Shanghai Dumpling Shop

10/12/2014

The locals love this place. At prime time, the line goes out the door.

These folks don't have a website so you'll have to go there to check out the well-priced menu that features more than half a dozen dumplings and dozens of soups.

I went for the basic, 10-piece Shanghai steamed crab meat and pork dumpling ($12.95). These tasty morsels were perfect. Thin skinned, plump and juicy.

The only other dish I tried was the soy bean, bean curd sheet with preserved vegetable ($12.95) that was delicious over rice. Most dishes are in the $10.95 to $12.95 range.

Buns and dumplings range from $3.50 for six buns to $9.95 for most dumplings (the Shanghai buns are most expensive).

A few lunch specials (11 a.m.-3 p.m., M-F) are $6.50 but most are $7.25. They all include the usual soup and steamed rice.

9/27/2014

I was looking forward to some awesome dumplings for lunch, but alas, it escaped me. We ordered quite a bit of food (XLB, Sweet & Savory Soy Milk, Savory Rice Wrap, Smoked Fish, Shanghai Pan Fried Noodles) and the portions were good. Everything looked great but it tasted bland and flavorless. The XLB which everyone seems to enjoy, was juicy, but it needed some salt. I could only recommend the sweet soy milk since that was pretty decent compared to the other dishes.

Good place to fill up when you're in the neighborhood, but not enough to go out of my way to visit.

9/11/2014

Get the shanghai dumplings. You must.
It's got a great ratio of filling to dough, and the dough is just strong enough to withstand transport of the dumpling but thin enough that it doesn't become a mouthful of dough. Perfect ratio.

I'd LOVE to come back. I can eat those dumplings for dayyyys. Seriously. They're that good.

9/1/2014

XIAO LONG BAO.  

Don't bother eating anything else; just get one steamer of XLB per person.

I know this looks like an awful lazy review, but really there is nothing much more to be said.

• 

  XLB!

  XLB!

9/4/2014

Best XLB Monkey can run to... But why so skimpy on the ginger???

After an inadvertent 5k, Monkey found THE FIND of a street filled with delectables, including dessert places, asian restaurants & groceries, a gym, trader joes and dumplings!  

Monkey passed by just after 5pm when they reopened for the day and worried a bit to see no one inside.  Opting to check out a dessert place, Monkey run the wrong direction for quite a bit before realizing it was just a block away from the restaurant.  This time, the Dumpling Shop is nearly full!  

Promptly seated, ordered and ahhh the beauty of steamed dumplings being delivered...  Texture perfect.  Lift from top, doesn't tear from paper.  Rest on spoon and bite off its top to expose the juicy treasure inside.  Add ginger, sauce and slurp.  Try not to cough it all out or make a scene when it hits the back of your throat.  Yes, we're still talking about XLB here...  Nibble, then take it all into your mouth.  Taste it, enjoy it in your mouth.  Wow.  Now think of when you had it better.  

Where have you had better XLB?  DTF is far more decorative, busy and fack the wait!  DSW is nowhere near an airport.  Shanghai Dumpling Shop falls right in between.  Located 1.5mi from SFO, street parking and just an unassuming neighborhood restaurant with enough seating.  Service is prompt.  There is a full menu, but you know already know what you came for...  

Monkey shall return far too often.

• 

  Monkey do

  Monkey do
• 

  Monkey do XLB

  Monkey do XLB

8/26/2014

A solid Shanghainese restaurant in the city of Milbrae popular for its steamed pork dumplings (xiao long bao), dim sum and minced pork noodles.

Shanghai Steamed Dumplings, $6.95 - the skin was thick and the pork filling and soup inside were piping hot. The meat was juicy but lacked the savoriness and bounce. Accompanied by the familiar dark vinegar and ginger dipping sauce known for its pungency.

Vegetable Delight, $6.95 - unless I am mistaken, this is the sauteed ong choy dish we ordered. A very light, delicately seasoned stir fry with garlic, peppers, salt, oil and perhaps a dab of soy sauce. A good compliment to any meat or noodle dish or as an appetizer.

