Shanghai: pork xiao long bao
Steamed pork xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung in Shanghai, China
After a 14 hour flight and the supercharged excitement of reconnecting with my nieces, brother and sister-in-law in Shanghai yesterday, we headed out to Din Tai Fung for dinner. Literally across the courtyard from their apartment building, the location was right as was my brother's promise that they made the second best pork xiao long bao (dumplings) he'd eaten in Shanghai. The best, he explained, were only available at lunch from a vendor at the end of a long alley with dozens of hungry diners lined up around the block for a chance to eat the cheap and delicious treats. We ate three flats of delicious xiao long bao, and they were exquisite. Perfectly spiced and cooked bundles of pork swimming in broth, each meticulously hand wrapped and steamed. (We watched the preparation after eating.) We also enjoyed another of vegetable dumplings as well as noodles with spicy peanut sauce, and three steamed vegetables: asparagus, bok choi and a crunchy, green vegetable similar to bok choi that I couldn't quite identify. I'll post some photos up to flickr later on, but this shot of the dumplings is guaranteed to awaken your appetite for now!
Update: Here are some snapshots I took with my phone: