Best Pan Fried Bun (Sheng Jian Bao ) and other Shanghai dish

[ny2beijing]

Ｉ recommend Nice Green Bo Restaurant . Don't know if anyone here ever tried it. Ｉ remember my Shanghai friends took me there years ago, then I　ｊｕｓｔ　ｋｅｐｔ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｂａｃｋ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｕｎｔｉｌ　Ｉ left for China last year.

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Nice Green Bo
66 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

[Cheeryvisage]

I just had 456 and Evergreen's sheng jian bao back-to-back on two consecutive nights. My vote goes to Evergreen. I don't like doughy baozi, 456's dough is too thick (pretty much a 40-60 dough-to-filling ratio) even though it does have a nice bit of juice inside.

Evergreen, on the other hand, is more to my taste. The filling's flavorful (though no juice) and the dough is thin (25-75 ratio). Their baozi is also smaller due to the thinner dough, so I take a lot of pleasure in stuffing a whole one into my mouth and chow down.

[kathryn]

No juice? Is it still a sheng jian bao if there's no soup in it?

[Cheeryvisage]

I know. But I guess here's where personal preference comes to play. I just think that 456's baozi are so doughy that I rather take a sheng jian bao that doesn't have juice (and enjoy it more too)....

If only they'd make them thinner... I'd be onboard too. :(

[fooder]

40-60 might be too much, but 25-75 seems too thin to me. It's a bun, not a dumpling, after all. Isn't the whole point to have a fluffy, doughy bun that holds up to all the grease that's needed to crisp the bottom?

[Cheeryvisage]

25-75 works really well for small buns, in my opinon. It's just doughy enough that you get a nice "tooth-feel" when you bite into it, while still sufficient for developing the crisp crust. The ones from Evergreen, for example, had a great crisp bottom.

I feel that a dumpling's ratio is closer to 15-85, give or take when taking into account regional differences.

Anyway, to bring it all back, I'd be very interested to know of any restaurant who does offer thinnner-skinned sheng jian bao with juicy filling. If Evergreen and 456's sheng jian bao's had a child, that'd be the ideal baozi. :)

[kathryn]

I had 456 Shanghai Cuisine's sheng jian bao tonight and they were very good (better than the xiao long bao IMO). Fluffy dough. Just perfectly crispy on the bottom, lots of scallions and sesame seeds on top. I burnt my hands and tongue eating these (hot soup! everywhere!) but absolutely did not mind. I am now on a sheng jian bao quest!

Who else has good pork sheng jian bao aside from 456? Old Shanghai Deluxe? Shanghai Cafe?

Can Old Sichuan be persuaded to switch theirs from chicken to pork? :)

Anybody tried Shanghai Asian Manor's?

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Shanghai Cafe
100 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

Old Shanghai Deluxe
50 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

Old Sichuan
65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

Shanghai Asian Manor
21 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

456 Shanghai Cuisine
69 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

[Lau]

i do not like new green bo at all, i never understood why it got praise from all these zagat guides, newspapers etc. the shanghainese food there is not good at all

surprisingly, go try old sichuan (i know its a sichuan restaurant, but the owner is from shanghai), they now have the best sheng jian bao in the city.
http://www.lauhound.com/2010/12/old-s...

she told us when we went that her husband's restaurant down the street on the corner of mott and bayard has great shanghainese food, but i havent been there, so i cant vouch for it and she's obviously going to be biased

btw if you are in shanghai, go to xiao yang's, their sheng jian bao is the best ive ever had

[ny2beijing]

Thanks for the suggestion. Definitely will try Old Sichuan one day.

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Old Sichuan
65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

[fourunder]

I do not know the proper name, but the pan fried buns at Prosperity Dumpling, 4 for 1.25, are pretty good.

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&am...

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Prosperity Dumpling
46 Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002

[scoopG]

Yes, they are delicious! While Prosperity’s are pan-fried, they are properly known as fried dumplings or potstickers (鍋貼 Guo1 Tie1).

The OP is looking more for these type of pan-fried dumplings made with a yeast dough:
(生煎包 Sheng1 Jian1 Bao1)

http://baking.abang.com/od/xidianhongbei/a/shengjianbao_p1.htm
http://www.dianping.com/shop/3309274/...

[fourunder]

Scoop.

They have both pan fried buns and dumplings as an option on the menu. You can see them on Page Six of the Google link......I've had both there. If anything, the boa/bun is slightly thinner than the ones you have linked to......they are also round, not oblong/crescent shaped.

http://www.allmenus.com/ny/new-york/7...

[scoopG]

Thanks fourunder - I guess I've not seen them there. Will have to check them out.

[ny2beijing]

Looks very nice. Never heard my friend mentioned it. Will try it out. Thanks!

[Lau]

their menu does say they have sheng jian bao, but ive never seen anyone get it and i'm not sure they will actually have it. they used to advertise they had dan bing (egg pancake), but they literally never had it (they finally crossed it out with a black marker, but it took them a couple years). i also wonder if it would be good even if they did have it since i've never seen anyone order it, but someone has to try it so who knows maybe its good?

[fourunder]

Are you calling me a liar?

:0)

[Lau]

haha oh you actually tried them? i didnt read your post carefully, i thought u just meant they had them

[fourunder]

I probably get to Prosperity about 6 times a year, mostly in the warmer months when I can walk the streets. I can only think of one time when i did not purchase them, and it was due only to bad timing. The guy in front of me cleaned them out and the woman told me it would take 20-30 minutes to finish off another batch. They cook them in the same flat skillet as they do the fried dumplings....only one or two stations over, alternating with the sesame pancake, depending on how busy they are. I've tried to purchase them frozen like they offer the dumplings, but they do not offer them frozen.

although some of the Flicker pictures show the actual menu boards, the pictures may be dated, as I believe they are priced higher than the dumplings.
I also believe the filling is the same as the pork & chive dumplings....but don't hold me to that....I usually pop them down whole, so I never really or actually see the filling.

[ny2beijing]

Tried Prosperity yesterday for lunch. The experience was mediocre at the best. The worst part was that even in Chinatown standard you can't help think they should do something about hygienic conditions.

[Lau]

you try the dumplings or the sheng jian bao?

[ny2beijing]

I tried both. Not quite impressed.

[Lau]

i dont think its amazing, but its the best of the $1 dumpling places

go try the guo tie at 144 East Broadway they're a totally different style, but i think they're better. it's a niu rou mian place that happens to have good dumplings (make sure you get the guo tie not the shui jiao)

hit flushing, white bear is the best....again different type of dumpling but their dumplings in hot oil are money

[kathryn]

Technically won tons in hot oil, yes?

[Lau]

well actually ure right they are wontons, but they're very good

[scoopG]

Henan Fengwei in Flushing has the best dumplings (steamed or boiled) now!

[buttertart]

The Shanghai food at the new Yeah Shanghai Deluxe can be very good, especially the xue cai mao dou bai ye jia rou si (doufu skin in strips with xuelihong, green soybeans, and pork strips - you have to ask them to add the pork strips) and the zha shuang wei (pair of deepfried flavors), thin cut-up pork chops and fish "fingers", the fish dusted with seaweed powder also in the batter, the pork tossed with scallions and hot peppers). Dumplings there aren't as good as at Old Sichuan.
Old Sichuan sheng jian bao, New Yeah Shanghai zha shuang wei and xue cai mao dou bai ye rou si photos herewith.

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Old Sichuan
65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

[jptcu]

Not the best, but handy if you have a craving and are in the East Village:

Marco Polo Fusion Café

http://www.eatingintranslation.com/20...

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Marco Polo Fusion Cafe
102 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009

[ny2beijing]

Looks very interesting. Thanks!