Minced Pork Noodles, $5.95. - a nonspicy version of dandan mein. Definitely my favorite dish. Hearty enough to fed two people with a modest appetite. A dollar less than a vegetable plate because it is served in a bowl and not meant to be shared. The noodles were nice and firm. The minced pork was flavorful - a mix of savory and sweet - and balanced. Garnished with julienned cucumbers and diced green onions. I would recommend.

The dishes are consistent with traditional Shanghainese cuisine, which is generally lighter in flavor and healthier with its sparse use of oils, sauces and preservatives.

If there is a next visit here, I would probably order other popular Shanghainese dishes like the Sauteed Eels, Clams in Black Bean Sauce and Glazed Walnut Prawns. If I am specifically craving xiao long bao, however, I would opt to make the trek from San Mateo County to San Francisco to one of the city's more famous Chinese dumpling houses.

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  Shanghai Steamed Dumplings

  Shanghai Steamed Dumplings
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  Minced Pork Noodles

  Minced Pork Noodles
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  Vegetable Delight

  Vegetable Delight

9/2/2014

Parking on this day was horrible as we didn't realize there was a fair going on. There was a bit of a wait but we were seated within about 10min. I was excited to try the shanghai dumplings but upon their arrival, they were a little disappointing. The skin was on the thicker side, the filling didn't have as much flavor and they didn't taste as juicy as I would have liked. I know, Din Tai Fung comes to mind when most people think of Shanghai Dumplings and thus far, we have still not found anything that comes close to the taste and quality of thiers.

Among other items we tried were the pan fried buns filled with pork, which had the tinest amount of meat in it surrounded by way too much steamed bun, so we would pass on these next time. The beef noodle soup had good broth but way too many noodles (definitely, did not taste hand pulled and probably weren't) and the beef was a bit too chewy for my liking. Prices are a bit high for the amount you get and compared to other dumpling houses in the city that taste better.

I did however enjoy the bowl of hot sweet soy milk, which was fresh and comforting and a heaping portion.

9/11/2014

Its not as good compared to any Joe's Shanghai in NYC.  Order the steam pork dumpling only instead the the crab egg one since there is none in ours!
Pan fried pork bun is the right size and juicy but the bottom is not crispy enough.
Overall impression is disappointed.

8/4/2014

Shanghai Dumpling Shop is one of our go-to places in the area!  Service is usually very fast, and the food is always very tasty.

Our favorites are the Spare Rib With Vegetable Rice Clay Pot, Shanghai Steamed Dumplings, Pot Stickers, and the Honey Glazed Shrimp with Walnuts.

7/21/2014

The quality significantly declined over the years. My last meal here a week ago officially puts this place on my "Never Again List"

Below is WHY. *take a deep breath*

The xiao long baos were oily and mushy, sea bass way too greasy and lacks flavor yet retains the flavor of fishiness. Also ordered the spicy pork ears and it came out in large gelatinous pieces obviously straight outta the fridge cuz it's way too icy for a "cold dish" and I'm pretty sure the only work involved was removing the SaranWrap. The Shanghai stir fried pork/cabbage ricecake dish was pretty much just large chunks of hastily fried rice cakes that stuck together (BARELY ANY PORK AND BARELY ANY CABBAGE). Finally..  the Shanghai Claypot rice was not seasoned well and not fully cooked.

Please, all the basic shanghai dishes I ordered you failed miserably. Even the most simple street vendor in Shanghai can cook All the above mentioned atleast 5x better than this place. Please remove the word Shanghai from your store name .. Such a disgrace!

Oh yes, before I forget I found a replacement for you. PEOPLE!! Goto 5A cafe in Burlingame! The owner is so attentive he explains everything and they have really "good"dumplings too that is comparable to USA XLB standards. The important thing is 5A has high quality food.

*Don't expect any real XLB in the States btw.

9/23/2014

Good xlbs and mu shu pork!  This is one of my go to spots in Millbrae.  There's sometimes a wait but worth waiting for.

8/3/2014

Shanghai Dumpling Shop was not a place I'll be rushing to revisit.

* Xiao long bao - $9.95
Thick wrappers, okay flavors. Average for the dismal xiao long bao scene in the SF area.

* Spicy dumpling (hong you siu jiao) - $6.95
Meaty dumplings with a peanuty sauce. Not very spicy.

