If Beijing has Peking Duck, Shanghai has Xiaolong bao to be proud of. People go crazy over this steamed bun (baozi). Xiaolongbao 小笼包 – soup dumplings) got its name from "xiaolong" which is a small bamboo steaming basket. Because of its popularity, one can easily find this food in Shanghai like the famous store in Yuyuan Market which is always with long queue.
For the The Most Authentic XIAOLONGBAO Experience though, one should heed to Nanxiang where the famous dish originated. Nanxiang is a suburb of Shanghai which is easily accessible via Shanghai Metro.
The Most Authentic XIAOLONGBAO (小笼包)
This was our final attempt to try something different in Shanghai before leaving for Nanjing. We already checked out of our hostel so we were carrying our heavy backpacks. We were not expecting it to be a bit tough (akala namin pagbaba ng tren hello Xiaolongbao Street na di pala. We had to walk around two kilometers or so at noontime pa) but it was worth it nonetheless.
HOW TO GET TO NANXIANG
So how do you get to Nanxiang from downtown Shanghai , say in reference to East Nanjing Road.?
1. Take East Nanjing Road Station (line 2)
2. Transfer to line 11 at Jiangsu Rd. Station
3. Head to Nanxiang Station
3. Head to Nanxiang Station
4. Exit on the left (on the side of the Mall)
5. Facing the mall, go down the stairs on the left.
6. follow the road on the left side of the mall, go straight for a 10-minute walk
crossing an intersection after the mall.
7. Cross that intersection and go straight.
8. It's a long walk to the next intersection. Once you see the gate of Guyi Garden, you are only a few meters away.
9. Turn right on the intersection after Guyi Garden and you can see one restaurant after another selling Xiaolongbao.
1st intersection
the long walk with the end on the 2nd intersection where you should be going
entrance to Guyi Gardens
the 2nd intersection ---no need to cross, just turn right
saw these women preparing xiaolongbao in a nearby restaurant
We picked the first restaurant which only God knows what its name is.haha! It was a little past noon when we arrived. The restaurant has something like six big tables that could accommodate around 6pax each. Other than a group of four people, we were the only one at that time.
Xiaolongbao here in Nanxiang are served in bamboo steaming basket. Steaming hot and perfectly shaped unlike the ones for take out at Yuyuan Garden where there's no bothering if the dumplings are out of shape when tossed into Styrofoams.
Our first xiaolongbao experience in Yuyuan Garden was our referrence. There seem to be no difference in taste at first bite but you can notice the distinction when you start chewing. There seem to be more sophistication in their recipe. It's multi-layers of flavor. And the meat seem more tasty as well. To be honest, I didn't enjoy our first xiaolongbao experience in Shanghai. Medyo nasuya ako but this one, I vigorously ate one piece after another ---all 10 pcs while my wife took care of the rest. We resisted not ordering another set. Small pieces but quite filling actually. No need for rice.
The long journey to Nanxiang and the anxious search for this street was definitely worth the effort. Now I am convinced that xiaolongbao is indeed the pride food of Shanghai and no better way to experience it but in Nanxiang where is actually originated.
We flew in Shanghai via
AirAsia Zest which flies daily to Pudong International Airport.
Be sure not to miss on their promo fares
by logging in to http://www.airasia.com/ph/en/home.page .
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More on Shanghai Soon! ^^
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