Afternoon tea snacks in Banqiao: chewy-textured dumplings with juicy fillings

Text & photos byXiaohu's Dream Food Blog

Often, people ask me: “Xiaohu, where do you think has the best XX? Which place’s XX do you think is the best?” To be honest, I don’t really want to answer such questions, or rather, I often say: “Whether something tastes good is entirely subjective—the tongue is only in your own mouth. There’s no such thing as what I think tastes best, only what you personally like the most.”

Alright, why did I bring this up again? It’s because this is currently my favorite xiaolongbao shop in Banqiao. I’ve brought many friends here—some love it, others feel indifferent... I recently flipped through an article I wrote back when I was near Julu Road[Banqiao Food][Xinpu Station Food] Xiaolongbao at the intersection of Julu and Zhuangjing RoadsIt was January 2015—that’s two years ago. Recently (two months ago), I suddenly found it had disappeared... but then reopened at its current location. The new spot is diagonally across from the queue-famous roast meat shop “Fujide,” which I’ve mentioned many times before—it’s at No. 2 Lane 47, Section 2, Shuangshi Road.

If you were a regular at the old spot near Julu and Zhuangjing Roads, you’ll recognize this simple signboard. The prices also don’t seem to have gone up despite the move.

As for what they sell, in addition to their original xiaolongbao and fresh milk steamed buns, they now offer drinks like milk tea, black tea, and different soups for summer and winter.

I suppose the addition of drinks and soups is to accommodate their new seating area (previously, they only did takeout). Though there aren’t many seats, at least there’s a place to sit down.

Since moving to the new shop, I’ve been here four or five times, and I’ve almost always ordered soup... Maybe it’s because I’ve grown less fond of milk tea... and I never liked black tea anyway.

This turnip and meatball soup is pretty average—not particularly good or bad. It’s fine if you want a soup to go with your meal, but if you just want the xiaolongbao, skipping the soup won’t hurt either XD

Once, a Japanese person asked me what the difference is between soup dumplings and xiaolongbao. When I asked around, I realized that foreigners often mistake Din Tai Fung’s “soup dumplings” for “xiaolongbao.” So what’s the real difference? From my understanding: soup dumplings have super thin wrappers with lots of juice, while xiaolongbao have slightly thicker, chewier wrappers but relatively less juice. But again, as long as it tastes good, who cares whether it’s called a “soup dumpling” or a “xiaolongbao”? Still, I want to say one thing: when we were kids, we only had xiaolongbao—there was no such thing as soup dumplings. And the wrapper is precisely why I personally prefer xiaolongbao over soup dumplings—the texture, juice, and filling all offer different layers of taste and mouthfeel.

If I think the name doesn’t matter, then why bother explaining the difference between what I consider “xiaolongbao” and “soup dumplings”? Mainly because I feel this shop’s xiaolongbao actually sits somewhere in between. Its wrapper isn’t as thick as the ones I grew up eating, but it still retains a bit of doughy chewiness and that slightly fluffy texture I prefer. By the way, these wrappers have a hint of sweetness that I like—though eating a whole basket might make that sweetness a bit overwhelming. But don’t worry, we’ll come back to that later.

Now that we’ve talked about the wrapper, let’s discuss the filling. First, the meat—I’d say it’s better than the xiaolongbao I remember from childhood. There’s noticeably less fat, and the texture is firmer. The biggest flavor difference is the lack of that “sauce” aroma and saltiness, replaced instead by a decent amount of scallion sweetness (though sometimes it’s unevenly mixed, so you might get none in a bite), plus a faint hint of ginger flavor—something commonly found in pan-fried buns. Then there’s the gradually intensifying sweetness as you eat more. To be honest, I’m not sure where that sweetness comes from... but some people love it for the ginger and sweetness, while others dislike it for the same reasons.

Finally, I have to admit that since moving to the new shop, I’ve lost that initial wow factor I felt when I first discovered it—but maybe that’s because I ate there almost daily for two straight months when I first found it. Also, I feel the quality and consistency have slipped a bit. Sometimes the juice is delicious, but other times it’s a bit dry, and the wrapper can be soft or even slightly mushy. I’m guessing it’s because business isn’t as brisk at the new location... Personally, I think they could improve things by wrapping the dumplings first but not steaming them right away—instead, steam them fresh when an order comes in. Sure, customers might have to wait a bit longer, but both the texture and the juice and flavors would be much more stable and delicious.

Earlier, I mentioned that eating a whole basket of these xiaolongbao (which is why I now only get half a basket as an afternoon snack) can get a bit cloyingly sweet after a while. The solution? This chili sauce. To be honest, it’s not very spicy—in fact, it’s slightly sweet—but the best part is that it’s not too salty. After eating a couple of xiaolongbao on their own, dipping them in this sauce definitely makes them tastier. But if you can’t handle spice at all, it’s best not to dip the whole thing in...

Xiaolongbao & Fresh Milk Steamed Buns – New Shop
Address: Lane 2, No. 47, Section 2, Shuangshi Road, Banqiao District, New Taipei City
Business Hours: 11:00–21:00 (or until sold out, 22:00); closed on Thursdays.

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