* Shanghai style vermicelli soup (you dou fu xi fen) - $7.95
Disappointing!! I didn't like the type of vermicelli used, and there was a lot of it. The fried tofu was bland. The spinach, dried shrimp, and mustard greens combined gave the broth an odd flavor. There was no bean curd or tofu stuffed with ground pork, which I find essential to this dish.

The restaurant was empty on a Sunday evening, and we were in and out in 45min.

8/18/2014

I loved this area, mostly all Asian restaurants are located here now.  

Shanghai Steamed Dumpling (10pcs) (tasted like this was resteamed?)
Vegetable and Pork Dumpling 10pcs (flour wrapping is too thick)

This place I thought was ok, for some reason the dumplings didn't taste that fresh, or even great!  I wish they had an assorted dish of dumplings.  To eat all 10pcs of one type of dumpling was too much.  It's affordable and the service was good.  I'll be back here again because it is close to home

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  Vegetable and pork dumpling

  Vegetable and pork dumpling
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  Shanghai steamed dumplings

  Shanghai steamed dumplings

7/13/2014

Came here after a while.
It seemed that the popular shanghai dumpling doesn't taste as good as before.
Less juicy and the supposed to be soft skin no longer that soft.
Cooking papa's seemed to better. My fave one still Din Tai Fung.  Too bad the closest one is in socal.
Liked the dish sea bass wrapped in leaf in basket. The crispy shanghai noodle came with chicken and shrimp. Not big fan of the chicken. It's big chunk, not tender and bit smell. Perhaps next time we substitute it veggies.
Recalled that previously cash only but now they take credit card.

8/12/2014

Soup dumplings are definitely the highlight of this place, and the rest of the food is good enough to make this a go-to place whenever we happen to be in the area.

What we got on a recent visit -
* Shanghai Steamed Dumpling ($9.95) - make sure to keep the skin intact to retain the soup inside! We get this every time without fail. Highly recommend.

* Salty Pork with Vegetable Rice Clay Pot ($7.95) - the rice was good when mixed with the salty pork. If you like eating the crunchy bottom part of the rice, make sure not to wait to long or else it'll all just burn.

* Sweet and Sour Spareribs Shanghai Style ($7.95) - this dish was kind of meh. It tasted ok but was like 40% bone.

* Red Bean Pancake ($3.95) - not the most healthy thing out there, but it's oh so good.

This place gets pretty crowded at peak hours, so I definitely recommend getting a reservation if you have more than four in your party. We had six people, and only escaped a long wait because another party of six's reservation had expired.

7/15/2014

I liked the xiaolongbao.  It had a good soup inside and I like that the wrapper is a little thick (more chewy!).

I liked the sweet spareribs.  Green beans were good.

Wonton soup was okay but not great.

I would go back.

9/22/2014

Their Xiao Long Bao's are on point and are 4.5 stars by themselves. The Shanghai noodles were good too. The other stuff we got like the black bean noodle were bleh.

9/13/2014 Updated review

Love the steamed dumpling, sweet and sour chicken, green beans.  but be prepared for the brisk, bordering on rude service.  We've been local fans for over 5 years and we speak Chinese, but good luck getting decent service.  Just be ready to pay up and eat up.

7/27/2014

Good dumplings. Not a dim sum place.

The clams in black bean sauce were ok.

Their shrimp with scrambled eggs was yummy.

Not bad for a last minute pick in a small neighborhood.

5/27/2014

mmmm Juicy Pork Buns

Have been meaning to visit this place since I saw it on Yelp a few months back. This place seems to be famous for it's juicy pork dumplings, but unfortunately that dish was quite disappointing--there weren't a lot of soup inside, and the dumplings aren't all that hot. On the bright side though, the Dan Dan noodles were amazing! It wasn't very spicy, but was packed with thick sauces with hints of peanut butter that made for the savory taste that I've always dreamed of. The veggie rice with sliced pork was also very well made, with the heat trapped in the center of the pot, keeping the rice warm until the moment before I stuff everything into my mouth!

The decor is also pretty nice--the inside actually looked like a dumpling shop in Shanghai (kind of). The wait staff is also pretty friendly.

The juicy pork buns were not as good as I expected, but overall the food quality is pretty good.

