Strong Opinions @marksbirch

Best way to describe last week’s dumpling tour?  The staff at the last restaurant had to roll us out of the restaurant because we were so stuffed full of Xiao Long Bao, or better known in these parts as soup dumplings!  I think I can still taste the faint flavor of dumplings a week later.

We came, we ate, we conquered.  And eating was certainly a big part of the evening’s festivities as we toured four Shanghai restaurants in NYC Chinatown seven days prior.  After the food coma wore off, our group of twelve voracious dumpling denizens picked their favorites of the tour across the categories of best dumpling, best scallion pancake, and best overall restaurant.  Even though the events were foggy and some details were lost in the hurricane of consumption, I am finally able to piece together the definitive guide of what is quality Xiao Long Bao territory in NYC Chinatown.  And just for fun, I have provided some additional categories to give you the full flavor of the tour!

• Best Dumping – Tough, tough category.  I personally liked Shanghai Gourmet for its appropriately sized offerings and authentic taste, our crew was split.  Some liked Joe’s Ginger, which offered bigger and soupier dumplings, while others preferred the Shanghai Asian Minor xiao long bao for its overall flavor.  In the end though, the votes were tallied and Shanghai Asian Minor is the audience favorite.
• Best Gluttonous Experience – Okay, maybe getting the Pork Shoulder with Honey Sauce at 456 Shanghai Cuisine was a bit extreme after already have eaten at three other places, but we had to do it.  Kind of like Bo Ssam but at a tenth of the price of what Momofuku Ssam offers, it was almost as delicious.  Indeed, this was really over the top though…
• Best Toga Run – We did not exactly dress up in togas and run down Mott Street or anything, but I did my best to rally the troops into a “Go Dumplings” sprint upon leaving for our next destination.  In the end though, I think I simply scared the bejesus out of several tourists.
• Best Awkward Moment – Hands down it goes to Joe’s Ginger.  They really expected us to order more than simply dumplings and scallion pancakes.  While I felt somewhat shameful, the dumpling tour had to go on and I told the waitstaff with a stoic face that we really just wanted the check.
• Best Scallion Pancake – Pretty much a disappointment across the board.  The best ones offer a nice crispness, a bit springy, a touch of grease, and the tanginess of the scallion.  However what we got were tough slabs of grease.  That being said though, Shanghai Asian Minor gets props for making a halfway decent offering.
• Best Talking Fishheads – I had dreams later that evening after the tour concluded where fish covered in spicy sauce were speaking to me and imploring me not to eat them.  It was only in the morning that I was recalling the awesome whole Yellow Croakers we feasted on at Shanghai Gourmet.  Definitely some good eats there and highly recommended.  
• Best Overall Restaurant – This is tough as everyone had their partisans, but Shanghai Asian Minor barely squeaked by in a neck by neck photo finish with Shanghai Gourmet, which takes second prize this time around.

Now that this tour is officially in the Dumpling Hall of Records, we can look forward to some more upcoming dumpling tours, including an omnibus dumpling tour across Chinatown in February.  This tour was a ton of fun though and we thank everyone that came out to the join us on this Xiao Long Boa road of discovery!  Happy Chinese New Year as well and eat well in this Year of the Dragon!