm not a native speaker and this "Perfect" is not about perfect Chinese language skills. However, I tried my best to communicate to the people at this restaurant. As with many other dumpling makers out there, these folks work hard to make a darn good dumpling. They deserve recognition for their efforts.-COLLAPSE
I think I am less of a food chow elite, than just someone enjoy foods. It does not bother me that this lady cannot speak good Chinese. When did we turn into French? We should applaud people learning to speak a different language and not making fun for it. French do that, not us. I also don't think it matters if these are technically NOT the best dumplings. That was a compliment. People say that...+READ
I think I am less of a food chow elite, than just someone enjoy foods. It does not bother me that this lady cannot speak good Chinese. When did we turn into French? We should applaud people learning to speak a different language and not making fun for it. French do that, not us. I also don't think it matters if these are technically NOT the best dumplings. That was a compliment. People say that all the time.
What gets me is the way she teaches us how to eat Xiao Long Bao the unofficial way. Every one can eat their food, their own way and really I cannot say what way works best for her. If Xiao Long Bao tastes better to her by poking a hole. Good for her. However, it is a mistake to teach viewers this method as if this the official method.
Let me give an example. Most people eat steaks with knife and fork. Maybe someone like to eat them with their hands. Maybe it is more enjoyable to the person. If this person want to tell others that she finds it more enjoyable to eat it this way, that is ok too. However, please don't confuse people that eating steaks with hand is the common official way to do so. It is not, and poking a hole like that is definitely not official. She is welcomed to teach this method as an alternative method, but not as the official method.-COLLAPSE
I really enjoyed watching this and it made me hungry. Who cares if her Mandarin isn't the best, or she didn't eat it properly, it's not the top place, or the most skilled chef. If you have something better then put it out there.
I would never eat my soup dumpling like that...totally defeats the point.
hong_kong_foodie, I'm guessing that you don't frequent Los Angeles because Din Tai Fung is quite controversial here, and is by no means considered the best. (Though they certainly are the most expensive). There are many other places widely regarded as having much better XLB than Din Tai Fung, not the least of which is the tiny mom & pop shop called Dean Sin World on Garfield.
And 1963911,...+READ
hong_kong_foodie, I'm guessing that you don't frequent Los Angeles because Din Tai Fung is quite controversial here, and is by no means considered the best. (Though they certainly are the most expensive). There are many other places widely regarded as having much better XLB than Din Tai Fung, not the least of which is the tiny mom & pop shop called Dean Sin World on Garfield.
And 1963911, Minotaar, djtopaz, n3wtype, hong_kong_foodie and ESPECIALLY xpicassox,... xiao long bao are NOT dumplings! The are a type of Chinese bun.
Mr Taster-COLLAPSE
This woman's last name is Nguyen, which I'm quite sure is Vietnamese, so lets not blame her for having awful Mandarin. However, this fact severely undermines her credibility as a connoisseur of Chinese foods. If you notice, the chef's Mandarin has an accent as well (I'm kind of sure it's a Cantonese accent, maybe someone can verify), which further questions the legitimacy of his product and this...+READ
This woman's last name is Nguyen, which I'm quite sure is Vietnamese, so lets not blame her for having awful Mandarin. However, this fact severely undermines her credibility as a connoisseur of Chinese foods. If you notice, the chef's Mandarin has an accent as well (I'm kind of sure it's a Cantonese accent, maybe someone can verify), which further questions the legitimacy of his product and this video as a whole. I know I'm nitpicking here, this really shouldn't matter.
What matters however are the quality of the dumplings, I must agree with hong_kong_foodie's criticisms (which are very accurate might I add) that they are indeed far from "perfect". Furthermore, for anyone who is impressed with the chef's "technique", I'd just like to suggest that they're in fact very amateur. Just about every chef in China can perform better with their eyes closed, since the competition makes details like dumpling skins of the same thickness and folds of perfect ratio bare minimums. Surely, some of those chefs have restaurants open in North America no?
