Soup dumplings – also known as xiao long bao – are insanely delicious. If you’ve never had them, you are missing out. Seriously.
So what are soup dumplings? Well, they are exactly what they sound like – dumplings full of soup… genius. These juicy dumplings are made by folding a thin circle of stretchy dough around a gelatin-rich meat filling, usually pork or pork and crab.
The dough is then gathered up and pleated into an adorable tiny swirled bun. As the dumplings are steamed, the gelatin-rich broth in the meat filling melts out and fills the steamed pod with savory soup.
But you’ve gotta be extra cautious when eating soup dumplings because of their delicate nature. Be sure to carefully suck out the soup before digging in the rest of the delicious dumpling.
Gif courtesy of youtube.com
We did our research and found the eight best spots in New York for soup dumplings. Check out some of the best soup dumplings in New York, in alphabetical order.
The Bao
The variety of soup dumplings at The Bao is wonderful – and the soup is hot and the skin is thin… my kind of soup dumplings. Be sure to try the pork soup dumplings. And The Bao also serves chocolate soup dumplings. These sweet, chocolatey dumplings are filled with chocolate (duh) and banana – definitely order an order (or two) for the table.
Joe’s Shanghai
The generously sized soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai – the most well-known soup dumpling spot in NYC – do not disappoint. The dumplings have the perfect ratio of meat to soup – be sure to try both the pork and the crab soup dumplings.
Kathy’s Dumplings
Photo courtesy of yelp.com
The soup dumplings at Kathy’s are made from scratch and made to order – now that’s how soup dumplings should be prepared. You must try the huge, juicy pork soup dumplings, which come in an order of four – they are perfectly salty and delicious. But be warned, Kathy’s has limited seating, so you might want to grab these bad boys to-go.
Kungfu Xiao Long Bao
Photo courtesy of yelp.com
The soup dumplings at Kungfu Xiao Long Bao have unbelievably thin skin, hot soup, and perfectly seasoned meat – a freakin’ dream come true. And similar to The Bao, Kungfu Xiao Long Bao serves chocolate soup dumplings, #holla. However, the soup dumplings here take a longer than expected to prepare, so be sure to order a few for the table as soon as you take a seat.
Nan Xiang Dumpling House
Photo courtesy of yelp.com
Shanghai Asian Cuisine
You cannot go wrong with the pork soup dumplings, but if you want to shake it up try the black truffle soup dumplings – a unique dumpling experience. Be sure to top your perfectly seasoned soup dumplings with their ginger vinegar soy sauce – soooo good.
Shanghai Cafe Deluxe
The pork soup dumplings at Shanghai Cafe Deluxe are flavorful, succulent and oh so fre$h. The dumpling skin is just thick enough to hold the meat and soup, which are both perfectly savory.
456 Shanghai Cuisine
This Chinatown classic serves perfectly bite-sized, perfectly delicious soup dumplings that come in an order of eight. These dumplings are not as soupy as the other NYC soup dumplings and also have a thicker skin than most, but they are not any less flavorful.