Not intentional, but the food was like that. :p

I'll probably be around, but tied up until around 5p. I've never really thought of XLB as a Saturday evening thing.

I may actually make that. I'll be there from the 25-28th

I was planning on going to 德兴馆 but that place is probably packed on a Sat. Open to anywhere else. Maybe the one moondog found?

I went back down there again today (needed to help a friend get his computer fixed), and stopped by the same place (it's on Nanchang Rd about 60 meters east of Xiangyang Rd, btw). I mistakenly ordered the base level pork variety, which wasn't nearly as good as the 鞋粉 that I got the previous time... though still a lot of soup inside. At some places, I prefer the pork only, while at others the 鞋粉 is the way to go... trial and error. I've yet to find any 特色 varieties that I like.

mnredfox: We agree about NO on the SH Dumpling Place --further up the street across from the Balboa Theatre is a much better dumpling place. --We tend to buy frozen products and cook at home.

+1, agree 100%. The other place I think you're referring to is called Shanghai House. I went there the other day and their XLB were pretty dang good. And unlike Shanghai Dumpling Place at Shanghai House the owners/chefs are actually Shanghainese.

I personally prefer the 蟹粉 type。 Shoe flavored XLB isn't quite my thing. :p;)

Overheard that the SF Mayflower Restaurant has had a change in ownership. Will mourn the loss of a nice Cantonese place. -- The new menu has Shanghainese items... our SH friend said "pricey" but good.

Sigh got hijacked by friends after they found out I was in SH. As a result waited for an hour for a table at a Szechuan restaurant on NJ East (was staying at the Sofitel).

On the bright side I had XLB at De Xin Guan the next morning. The skins are thicker than what I am used to but I guess it is more Shanghai style XLB than the more prevalent NJ style XTB that I and probably most people are used to.

I had XLB for lunch again (got to get my fix :D) at this Tan Bao place on NJ East as I was walking back to my hotel. It is on the 2nd floor of the pedestrian street but I don't recognize the first 2 characters (XX汤包). Maybe someone can shed some light as to what the name is.

Last week, I attended a group dinner at Jardin de Jade (Jade Garden) on Maoming Lu, which I believe is a chain restaurant. The dinner itself was a 3 hour affair, consisting of many small dishes that I didn't care much for. However, they finished things off with 小龙包, which was really good. Perhaps I was biased because I was so hungry, but I felt the quality was top notch.

Most of my hole in the wall XLB venues no longer exist, so I really only get to try DTF and a pretty bad hole in the wall near Laoximen these days. I'm not a fan of Yang's because I haven't figured out how to eat those things without making a mess.

I really really want some soup buns during my trip next week (and even the "bad" ones by your standards would be good for me, I'm sure!) I won't have much time (arrive late Tuesday, meetings Wed & Thurs, leave Friday) We even have a dinner on Wed night. But I plan to ask the students if there is a place nearby I can get dumplings on Thurs night! (of course, not speaking any Chinese, it's difficult for me on my own in a non-tourist area, but I haven't starved yet...Couldn't tell you what I've eaten most of the time, but haven't starved^)

Honestly, the best soup dumplings and certainly the most consistent are at Din Tai Feng -- branches in most major cities. And some of the other dishes (e.g. pea shoots) are excellent too.

tb

While I'm hard pressed to think of anywhere better than dtf off hand (and I actively dislike the original 南翔 place), I think there is value in seeking out venues that have a bit more local flavor. (Why come all the way to Shanghai to get the exact same product that's on offer in Seattle?)

Well, none of the DTF locations are nearby me or where I might travel, with the exception of one of the Shanghai locations - I was contemplating exploring the Xujiahui area on my last night and there's a location in a mall there. Will probably still ask the students if there are places closer to the university/hotel. Will probably also ask them to write out an order for me:)

There is an unfortunate wide variety in quality and taste among DTF branches worldwide, even within its home city, Taipei in Taiwan.

There are pretty bad locations in LA (Arcadia is good), and even within Taipei you need to choose carefully. Seattle is very iffy, and can be OK or bad or good depending on the day/time....and of course don't bother trying the location in Toronto which is a fake knockoff called 'DinG Tai Fung', which fooled me at first glance and almost swore me off the brand before I figured out they ripped off the real DTF.

For the best XLB, I try to find the under the radar mom and pop shops that locals gravitate to.