XLB/ soup dumplings MADE WITHOUT PORK???

[jdwdeville]

Hi all,
I'm a diehard XLB fan (all the way from Joe's Shanghai to DTF) but my girlfriend doesn't eat pork and therefore has never experienced the glory that is a freshly steamed, screaming hot soup dumpling... this is a tragedy that must be corrected. Does anyone know of a place that might do chicken or other types of XLB? I know it won't be traditional but, hey, beggars can't be choosers, now, can they?
Cheers.

[will47]

In Asia, you can sometimes get vegetarian ones (made with mushroom and agar), but I've never seen them here in LA (I saw a place in NY that had them, but they were out when I was there). The ones I've had were only so-so; the normal veggie dumplings and baozi were better, but still worth it for the novelty.

As others have said, I think the "soup" is always (or at least usually) pork-based.

[JThur01]

Dean Sin World has fish XLB and I've been told (by a reliable source) that Mrs. Lu uses chicken aspic in her XLB.

[Chandavkl]

You may be in luck. The question is whether they're still in business or not.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/579401

[ipsedixit]

J&J has crab XLB, but dunno if they have pork gelatin however.

[tissue]

There is always pork in them...

[groover808]

I would think so since you need some sort of meat aspic (aka meat jello which requires collagen or whatever's in the bones) which makes them juicy. Unless you can find someone that makes it only out of chicken and/or beef. But you'll be hard pressed to find those IMO.

[raytamsgv]

I'm pretty sure there usually pork inside of them. I guess I'll need to do some research to confirm.