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Shanghai Cafe
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
Map
Sign up to the feed and never miss a post!Posted by Danny on October 19 2007 at 8:07 am
Adam on October 19 2007 at 3:03 pm
Jonathan on October 19 2007 at 7:28 pm
Danny on October 19 2007 at 9:37 pm
Ang on October 19 2007 at 10:06 pm
caitlin on October 20 2007 at 12:28 am
Jonathan on October 20 2007 at 10:50 am
Danny on October 20 2007 at 11:10 am
LLC on October 20 2007 at 3:23 pm
Caitlin on October 20 2007 at 11:45 pm
Danny on October 21 2007 at 2:11 am
Jonathan Tam on October 21 2007 at 3:09 pm
chicago2007oct on October 23 2007 at 12:14 pm
Hui Kau on October 23 2007 at 3:29 pm
Danny on October 23 2007 at 7:26 pm
i like their food....great shanghainese wontons too! but service is bad... they are rude and mean sometimes =(
cindy on April 18 2010 at 3:09 am
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 on June 8 2010 at 7:57 pm
during my stay in NY, i think came here like 4 times just to eat xiao lung bao.
wendycakes on June 16 2010 at 3:12 pm