I first heard about the Shanghai Dumpling King about a year ago, from my friend Kathy's sister, who used to live in the neighborhood. It is the kind of place that is on a random residential street, next to practically nothing, with a sign does nothing to differentiate it from a million other places found in the city.
Stepping inside feels like you have teleported to Asia. It's crowded, unglamorous, cold, dingy, and bustling. The only difference is that they actually give you napkins instead of you having to bring your own.
The food in Northern China differs from Southern Chinese cuisine (like Cantonese) in that you see more noodles and dumplings, versus rice. It's also spicier and more oily. You will find more pickled things, which makes sense that they would use more preserved foods in a colder climate. Shanghainese food, which is from Eastern China, is kind of a mix of different Chinese styles, with one outstanding dish that I could eat over and over for all eternity: soup dumplings, or Xiaolongbao. These delicate dumplings have a medium weight outer skin, housing a flavorful broth and some minced meat, usually pork. It is served with a dipping sauce of rice vinegar with slivers of ginger.
If the Shanghai Dumpling King served nothing but these, I would be happy. As it happens, they have some other delicious dishes, including (surprise!) more noodles and dumplings.
These are pan-fried pork dumplings with chives and sesame - a less messy version of soup dumplings, with a thicker skin, and almost as good:
These lovely pillows are made with a wide, soft, noodle-like skin, and served in a spicy sesame oil sauce. They are extrememly slippery and a challenge for the chopsticks, but well worth it:
I love these Shanghai-style thick noodles. So flavorful and satisfying, with a great chew.
This beef dish, served with rice for a change, has an amazing sauce:
Throughout the meal, the servers offer plates of freshly made fried dough, covered with sugar. Some people find them too decadent, but I can never resist. The inside is custard-like, similar to a popover, and the outside is crispy-delicious. Eating one has all of the satisfaction of a Krispy Kreme, which is the perfect ending to a savory, indulgent meal.
I miss my yearly trips to Shanghai, so I am glad that when the craving strikes me, I can drive 10 minutes to Shanghai Dumpling King and get my fix. This enormous meal (including Jasmine tea and an order of pickled bok choi) was around $35, so it's the right price, too. Definitely beats a 14 hour plane ride and jet lag!
