Yuanlin Railway Station Budget Bites: Super Juicy Scallop & Shrimp Soup Dumplings

Text & Photos /San Gao Eats Chinese

A friend recommended Lao Wang’s Soup Dumplings, which recently moved next to Yuanlin Railway Station. We had lunch there in the afternoon, and the shop name is quite memorable and catchy.

They offer three flavors: lean pork, shrimp (xian xia), and scallops. We ordered one of each. Since they make the dumplings to order and steam them fresh, there was a short wait—but because it was teatime, there weren’t many customers, so we didn’t wait long.

The soup dumplings were served on a long plate rather than straight out of a steamer basket, so there was no liner paper underneath, and the plate wasn’t greased (probably to preserve the original flavor). That meant we had to eat them while hot. Chatting as we ate, a few later ones cooled down, stuck to the plate, and broke easily—but surprisingly, the cooled dumplings still tasted pretty good, without that greasy aftertaste.

When first served, these dumplings had a distinct style of their own. Typical xiao long bao are wrapped with gelatin that melts into soup during steaming, causing the shape to slightly “collapse” and making them sag when picked up. In contrast, Lao Wang’s dumplings are plump and round. Without gelatin, there’s no explosive juice effect—but you’ll taste the rich meat juices once you start chewing.

The wrappers are thin yet slightly chewy, and the filling is tender and smooth. They’re flavorful enough on their own without needing any dipping sauce. I didn’t find them oily at all—most of the taste is sweet and light, making them very easy to enjoy.

The scallop and shrimp dumplings also looked hearty. Usually, fillings like these can be hit-or-miss—you worry they might ruin the original flavor or end up not making much difference, making you wish they weren’t added at all. But here, the scallops and shrimp were clearly high-quality. The shrimp dumplings were my favorite of the three—the shrimp chunks were big, springy, sweet, and complemented the natural sweetness of the meat filling without clashing, creating a cohesive flavor.

The pork intestines noodles and spicy & sour soup were just okay. The noodles were too thickly starched for my taste, and the flavor felt a bit watery. Overall, this place is mainly about the soup dumplings—and they really are delicious. The other dishes are just side options.

Lao Wang’s Soup Dumplings
Address: No. 173, Zhonghe Rd., Zhongli District, Taoyuan City
Business Hours: 5:00 AM – 9:00 PM

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