Chow really needs to stick to foods that they're familiar with, especially when dealing with a sensitive topic such as "the perfect". Otherwise, make sure the reviewer has an extensive knowledge of the food in question, and not someone who says "I've watched lots of people make them, lolz".
This video belongs in "You're doing it all wrong".-COLLAPSE
uh...why would anyone ever poke a hole into a XLB with soup inside? That is just blasphemy!
The XLB from that restaurant don't look that great. I'm not saying that the perfect XLB can't exist outside of China/Asia but the ones from the video are not it...
"HOW MUCH are Those DUMPLINGS??????????!"
If they are more than $3.00 for 5, "Forget it."
In the Lower East Side and Chinatown in NEW YORK, there are a
number of Dumpling Houses that make the most Amazing Pork Dumplings for just one Dollar of an order of Five. "Yes, that's right, I said, an order of 5 Tasty Pork Dumplings for just $1.00 .. You can't beat that anywhere !!!!!!!! One order is...+READ
"HOW MUCH are Those DUMPLINGS??????????!"
If they are more than $3.00 for 5, "Forget it."
In the Lower East Side and Chinatown in NEW YORK, there are a
number of Dumpling Houses that make the most Amazing Pork Dumplings for just one Dollar of an order of Five. "Yes, that's right, I said, an order of 5 Tasty Pork Dumplings for just $1.00 .. You can't beat that anywhere !!!!!!!! One order is enough for a Lite Meal, and 2 orders will fill up most normal people.
I'm beginning to think that LES of New York might very well be the
"Dumpling Capital of the World" !!!!!!-COLLAPSE
Agreed with Minotaar - this woman has no idea how to eat the dumpling. Sure there are different ways, but the way she does it is not the way it's done in Asia at all. The way that Minotaar described is one of the most common ways and it makes sense why the dumplings are savored in that fashion.
Also, to truly test whether the dumpling is made well, you use your chopsticks to pick up the...+READ
Agreed with Minotaar - this woman has no idea how to eat the dumpling. Sure there are different ways, but the way she does it is not the way it's done in Asia at all. The way that Minotaar described is one of the most common ways and it makes sense why the dumplings are savored in that fashion.
Also, to truly test whether the dumpling is made well, you use your chopsticks to pick up the dumpling by the top "pinch" and not by the sides of the dumpling. A truly well made xiao long bao will not break but still have plenty of broth inside despite swishing around in paper thin skin.
Finally, the restaurant featured in this clip makes awful xiao long bao. The skin is very thick and too opaque, there is too little broth, and the folds on the dumplings are not uniform at all.
Probably the only place in the states that *consistently* make a decent xiao long bao is Din Tai Fung in LA, but alas, their xiao long bao are still a far cry from what you get at their other outlets across Asia or other places for that matter.-COLLAPSE
Out here in the NW, I go to Trader Joe's for their pot stickers, and make into soup with bok choy, onion, garlic, ginger and chicken stock - big hit !
Minotaar, I poke a hole in my dumpling, let it cool a bit (although I always get burned anyway!), then I suck the soup out. mmmmm yummy! But everyone has different ways of eating it. I also don't dunk the whole dumpling in the sauce. Instead, I open up the seam on top and drop a bit inside and on top of the dumpling.
A) This woman's chinese is horrible. She barely speaks.
B) She doesnt know how to eat soup dumplings. Poking a hole in them and pouring the soup out defeats the purpose of putting the soup in the dumpling in the first place.
How to eat soup dumplings:
1) Put the dumpling on your spoon. 2) Bite off the top piece of skin, leaving a small hole in the dumpling. Make sure that you do not compromise...+READ
A) This woman's chinese is horrible. She barely speaks.
B) She doesnt know how to eat soup dumplings. Poking a hole in them and pouring the soup out defeats the purpose of putting the soup in the dumpling in the first place.
