A Must-Try Guide to Shanghai’s Most Popular Delicacies: Crab Roe Pork Soup Dumplings & Pan-Fried Pork Buns

Text & Photos /Mazhi Xiaotu

In the past, whenever people visited Shanghai, they’d all say you had to try the famous Nanxiang Steamed Buns (Shanghai steamed buns = xiaolongbao / note) at Yu Garden. But they weren’t good — I never went back after one try. I’d pretty much lost faith in Shanghai soup dumplings after that. But once, while riding with a car service driver, he took me to a small eatery near his place, and the soup dumplings there were amazing. Also, the soup dumplings at authentic Shanghainese restaurants (like Shanghai Old Restaurant and Lao Jishi) were really good too. After that, I mostly had xiaolongbao in restaurants and rarely on the street.

※Note: In Shanghai, xiaolongbao and soup dumplings are also called “mantou,” but in Shanghai, “mantou” can refer to many different things, which often leads to confusion.

From 1992 until now, I’ve been to Shanghai 7–8 times at least, yet I had no memory of 【Jiājiā Soup Dumplings】 or 【Xiǎo Yáng Pan-Fried Pork Buns】. But during this business trip, I heard three separate recommendations for 【Jiājiā Soup Dumplings】 from both Taiwanese and Shanghainese friends. Then, I randomly picked up a 2015 Shanghai travel guidebook, and Jiājiā Soup Dumplings were ranked No. 1 on the list of must-eat Shanghai foods.

That made me feel even more strongly that I couldn’t miss Jiājiā Soup Dumplings. So I made time to go to their Huanghe Road branch on the second-to-last day of my trip, and it was truly mind-blowing. The next day before flying back to Taiwan, I went to their Liyuan Road headquarters for lunch again. It was definitely the most satisfying Shanghainese food experience during my 10-day stay in Shanghai.

【Jiājiā Soup Dumplings】
There are about 8 branches in Shanghai. Check Dianping or search on Baidu.Or search on Baidu.

Liyuan Road Headquarters
Address: No. 62 Liyuan Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai (near Nanchezhan Road)
Phone: 021-63087139

Huanghe Road Branch
Address: No. 90 Huanghe Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
(Near Fengyang Road / Huanghe Road Food & Leisure Street / Metro: People’s Square Station)
Phone: 021-63276878

I first went to the Huanghe Road branch of 【Jiājiā Soup Dumplings】, located on the Huanghe Road Food & Leisure Street right by the People’s Square Metro station. Probably because it’s so accessible, most people come here. It also ranked No. 1 on Baidu searches. Right across the street is Xiǎo Yáng Pan-Fried Pork Buns, so you can easily grab both. Very convenient.

Friends and online reviews all said Jiājiā Soup Dumplings has long lines and sells out late, but we arrived around 1 PM and avoided the crowds. At the Huanghe Road branch, we only waited a little before being seated. The next day at the Liyuan Road headquarters, there were almost no customers, so going during off-peak hours made for a much more relaxing meal.

At 【Jiājiā Soup Dumplings】, everything is made to order, steamed fresh, and served immediately. So when you enter, you order and pay first, then find a seat and wait a bit for your food.

At the Huanghe Road branch, some items may sell out. Ginger strips also need to be ordered separately for 1 RMB per portion, and the portion is quite small.

You can see the staff wrapping the dumplings on-site.

As a country bumpkin, I was wondering why there were no teacups, but just as the soup dumplings were served, the customer next to me told me the pot was actually dipping sauce and vinegar for the dumplings... Q?＜/p>

Since I also wanted to try the Xiǎo Yáng Pan-Fried Pork Buns across the street, I only ordered one basket of “Crab Roe Pork Soup Dumplings” at first. They gave me two small dishes for the dipping sauce and vinegar. (Still feeling a bit embarrassed about my ignorance...)

Because I went to the headquarters the next day, I realized the soup dumplings at the Huanghe Road branch are a bit smaller. A basket of 12 still had room for two small dishes, but the ones at the headquarters the next day were bigger and packed tightly in the basket.
Huanghe Road Branch ↓

Liyuan Road Headquarters ↓

The "Crab Roe and Pork Soup Dumplings" were absolutely delicious—the bursting crab roe broth was rich, sweet, and not the least bit fishy. The crab flavor was deep and aromatic, and the wrappers weren’t thick at all. Truly incredibly tasty.