• 

  veggie rice

  veggie rice
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  pork dumplings

  pork dumplings
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  dan dan noodles

  dan dan noodles
• See all photos from Henry L.

9/1/2014

Green onion pancake
-can't taste the onion
-dense dough with crispiness at the edges
-leaves a dry feeling in the mouth afterward

7/10/2014

This place has become a go-to dinner spot for me and S. We try not to go on the weekends because the line is crazy long, but any weekday dinner time we've been able to get seated right away.

Tip about that: the sign-up sheet means nothing. Just stand there and try to get a waiter's attention because they will seat people who walk in after you if they catch their attention first.

Of course, we get the xiao long bao, but we also really like the hot and sour soup and the sang zeen bao. I'm not a big fan of their chou chow mein (a little bland in my opinion). The honey walnut prawns are nice and big, but pretty mayo-y. I still need to try the green onion pancake and the dan dan noodles.

Oh, and if you're into the mochi texture, they have these sesame filled tong yuen with peanut powder (lou sa tong yuen) that are yummy.

Not as good as Din Tai Fung down in SoCal, but a good enough substitute for xiao long bao!

8/23/2014

Amazing xlb, clay pots, beef noodle soup. First come first serve so expect to wait in line. Great price and service.

6/7/2014

*** 1/2 stars for what I sampled should of tried the dumplings hahaha

I do have a slightly different palette but when I see certain things on a menu like tripe, oxtail, tendon, imma order it haha. I was able to sample 2 items from their menu their spicy tendon and the lion head meatballs, sadly I did not sample the dumplings which I should have.

Let me break down the what I had, the spicy tendon, served cold, chewy, spicy after your 4th piece, inhale feel the burn hahaa if I could describe this dish imagine slightly frozen jello that has a slight meaty taste mixed with a marinated spicy sauce, unless you like tendon or collagen type food usually found in pho dishes but served hot in a soup

the lionhead meatball was interesting, I don't know if a singular meat was used or two different kinds, size wise it is fairly large not something you can down in one bite if so try you will regret it because it is served piping hot. I could taste diced onion, salt, but other then that I could not decipher what was else was in the meat, some had a grainy taste dont know why but the whole way through heavy flavor of diced veggies some offering a slight crunch when biting down, I would order this again.

The staff is polite, if you do speak cantonese I believe they interact with you more or that is what I saw, sadly I don't speak cantonese other then a few bad words which you dont want to say to anyone handling your food.

food *** 1/2 lionhead meat ball sure why not, spicy tendon I believe would have been better hot served cold was just ok
price $$
service **** polite
ambiance ****

5/18/2014

The food has always been consistently good. Dumplings are a must but we've also tried their rice dishes, noodles and apps which are all tasty.

Food comes out fast and service is decent. Check comes quick like lightening when you are ready to pay.

5/7/2014

Amazing XLB is all you need to know! But don't come expecting the best service, this is Shanghainese dining for you.

The **Xiao Long Bao (XLB)** dumplings are filled with juicy flavorful meat and just the right amount of warm broth. They're served at the perfect temperature too, nice and hot but not scalding. Some other places I've been put such scalding broth inside that you have to literally poke a hole in the dumpling in order to let it cool off first, so you lose a ton of the liquid. Totally ruins the effect!

Other dishes were pretty good, but not as notable as the XLB. The **Pan Fried Noodles** and **Tofu with Preserved Vegetables** were both decent but nothing to write home about. Top the whole meal off with complimentary soy milk, and it's a success.

What brought this down to an average experience was, of course, the service. In order to get any attention for water refills, extra dishes, and even to pay our bill, one of my party had to yell "HEYYYY!" in order for them to finally notice us. She kept trying to get their attention politely, then speaking slightly louder and louder, but it was the shouting that got their attention.

Parking is super difficult in this area, especially on weekends. 1-hour parking spots are in front of the restaurant but there are serious car wars going on there. Even all the handicap spots were full.

TIP: If you expect to get their attention, make sure to warm up your vocal cords first. There are a number of vocal exercises I can recommend, so just let me know!

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  Tofu with preserved veggies.

  Tofu with preserved veggies.
• 

  XLB (xiao long bao)!

  XLB (xiao long bao)!

