Xiao Long Bao, also abbreviated as XLB, is a well-known Chinese food famed for its flavorful soup filling and delicate wrapper. Although XLB is well-known today, it started from humble beginnings. Huang Ming Xian is widely acknowledged as the creator of XLB, almost by accident, so the Xiao Long Bao origin story goes…
At his restaurant around the 1870s – Ri Hua Xuan – he was making dumplings, and found out that the accidental addition of aspic (pork jelly, for want of a better word) turns liquid when heated up, meaning that the soup fills the dumpling right away. The soup filling, which is one of the distinguishing characteristics of XLB, is created by simmering pork bones for hours before adding seasonings and ingredients to produce a rich and savory broth. Following the addition of the meat or vegetable filling, the broth is blended together. It’s then wrapped in a paper-thin layer of dough and steam-cooked to perfection.
However, it is only in more recent memory that Xiao Long Bao found critically acclaimed fame through the incredible Ding Tai Fung. More from Ding Tai Fung can be found in my other post right here, as that is a restaurant you seriously need to know more about! What Ding Tai Fung did for XLB is akin to what Tim Cook is doing right now for Apple. Neither Ding Tai Fung nor Tim Cook started what they are famous for, but they took it and ran with it and made it their own – groundbreaking!
What is in Xiao Long Bao?
The classic offerings will mostly have a pork mixture inside, but restaurants all over Taipei try to bring in new variations to keep the market interesting and progressive.
What is the difference between Xiao Long Bao and dumplings?
The primary difference is the fact that Xiao Long Bao has aspic inside, which melts into a soup that will explode in your mouth when you bite down on the paper-thin skin. However, another important difference is that dumplings are mostly boiled, whereas XLB is only ever steamed.
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If you want to make your own XLB, consider this Authentic Taiwanese Cooking Class in Taipei to get the experience!
The Classic Xiao Long Bao
鼎泰豐 Din Tai Fung
God-level XLB right here. In my opinion, you cannot get better than these in Taipei. The thin skin makes Ding Tai Fung stand out from the crowd. The number of pleats, and the ratio of soup:meat:skin is just executed to perfection. I cannot recommend Ding Tai Fung enough.
If you are not sure what to order and also want to save some time waiting, you should consider booking the set menu through Klook or KKday in advance.
I wrote a detailed article about Ding Tai Fung, you can check this post out:
Taipei Restaurant – Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐 Is Spectacular, and It’s 1 Restaurant You Must Eat At!
The original pork ones are the best, but more recently they have done a variation that includes truffle, but noting the extortionate price tag, I quickly passed on those. If you try them, then let me know your thoughts. Are they really worth it?
Jinan Fresh Steam Dumpling 濟南鮮湯包 總店
Slightly wider-based soup dumplings here look almost flat in comparison to the offerings from Ding Tai Fung above. But, is that to say they are better, worse, or just different?
The skin is super thin, equaling that of Ding Tai Fung, but the addition of that loofah right here was the winner. Loofah is a long green vegetable that looks akin to cucumber, and when it is dried out it's also that thing that some of you might be using in the shower to wash with... Anyway, fresh loofah cut up and put in the pork mix here allows for a fresher flavour and added juiciness.
The beef pancake roll here is also great ^^
Ming Yue Tang Bao 明月湯包餐館
Visually you can see right away that these steamed soup dumplings from Ming Yue are going with that 'homemade' style. There's nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, I really appreciate it from time to time. But, if we are talking about the precision engineering of XLB, Ming Yue falls short on aesthetics, alone. It's like comparing a perfectly styled Mercedes with one of those Nissan Micras. There's no competition.
However, when isolating the flavour alone, Ming Yue is definitely worthy of a great shout for some delicious XLB in Taipei. They're also considerably cheaper than Ding Tai Fung, which significantly helps in some cases.
Hang Zhou Soup Dumplings 杭州小籠湯包 民生店
I had to put this in here. As, in theory, they are still called Xiao Long Bao. But, are they the traditional kind with pork filling? No, these beauties are filled with dark chocolate that bursts out as soon as you bite down. They're great, and I love them. Get them if you go to Hangzhou for steamed soup dumplings. In fact, get steamed soup dumplings from Hangzhou, too, which are respectable and tasty.
If you are not sure what to order, you should book the set menu in advance through Klook or KKday to avoid waiting.
Dian Shui Lou 點水樓
So you have had your fill with the standard offerings of XLB, and now you want some fancy stuff where the skin is a different colour, the fillings have variations to them, and they're overall just way more innovative. In steps Dian Shui Lou. Shrimp, truffle, crab, basil, spicy seafood. They have it all here, with dumpling skins that are naturally coloured with vegetable juice. They're fun, and sure to be a conversation piece!
