Where can I find Soup Dumplings?

[MommyLovesToEat]

After watching Anthony Bourdain's show that featured "soup dumplings"...I must have some! Where can I find them in New Jersey?

[sockster]

Just back from Crown Palace. Had two orders of "Shanghai Dumplings"- their version of XLB- filled with crab and pork. Not on the level of say, Shanghai Bun...but much closer to me.

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Crown Palace
8 N Main St, Marlboro, NJ 07746

[edh1713]

There's a Shanghainese restaurant in Highland Park called Hong Fu that has pretty good soup dumplings/XLB/steamed juicy buns. Here's their menu online in both chinese & english: http://chinesenj.com/Restaurant:HongF...

Restaurant is at 239 Route 27 with a small parking lot and street-side parking too.

[huiray]

Interesting.
Not unexpectedly, the Chinese and English menus differ. The entire Shanghai Dim Sum (上海点心) section at the top of the Chinese menu is missing from the English menu, for example, amongst other things. :-)

I would have thought you could buy packages of premade, frozen xiaolongbao (小籠包) from Chinese/Oriental/Asian groceries in NJ which you then steam without too much difficulty? They may not be freshly made but would serve to satisfy one's cravings for them at home at, oh, 2 a.m. one sleepless night, something like that... (Although, yes, I am aware that there are relatively few such groceries within NE NJ)

[GraydonCarter]

Serious Eats just published fairly simple directions for homemade XLB
http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/04/ho...

My question is this, the XLB I've had taste like a noodle, but I've seen photos where the "Bao Bun" looks more like a bun - a little puffy like it has risen a little?

[huiray]

Well, freshly steamed XLB do look a little "puffed up" from the steam/heat and the internal vapor pressure within the bun from the hot "soup"...they sort of "deflate" a little as they cool - usually. Could this be what you are thinking of?

[GraydonCarter]

I guess some buns are bigger than others.

[equal_Mark]

Don't need to go out...

http://mobile.seriouseats.com/2011/04...

[joonjoon]

You can also get XLB at chinese supermarkets btw.

[sockster]

JJ- Would you happen to know if they have them frozen at the Chinese market next to Crown Palace?

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Crown Palace
1285 State Route 35, Middletown, NJ 07748

[huiray]

They're available at various Chinese/East Asian groceries in my area (Indy). Various brands, various fillings. Ho-hum grocery item.

I wondered about its availability in NJ groceries upstream from this post. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7768...

[dkupersmith]

If you are ever in South Jersey, go to Hong Kong Fusion in Cherry Hill.

[Curlz]

I'm a fan of the Xiao Long Bao at Chengdu 23 ... wherever you end up, just know that some places have them on the menu as steamed juicy buns.

[MommyLovesToEat]

ok we are going to try this weekend. what else do you recommend ordering at petite soochow along with the soup dumplings?

[joonjoon]

This might help you out:
http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/20...

[MommyLovesToEat]

Thank you Mark and Tapas/ Those pictures look inviting. Cant wait to eat there. Any places in Bergen County?

[fourunder]

Petite Soochow in Cliffside Park......

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/nyregion/02dinenj.html

http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/20...

[jester99]

I second petite soochow for soup dumplings, the ones at shanghai buns are not worth it. uhh word of advice for parking, the parking lot is small and on a slope so I would suggest street parking.

[equal_Mark]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/766820