How to eat soup dumplings:
1) Put the dumpling on your spoon. 2) Bite off the top piece of skin, leaving a small hole in the dumpling. Make sure that you do not compromise the whole skin; just make a hole. 3) Let it cool briefly, perhaps for 15 seconds. Blowing on it helps. 4) Eat the whole thing in one bite.-COLLAPSE
I absolutely LOVE these. I get them at John's Shanghai in NYC. Delicious!
Ahh I'm drooling all over my keyboard, that was an awsome video, thank you so much! I am gonna make some dumplings but using lardo as the key fat ingredient with pork and garlic chives. I'll let you know how it turns out.
This woman's chinese is god-awful.
In ipsedixit's absence, I would like to assert that XLB are not dumplings. They are actually considered buns (as in xiao long BAO)... bao=buns, like char siu baozi. Note how the shape of the bready steamed pork baozi or shen jian bao are simply jumbo-fied versions of XLB. In Chinese cuisine the shape of the starchy covering defines it's identity, not whether it's a noodle or a bread. So there ya...+READ
In ipsedixit's absence, I would like to assert that XLB are not dumplings. They are actually considered buns (as in xiao long BAO)... bao=buns, like char siu baozi. Note how the shape of the bready steamed pork baozi or shen jian bao are simply jumbo-fied versions of XLB. In Chinese cuisine the shape of the starchy covering defines it's identity, not whether it's a noodle or a bread. So there ya go.
Mr Taster-COLLAPSE
It would have been nice if you explained what goes in the filling..
As with xiao long bao themselves, there is no "one perfect" way to eat them. Everyone is free to use their own method. There are many variables at work. The thickness of the dumpling skin, viscosity of the pork liquid, quality of chopsticks, dexterity and experience of the dumpling eater, depth of steam basket and width of spoon, choice of condiments - they all play parts in the logistics,...+READ
As with xiao long bao themselves, there is no "one perfect" way to eat them. Everyone is free to use their own method. There are many variables at work. The thickness of the dumpling skin, viscosity of the pork liquid, quality of chopsticks, dexterity and experience of the dumpling eater, depth of steam basket and width of spoon, choice of condiments - they all play parts in the logistics, development and sheer mecahnics of xiao long bao consumption!
My method at Din Tai Fung in Arcadia, CA: gently lift XLB "fork lift style" (sliding chopsticks under and lifting straight up) into spoon. While holding spoon in one hand, use chopsticks with other to dip ginger into vinegar. Pile vinegared bits of ginger on top of XLB. Nip a tiny hoie in dumpling with teeth, suck out the soup, then tip rest into mouth and eat.
I could never poke a hole in the dumplings at Din Tia Fung like she does. Their skins are too sticky and starchy and the chopsticks cheap; it would be total destruction. However, at other XLB joints this works. I know people who just pick 'em up with their hands and pop 'em right in their mouth, too. Yikes.
Yes, I take XLB *that* seriously!-COLLAPSE
That's probably the most hunger-inducing video I've seen on Chow. Fantastic.
Mmmm... those look fabulous! I wish I had the ability to make dumplings with such speed... I would make them myself more often, but it turns out to be quite a time-consuming endeavour, and usually one which results in painful quantities of overeating :-).
I agree that chinkiang vinegar is essential to the enjoyment of dumplings (and also steamed / pan fried buns). I wouldn't compare it to...+READ
Mmmm... those look fabulous! I wish I had the ability to make dumplings with such speed... I would make them myself more often, but it turns out to be quite a time-consuming endeavour, and usually one which results in painful quantities of overeating :-).
I agree that chinkiang vinegar is essential to the enjoyment of dumplings (and also steamed / pan fried buns). I wouldn't compare it to balsamic vinegar, but it has a delightfully sharp and tangy taste to it that compliments a meat filled dumpling perfectly.-COLLAPSE
Great feature!