Restaurant Review: Shanghai Dumpling House

Soup dumplings (a.k.a. xiao long bao, 小籠包) have finally reached mainstream taste buds, and it’s about time. These hot, juicy dumplings have taken a backseat to wontons, gyoza, and mandu for decades now. Truth is, the only thing soup dumplings have in common with the others is that they consist of a delicious meat filling wrapped in thin dough. The kicker: soup dumplings, well…have soup in them.

The liquid within xiao long bao is actually thanks to aspic, a gelatin made out of meat stock, folded into the meat mixture. When the dumplings are steamed, the gelatin melts – tenderizing the meat filling and flooding the inside of the dough.

Our favorite soup dumpling spot in Central Jersey is Shanghai Dumpling House (上海小籠). We’ve been here a handful of times, even brought my picky parents here for dinner after a two hour drive and they thoroughly enjoyed it. We’ve tried the crab and pork filling dumplings in the past, but our favorite is the simpler version of just pork. Served along the typical chinkiang vinegar infused with ginger slivers, my mouth waters just thinking about these soul-warming dumplings.

Beyond xiao long bao, scallion pancakes are a nobrainer when you visit a Shanghainese restaurant. The traditional ones are delicious at Shanghai Dumpling House, but refrain from ordering them because the beef scallion pancake wrap is out of this world. I was skeptical too the first time a friend recommended it. Surely she must be crazy, deciding for the entire table that we’ll have the beef scallion pancake wrap instead of the beloved, normal one. I was dead wrong.

Crunchy outside, slightly chewy inside, savory from the scallion and beef, sweetened by the hoisin sauce – I’m in heaven when I eat these. Less like a pancake, more like a sandwich made for the Gods. I would boldly say the beef scallion pancake is almost as important of a dish to Shanghai Dumpling House as their soup dumplings.

The love was craving noodle soup, and I was eyeing the spicy beef tendon at a nearby table while waiting, so we ordered both alongside our staples.

I have an affinity for offal, so I had no complaints for the spicy beef tendon. As a tip, this is a cold dish, in case you’re used to warm entrails. As for the spicy minced pork noodle soup, my love was wolfing it down, so he must’ve liked it. These two dishes are quite similar in taste though, both made with a Chinese chili sauce. I personally wouldn’t have ordered them together if I were eating both, but I wasn’t. I advise you choose a different appetizer or noodle soup if you’re opting for one of these, so the flavor doesn’t get bland. Also, being how spicy it was and topped with loads of meat, I would’ve liked to see more veggies in the noodle soup – just to balance out the dish.

All in all, we were happy with our extra choices, and certainly ecstatic with our usuals. Another feel-good meal from Shanghai Dumpling House was had, and we certainly will return soon for more delicious dumplings.

Pro Tips:

• If you visit during regular lunch/dinner hours, you’ll most likely have a wait time averaging 20 minutes. Avoid by going at off-peak hours.
• To prevent premature popping of your soup dumpling (I’ve had many of these instances!), use your chopsticks to gently pick up the xiao long bao at the top tip, and have your spoon ready to place it on there.

Restaurant Info:

• Address: 1581 NJ-27, Edison, NJ 08817
• Menu: Shanghai Dumpling House Menu