5/14/2014

More of a 3.5 stars but they've been here for a while...

My family and I were stuck and had no place else to go. In the end, we decided to go here knowing that the food was decent from previous visits. We waited approximately 10 minutes and were finally seated near 7 PM.

-Xiao Long Bao: This is the best rendition of an XLB that I have had in the Bay Area. Some of the other greats including Little Shanghai and Crystal Jade don't even come close to this one. They are perfect because they are hot, filled with juices from the meat, have tasty meat, and the wrapping doesn't fall apart while not being too thick. However, it is necessary to eat these instantly while they are hot or else they'll become cold and no good. So please do yourself a favor and try their famous XLB's out (why else are they named Shanghai DUMPLING Shop) and eat them right way. (4.5/5)

-Pan Fried Buns: These were good but not as good as the XLB's. These don't have the juices from the meat and in my opinion the wrapping is a little too thick although it's supposed to be that way. These are topped with a few green onions and sesame seeds which are a nice compliment. (3/5)

-Smoked Fish: This was served cold and was definitely my least favorite dish. I thought it was just really strange in general and I didn't really like the texture. (2/5)

-Spicy Cow Stomach: This was probably my favorite dish of the night. It was so good because for one I love cow stomach and the spicy sauce added a great spicy flavor to the cow stomach. It was just really well done because the sauce went particularly well with the stomach. It really had that "wow" factor. (4.5/5)

-Spicy Tendon): This is a pretty decent dish although I do prefer the cow stomach because it has more of a crunch to it and the sauce just goes better with the dish. Still this is not a bad option either but it didn't have the "wow" factor. (3.5/5)

-Cured Pork: Always a really popular dish served cold although it can be salty after a few pieces. It has a good texture and just tastes good in general. (3.5/5)

-Sauteed Eels: This is always my favorite dish because it's tastes good. The sauce was reduced this time which I prefer. This dish is very small for the price being paid. (3.5/5)

-Salty Pork with Vegetable Rice Clay Pot: I used to think this was the best rendition until I tried Little Shanghai in San Mateo. This is still a pretty strong version but it gets burnt way too easily and the ham doesn't let off as much flavor into the rice as I'd like. (3/5)

-Stir Fried Noodles Shanghai Style: I always like this dish in general but the rendition at this place is just okay. The noodles are thick and aren't too salty which I like. (3/5)

-Mu Shu Pork with 4 Pancakes: Sorry but this dish just didn't work for me. Somehow though people on Yelp have all said that it was supposed to be good. Ours was filled with way too many veggies and pretty much no meat. It was just like having a pancake with a pile of cabbage. (2.5/5)

-They were inattentive (most Chinese restaurants are like this) and didn't come to check on us. They didn't take our plates away and what I found ironic is they quickly came to take our money. But what do I expect from a Chinese restaurant?

-There are quite a few tables but only 2 tables for bigger parties. The place is very authentic feeling for a Shanghainese place where it feels not sanitary and not much thought put into the decor.

I may return but mainly for their tasty XLB's and cow stomach. This place has definitely gone downhill in my visits. I honestly think that this is the only thing going for them and there are a few hidden gems on the menu. Still, my favorite place of Shanghainese is Little Shanghai so if you have dined there then you will not be satisfied with this place. (3/5)

5/29/2014

Our 2nd visit here and have to say it was very average. The only item up to snuff were the Shanghai Dumplings (XLB) , with the pork and soup broth  cooked inside. There is a nice mixture of pork fat and soup, w/ tangy vinegar sauce on the side really yummy..folks cannot live on dumplings alone! These are the only thing to go out of your way for. We got barbacued pork, sesame chicken, shanghai fried noodles, and vegetable tofu hot pot..... all were miserably average. My suggestion.....keep the soups and dumplings and re-think those tired recipes.
Prices are not particularly cheap either.  Service is fine, decor is basic HITW
(hointhewall) and bathrooms not well kept. Not living in the neighborhood, I'm sure I won't visit SDS  for a long time.

8/14/2014

I enjoyed the dumplings and the bread buns at Shanghai Dumpling Shop.  I wish they had more options, but the ones they did have were pretty damn tasty.  I also enjoyed the braised green beans, potstickers, and Shanghai style noodles.  Good food, I will return.

