小笼包 ($4.50) & 锅贴 ($6)!
Saturday hawker — xiao long bao + guo tie. Chinese dumpling combo.
Chinese dumpling lunch with BB: 小笼包 (xiao long bao) $4.50 + 锅贴 (guo tie / pan-fried dumplings) $6. The steamed-and-fried combo. 😋
What was on the table ($10.50):
- A bamboo basket of 8 xiao long bao (soup dumplings).
- A plate of pan-fried guo tie (potstickers) with crispy golden bottoms.
- A side of julienned ginger in black vinegar for dipping.
Xiao long bao (小笼包) are the famous Shanghainese soup dumplings: a delicate, thin wheat skin pleated around a pork filling and a nugget of gelatinised broth that melts back into hot soup when steamed. The ritual is half the fun, nip the top, sip the soup first (carefully, it’s molten), then dip in the ginger-vinegar and eat the rest. The shredded ginger and black vinegar cut the richness perfectly.
The guo tie (锅贴) are the textural counterpoint: the same kind of pork-and-veg filling but pan-fried so the bottoms crisp up lacy and golden while the tops stay soft and steamed. Ordering both gives you the best of both worlds in one sitting, juicy and soupy versus crispy and savoury. At $10.50 for the pair, it’s a satisfying dumpling feast.
Overall: 4.6 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Juicy soup-filled xiao long bao and crispy-bottomed guo tie, a great steamed-and-fried pairing. Would re-order.
