Shanghai Cafe boasts of the most awesome decorative lights you can find in the English speaking portion of New York's Chinatown. There are many nooks and crannies to the area, but find me another where the patrons are bathed in pink neon lights. All that aside, they are actually one of the better places in the city to get Xiao Long Bao. It is one of my favorite spots to get these tiny treats.

I am a big fan of the xiao long bao. For many, Joe's Shanghai represents the main destination for lovers of xiao long bao or steamed tiny buns. The demand for their tiny buns brings us the sister restaurant Joe's Ginger, which serve the same buns. If you want to skip the wait and not skimp on taste, Shanghai Cafe is the right move. They come in two different varieties, one with crab meat and one without. For me, the more traditional version without crab meat taste better.

I actually do not get much else on a visit to Shanghai Cafe because the buns fill me up. One thing I do get often is the scallion pancake. They make it nice and crispy. The pan fried noodles are decent, as are the rice cakes. Oh, but if you do go, do not get fish.

One new item I tried last time was a dessert. It was described by someone at my table as the "exploding mochi" (hattip to Adam for the quote). That summed it up. Basically it is this mochi that has sesame paste in the middle, and on the outside it was dusted with a fine peanut powder. Technically it probably was not mochi because I thought those things were boiled in water. It was still very delicious. There was not a contrast in texture, as the entire thing is soft and sweet, but I liked it since I grew up eating a variation of this stuff (sans peanut powder).

Shanghai Cafe
100 Mott Street.
New York, NY 10013
212-966-3988

Posted by Danny on October 19, 2007 at 8:07 am

• Share this:
• Twitter
• Facebook
• StumbleUpon

• Sesame paste shot makes me weak at the knees...

  Adam
  October 19, 2007 3:03 pm

• i kinda disagree. i love love love xiao long bao, but Shanghai Cafe is just not that good. Average at best. Granted this is based on one tasting last year. But still.

  Jonathan
  October 19, 2007 7:28 pm

• Hmm... well I shall revisit Joe's Shanghai or Joe's Ginger and see again. After these two, there are not too many places that are known for xiao long bao.

  Danny
  October 19, 2007 9:37 pm

• New Green Bo has good shiao long bao.

  Ang
  October 19, 2007 10:06 pm

• how is this blog not more famous? you are are one of the best photographers I have come across. Your pictures are stunning! I'll be back often!

  caitlin
  October 20, 2007 12:28 am

• ur famous

  Jonathan
  October 20, 2007 10:50 am

• Thanks Caitlin, you're very kind. Hope you do visit often!

  Danny
  October 20, 2007 11:10 am

• We know there are two restaurants in Toronto, they have really really tasty Xiao Long Bao.

  LLC
  October 20, 2007 3:23 pm

• Look at that, I'm already back for more. Jonathan's right, you are famous, but dammit you need to be MORE famous. this will soon be the brangelina of food blogs

  Caitlin
  October 20, 2007 11:45 pm

• Wow, the brangelina of food blogs, that is pretty nuts. haha. Would that require me to marry another food blog? Because that would be kind of weird...

  Danny
  October 21, 2007 2:11 am

• no, it means you must go out and adopt food from sick and starving restaurants.

  Jonathan Tam
  October 21, 2007 3:09 pm

• The Xiao Long Bao is so delicious. This is one of the best Xiao Long Bao which I have eaten since I left Asia 16 years ago.

  chicago2007oct
  October 23, 2007 12:14 pm

• If you like to eat Dim Sum, try to order Xiao Long Bao, it is so good that you don't want to miss.

  Hui Kau
  October 23, 2007 3:29 pm

• It is also one of the better xiao long bao that I have eaten too. There are a couple of other places I still have to revisit though.

  Danny
  October 23, 2007 7:26 pm

• during my stay in NY, i think came here like 4 times just to eat xiao lung bao.

  wendycakes
  June 16, 2010 3:12 pm

• I have to agree with some of the above comments: I'm impressed by your photographs. What type of SLR are you using?

  As for the dumplings at Shanghai Cafe: the wraps look a bit thick in the pictures. Ideally they should be paper-thin. My friends and I generally go to Joe Shanghai as a default and they do a tolerable job.

  Victoria
  June 8, 2010 7:57 pm

• i like their food....great shanghainese wontons too! but service is bad... they are rude and mean sometimes =(

  cindy
  April 18, 2010 3:09 am