5/3/2014

Wow, get over yourselves.

I understand how unforgiving workers can be when customers comes into their restaurant really close to their closing time expecting excellent service and patience despite the inconsideration, but 30 minutes prior ......really? I'm a little turned off by the idea that I showed up with my friends asking for a table for three only to be waved off oh soooo obnoxiously and rudely by one of their workers. I don't think I even need to go into details at how he rolled his eyes at me also. First of all, the restaurant was not even packed. Secondly, there was no way the kitchen was even closed at that time!

The food here has always been barely satisfying. More of a stomach filler just to get by; their XLB skin and soup inside has always been just A-okay. Their stir-fried entrees and pancakes have always been consistently greasy.

I've been here quite a few times before and I've always been disappointed by their service and mediocre food, but this pretty much tipped it over. Sorry, SDS, I won't be coming back for yaaaa.

6/24/2014

Xiao Long Bao is good here, probably the best in the area. Always steaming hot, delicious and has some soup inside it so you need to watch out for it exploding on you. Don't be that guy that gets it all over their shirt.

Everything else though...is quite average or worse. Their Shanghai Noodles are very plain and a bit watery, and if you don't get the one with the spareribs in it, then it's just noodles and not much else. String beans sometimes over-fried and tough. Pork buns always comes out very dry and hard to eat. Chinese Fried Doughnut 9 times out of 10 comes out very oily and greasy.

Hot Pot rice with...ham?...is pretty good and I can recommend that if you want something different.

Waiters are sometimes a bit rude; always very curt with you and that can be taken the wrong way. Every time we go there is loud yelling from the kitchen too...not sure the chefs really get along with one another.

Come early if you go for lunch, they close at about 3PM even on weekends which makes this place a bit annoying to go to if you can't get there early enough. I go back for the Xiao Long Bao and try to skip most of their other items.

9/1/2014

I ordered pan fried pork buns. I was very disappointed. It's definitely not authentic at all. Other dishes I tried all tasted weird. The deep fried Chinese donuts in the savory rice roll was not crisp. The savory soy milk tasted bland. However, there was a long line waiting for seats. The restaurant must have done a good job with marketing.

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  street view

  street view

5/11/2014

I love picking up to go food from here on my way back from work. They have a great system, using eat24 and beyondmenu, and they're pretty quick so I never have to wait long!

We like to order their vegetable steamed dumplings - chewier skin but not oily like potstickers. Inside is a good amount of filling of vermicelli, egg, and vegetables.

I also like their spicy wonton, which is not the taiwan style but shanghai style of using peanut sauce with red oil. The wontons are just right in chewiness and not over cooked!

Other things that are good:
Shanghai style chow mein: not too oily but not bland. Good chewy noodles
Preserved egg w/ tofu: this is alright, its a lot of tofu and preserved egg but sometimes, there isnt enough sauce so it can taste a little "dry"
Red bean pancake: good chewiness and lots of red bean :)

5/31/2014

Accessibility (Parking / Wait Time)

1/1 Star: street parking. No wait.

_____

Service (Waiter / Cleanness / Ambiance)

1/1 Star: normal service.

_____

Taste (0=Not Edible / 1=Edible / 2=Good (average) / 3=Must Try!)

3/3 Stars: the Shanghai dumplings are a must try! One order per person because you will want to eat them all.

_____

Overall Experience

5/5 Stars 

_____

Last Words
Lots of soup in the dumplings

• 

  Two Orders of Shanghai Dumplings

  Two Orders of Shanghai Dumplings

4/16/2014

Meh...The hunt for the adequate dumpling continues.  Came on a Tuesday around 6p and there was no line.

For $10 an order of XLB, I expected more.  The skin wasn't particularly impressive. Flavor of the dumpling was OK, did have soup inside.

Clay pot rice with ham and veggies was so so.  Ham was very tough barely chewable.

Green Onion Pancakes were weird.  I didn't like the texture and it was greasy.

XLB Kitchen on Grand in South City still has better dumplings.

3/24/2014

Shanghai Dumpling Shop...what happened to your food and service?  Although there is still a line since you're one of the only Shanghainese restaurant around but that doesn't mean you have to drastically change the quality of your food!

