OK, “soupy dumpling” isn’t a real culinary term—we just made that up, so sue us. The proper name for these delicious morsels is xiao long bao, or XLB as the young people say. Originally a Shanghai treat, XLB look similar to the kind of dumplings you’d find in dim sum. But through the magic of chemistry, the gelatinous filling separates during the steaming process, flooding the near-translucent skins with broth.
Packed with crab, pork or a mixture of both, these little suckers are quite rich, but they’re cut with a vinegar sauce and ginger slices, which accompany every order. The de facto place for XLB is Din Tai Fung, an international Taiwanese (go figure) chain. The Arcadia restaurant is so popular that they recently opened a new location—right next door. And there are lines snaking out of both locations. While this XLB hub turns out a quality product, we’ve found another hotbed that—dare we say—we like even better.
Prospect Plaza in San Gabriel looks like any other strip mall, but what lies within is a food wonderland. In addition to a Beard Papa and a Lollicup, three restaurants serve popular renditions of XLB. While we first suspected they might all be using the same kitchen, each restaurant actually offers a different take. In fact, xiao long bao aren’t labeled as such on any of the menus, but the server will know what you’re after.
Mei Long Village: This restaurant is kind of fancy in the way that your grandparents’ favorite restaurant in the ’80s was—lots of murals and fake plants. It’s definitely pricier than its neighbors too, but the XLB is refined and tasty.
Dragon Mark: The atmosphere is fun and homey, but we think the XLB may be pre-made: When we visited, the tops were all dried out. Lucky for us, the vinegar sauce is insane. We practically drank it straight.
J&J: Clearly the most authentically Shanghai restaurant (if the pictures of the city aren’t a giveaway, the menu is), J&J serves XLB in two variations, pork or crab. The pork is better. The vinegar isn’t super-flavorful, but the superb XLB doesn’t need it. Hands down, it's our favorite and a clear winner over Din Tai Fung. We know, we were surprised too.
Katherine Spiers is a contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles. She just recently stomped through Shanghai in an XLB frenzy, so she knows whereof she speaks.