↓ Close-up of the soup dumplings at the Linyuan Road flagship store, filled with generous crab roe broth.

The Linyuan Road flagship store wasn’t as bustling as the Huanghe Road branch—maybe we arrived a bit late after finishing our errands, past peak dining hours, as even the staff were sitting down for lunch.

Jiajia Soup Dumplings was established in 1986 and didn’t originate on Linyuan Road—perhaps their original location is no longer around.

The shop also offers pure crab roe soup dumplings, with no pork, just crab roe broth. Two pieces cost 18.5 RMB, and the Huanghe Road branch doesn’t even sell them individually—you have to buy a whole basket of pure crab roe soup dumplings for 99 RMB. This time, I really felt Shanghai was so expensive—the prices are 2-3 times those in Taipei.

Also, the Linyuan Road flagship store has a wider variety of items, including more soup options, whereas the Huanghe Road branch, possibly too busy with customers, offers fewer choices.

The first time I didn’t try any soup, but the second time I ordered their signature Chicken and Duck Blood Soup, Wonton Soup, and Seaweed and Egg Drop Soup—all of which were pretty good.

The extra ginger slices at the Linyuan Road flagship store came in a tiny portion for 2 RMB (twice the price of the Huanghe Road branch), whereas in Taiwan they’re always free. (Also, the pricing across branches is all over the place…)

The second time, I also ordered "Diced Chicken and Pork Soup Dumplings" and "Shrimp and Pork Soup Dumplings."

Diced Chicken and Pork Soup Dumplings = pork filling + diced chicken. If you don’t want pork, you can also order just diced chicken.

The same logic applies to Shrimp and Pork Soup Dumplings (I was too busy eating and forgot to take a photo of the shrimp filling).

Because the Crab Roe and Pork Soup Dumplings were so good, I ordered two baskets this time. If you’re not a huge fan of crab roe flavor, don’t order too many—some might find it too rich. Or start with one basket and add more if needed. Personally, next time I’ll only eat the crab roe ones—I’m not into the diced chicken or shrimp ones.

The bursting Crab Roe and Pork Soup Dumplings, 12 pieces per basket for 27 RMB. In terms of quantity, taste, and price, they’re cheaper and tastier than Din Tai Fung, making them the most affordable delicacy during this Shanghai business trip—so I’m giving them high marks.

【Xiao Yang Shengjian】is another well-known Shanghai chain, specializing in pan-fried pork buns, with many locations. Conveniently, there’s both Jiajia and Xiao Yang on Huanghe Road, so after finishing the soup dumplings, my foodie friend automatically headed across the street.

There aren’t many seats inside—the majority of customers are here for takeout or delivery.

You still need to order and pay first, then find a seat. Remember to pick up your pan-fried buns yourself; other dishes will be served to your table.

Besides pan-fried buns, they also offer soups, vermicelli, fried spare ribs, and other miscellaneous items.

You can also watch the pan-fried bun preparation process on-site.

Remember to go to the counter by the entrance to pick up your pan-fried buns from the chef yourself.

I ordered a trio of pan-fried buns—pork, shrimp, and shepherd’s purse—two of each flavor, 15 RMB for six pieces (about 75 TWD).

They’re decently sized, quite big, but unfortunately, the pan-fried buns had already been sitting out for a while and were a bit cold when I got them. The wrappers weren’t as crispy as they should be. They’d probably be more fragrant and delicious when hot. The taste was still pretty good, though.

【Xiao Yang Shengjian】
Xiao Yang Shengjian has dozens of branches—you can check Dianping or Baidu for locations.

Huanghe Road Branch
Address: 1-3F, No. 97 Huanghe Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
(Near Fengyang Road / Huanghe Road Food & Leisure Street / Metro: People’s Square Station)
Phone: 021-53751793

There are plenty of eateries along Huanghe Road near Nanjing West Road and People’s Square—great for a bite after shopping.

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