I love how upon ordering, food comes out super fast but it got sent back just as fast.  When you served us frozen, yes FROZEN! appetizer, how do you expect us to eat it?!?  Although the menu did indicate that it was a cold appetizer, our spicy pig's ears dish came out icy cold, we couldn't even bite into it.  Thankfully, you acknowledged that it was not thawed out yet and took it back right away, but WTH?!?  Sorry, we sent it back so fast that I didn't even get a picture of it!

Hubby loves coming here for their salty meat and veggies clay pot (that boy cannot live without his rice), but when the rice is just soaking in a puddle of oil with no burnt rice at the bottom, that's a deal breaker in his book.  What happened to the charred bottom?  Onto the pot stickers, what's with the tough glob of meat on the inside?  
Their saving grace was thankfully their XLB (what their shop is named after), pan-fried buns, and tofu noodles in simmered broth.  While the XLBs are still plump and juicy, but at $9.95 for an order, it's a bite steep when I can get comparable ones (if not better) for a few dollars less in the city.  No point in making the trek all the way to Millbrae just for XLB then.    

Food aside, let's talk about the service.  Not that I expect stellar service, but it was at least acceptable in prior visits.  Sadly, it took us several times of waving our hands before we could place an order, then it took 3 attempts before they finally brought us our drinks, and a few more hand waving before we got more tea and napkins.  Seriously, what happened to you guys?  Do you have a new chef/new management?  It's as if we walked into a completely different restaurant!

It's unfortunate to see a once very delicious restaurant ruin their name this way.  If this was even 6 months ago, I would have easily given them 4 stars, but until they snap back in shape, 2 stars it is.  Thankfully, there are many other Asian restaurants popping up in Millbrae nowadays.  I would much rather visit those establishments before making a return visit back to this dumpling shop.

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  tofu noodles

  tofu noodles
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  pan-fried buns

  pan-fried buns
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  XLB

  XLB
• See all photos from Janetto L.

3/17/2014

3.5 stars.

This is pretty standard Shanghainese. We ordered xiao long bao (soup dumplings) accompanied by shredded ginger in a vinegar sauce. They came out hot but not burn your tongue hot. We also ordered hot and sour soup which was much more soup than most couples would want to share. I think it is a good size for three or four people especially if you are ordering other dishes. It came with hot tea. You have to ask for water.

Most tables seem to be 2 or 4 square tables or the big round banquet tables for 10. There was a slight wait but nothing ridiculous. We easily found street parking nearby. There are color photos of the menu items on the wall although the names are not as appealing. This place will do until the next time I can go to Din Tai Fung in SoCal. It was good but I'm sure there might be better xiao long bao elsewhere in the bay.

9/16/2014

Came here for the xiao long bao. was dissapointed to find the soup inside was greasy pork fat and oil. def not comparable to din tai fung.

3/28/2014

This place should get 4.5 stars but given that it has made its way into my restaurant rotation, I will round up.  So much talk about the XLB and they are good.  Juicy and big.  They have the standard pork and the pork with crab.  They arent the best that I have had because I think they oversteam them just a bit.  This is why I want to deduct a half star.  

The still I most enjoy are the other things on the menu.  the lion head meatball is so tasty.  Size of oranges and super juicy.  Eat it with a bowl of white rice is about as comforting as comfort food gets.  It also tastes better the second day, so order an extra to go.

The braised pork rump is also very good.  A bit fatty and not as flavorful as the versions I had in Shanghai, but well, we aren't in Shanghai, so this is pretty close.  Plus, I dont often see this dish on the menu, so it is a treat to get.

The shanghai wonton soup is also a nice appetizer to share.  Big and meaty wonton and a light but flavorful broth.

All fo the veg I have had there have been solid.  Nothing to write home about but good.  
I go back to this place often, and it is my default XLB joint in the bay area.

3/31/2014

Their Xiao Long Baos were great!  Juicy, all filled with delicious soup.  The seating is limited, so expect a short wait.  It's best to come with small groups less than 4.  some of the tables only seat 2 people.  We also had the shanghai fried noodles.  The noodles tasted pretty good, but the gravy was a little bland, nothing a dash of soy sauce couldn't cure.

Parking can be found along the neighboring streets in the evening.