My search for the best dumplings in New York continues….
SADLY, 21 SHANGHAI HOUSE IS NOW CLOSED.
The new restaurants that open in the heart of Chinatown never get the same amount of press and fanfare as the hot restaurants that open in Brooklyn or Chelsea. So they often slip under-the-radar.
In doing some research for a new Gothamist article, I discovered 21 Shanghai House, which is one of the newer Shanghainese restaurants in the neighborhood. It’s only been open for a little over the year. Inside it’s less crowded than other touristy haunts in the neighborhood and there is a clean, cozy vibe.
The menu looked tempting, but I was here specifically for the xiao long bao, aka soup dumplings. The price was just right and I was impressed to receive a bamboo basket full of eight dough-purses at just about $6.
These were much smaller than the ones at nearby Joe’s Shanghai and so they fit perfectly on the spoon without any excess drooping.
They also had a thinner wrapper and I found them to be much more delicate all around.
In the soup department, they were a bit lacking. The broth was light and flavorful, but not overly so. The pork meatball (I didn’t end up ordering the ones with crab) was firm and rich, but there wasn’t as much soup or juice as I had expected.
Nevertheless, these were much more refined and delicate than most of the greasy, soup bombs in the neighborhood. And the price is just right for the quality. Hopefully this place will be around for a long time.
Does 21 Shanghai House make the best soup dumplings in NY? 7 out of 10 because they are refined and brothy with a lighter experience than most. They could just use a bit more soup.
| 21 SHANGHAI HOUSE |
| 21 Divison Street (between Catherine Street and Market Street), Chinatown (212) 226-8998 |
| 21shanghaihouse.com |
