Short Xiao Long Bao

Not exactly homely but it gets the job done.

I stopped for a quick dinner at a Chinatown favourite of mine - Dumplings Legend - and as per usual I left well satisfied. You pass the kitchen on the way to the seating area and it has glass walls so that you can appreciate the spectacle of pastry-making and huge, stacked bamboo baskets in towers, billowing steam. The interior is simple, clean and modern though crowded.

 

Whilst the food in Chinatown is generally authentic, the making of xiao long bao is a rare and fine art seldom done well. It's commonly found on dim sum menus, but even in China - outside of their culinary home of Shanghai - you'd be hard-pressed to find ones of truly high quality. 

There are two main components to a good xiao long bao: a delicious soup, and a pastry casing in which to hold it. The soup varies in quality from place to place but a pleasing one is not difficult to find. The pastry however is where most chefs fall short. There is a delicate balance to getting the thickness of the pastry perfectly right; it must be thin enough so as not to be chewy or obtrusive, yet strong enough to be able to hold the weight of the soup without splitting open - even when handled with chopsticks. This is not an easy task. Given that the soup is so integral to the flavour, keeping the dumpling intact is usually prioritised. Thus most pastries err on the side of being too thick, giving a tough texture that gets in the way, with poor mouthfeel. Conversely, others are too thin and rupture before you can get them to your mouth, losing the soup. Of course, you could use a spoon but the 'chopstick test' is a good way of gauging the quality.

Now for the purpose of this lengthy preamble: appreciation of the elusive perfect balance. As you can see in the photo the weight of the soup is supported very well even with chopsticks - I didn't have a single one break on me. Just look at that sag! It can only mean one thing: epic quantities of soup! Now you're just showing off, Mr. Chef! If you look closely you'll see that the pastry is actually a little thicker at the top to enable easy handling; a thoughtful touch.

So much soupy goodness within, it should be illegal.

I wish you could smell these. Go and order some, now!

The basket of classic pork xiao long bao was brought to us with the dumplings still fresh and hot; the skin still supple and moist. You dip the dumpling into ginger-infused Chinkiang vinegar and pop it into your mouth whole. As soon as your teeth break into that delicate pastry skin the soup floods out and the flavour hits you. This is a complex broth with a wonderfully deep flavour. The vinegar, which in itself has a deep malty flavour complements it perfectly. The moment that soup takes over it's like an explosion of warmth and heady comfort. The first one is the best; savour it because it's all about that initial blanket of intoxication falling over you. Yes it's loud, yes it's cramped, but the food is worth it. Go on a cold day and you will see exactly what I mean. 

Find Dumplings Legend on Gerrard Street in Chinatown. Their website can be found here.