This probably feels like a good time to mention these creative offerings from 京鼎小館, with a specific nod to their oolong tea steamed soup dumpling Xiao Long Bao!
Cheaper Xiao Long Bao offerings
Gu Bei Tao 古北饕
So these XLB are quality for their price. In Chinese, this is called either 划算 (Huá suàn) or CP值高 (CP zhí gāo). Both can be used interchangeably, and specifically hone down on something being either good value or cost-effective. Based on the filling you get, the quantity, and the quality, these dumplings from Gu Bei Tao are some of the best around for the budget conscious.
Su Hang 蘇杭點心店
Su Hang does some excellent steamed soup dumplings for the price, with the winner here being the dark and heavy soup inside the dumplings themselves. The skin is slightly less delicate compared to some of the competition, but they're still packed full of flavour and well worthy of a spot on this list.
Taipei Restaurant – SuHang 蘇杭點心店 XiaoLongBao – Affordable XLB That Are Sure to Impress
Bei Da Hang 北大行小籠包
Bei Da Hang has to be mentioned here for the cost-effectiveness of their steamed soup dumplings. They really are delicious. Not only are their steamed soup dumplings high quality, but their steamed shrimp dumplings are also delicious, too! You can check out the following post for more details.
Taipei Restaurant – 北大行小籠包 Bei Da Hang’s Big Steamed Soup Dumplings to Get Stuck Into.
Sheng Yuan Xiao Long Bao 盛園絲瓜小籠湯包
Not a glowing recommendation for other items on their menu, but the steamed soup dumplings here are quality. Again with the loofah, these dumplings pop with freshness, and their soup is great, too. The loofah inside these dumplings is a little stronger in flavoured compared to the ones from Jinan, above, but that's a good thing if anything.
Shanghai soup dumplings 上海邵師傅湯包
These cheeky little steamed soup dumplings have to be given an honorable mention for price and cost-effectiveness. The skin is slightly thicker than most others, and their size is a little smaller, but the flavours are creative and invariably tasty. Check out 午冬甜點 for dessert afterwards, and you will not be disappointed with your afternoon!
Alternatives to Xiao Long Bao
Chuan Mu Yuan 川畝園麵食館
So they do have steamed soup dumplings on the menu here, but these steamed dumplings packed with vegetables are also delicious. Xiao Long Bao dumplings are incredible, but sometimes a steamed dumpling that is packed full of filling without the soup is what you're after, and these ones will not disappoint.
DaQiaoTou Night Market Steamed Dumplings 大橋頭延三蒸餃
Still a steamed dumpling, but look how paper-thin that skin is! This roadside stall specialises in 2 things - steamed dumplings, and hot & sour soup. Both are great, and you will have a great evening walking around here, followed by checking out DiHua streets offerings afterwards.
Qi Jia Steamed Dumplings 亓家蒸餃/
The range of steamed dumplings they have on offer here at 亓家蒸餃 near Nanjing Sanmin MRT station is worth the trip to the East of the city. Their leek-filled dumplings are only $75 and they're delicious! Budget-friendly, variations on flavours, and quality ingredients make 亓家蒸餃 a staple for dumpling lovers in the city.
Zi Lin Steamed Dumplings 頂好紫琳蒸餃館
You've probably walked past this place a million times and never even noticed it. Well, get ready to be shocked by their reasonably priced food, and their delicious 'homemade-style' steamed dumplings. Make sure to also get their beef pancake roll and dip it in their spicy chili sauce, too. The dumplings themselves have thicker skin, and are chewy. They're a great variation on the standard steamed dumpling that we (hopefully by now) all know and love.
This is the beef pancake option from 盛園絲瓜小籠湯包 above. Pricey as it is, it's pretty good!
A final honorable mention needs to go out to the amazing 紅油抄手 (hóng yóu chāo shǒu) spicy wontons that many restaurants offer. These are some of the better ones that Ding Tai Fung offers, but really you can get them from a whole host of places. Key characteristics are a slightly stickier, chewier, and thinner skin than steamed soup dumplings and absolute lashings of spicy chili sauce.
The bottom line
There are so many steamed soup dumpling Xiao Long Bao offerings in Taipei. There are so many spread out all over the city, from North to South, East to West, and every other place in-between. Can I narrow it down to my favourite? Ding Tai Fung is my favourite, hands down. Not only are their steamed soup dumplings incredibly delicate and precision creations, but their service is unbeatably attentive to the point where you take a modest sip of your tea, and within seconds it's topped back up again with a smile.
In addition to your dishes arriving promptly steaming hot to your table and served up by dedicated servers. I genuinely cannot find fault with Ding Tai Fung. Some say it's expensive. But I say it's worth it.