Happy I got to try another regional specialty. Maultaschen are a sort of ravioli-shaped dumpling filled with sausage mince. These came with a very generous serving of salad with cheese curds (which may or may not have been bibiliskäs).

Got these mini shengjian bao lightly doused in vinegar off a street vendor. They were really good.

Crab Roe and Matsutake XLB. Love, love, LOVE the addition of mushrooms! 😋

Who knew I’d get to enjoy these next level XLB on World Food Day?

PUMPKIN & OREGANO POTATO GNOCCHI molten halloumi, brown butter, kale pesto, hazelnuts, pecorino

Handcrafted flower dumplings with caramelised chicken, sweet turnip and peanut filling topped with coconut cream reduction.

It’s probably been ~ 3 years since I had soup dumplings!

The only thing Shanghainese about this place, apart from the restaurant assaulting your senses with toilet freshener upon entering. I kid you not. It really smelled like a thoroughly refreshed public restroom. Otherwise everything else on the menu seemed typical of a Hong Kong style dim sum place, with the exception of their shabu shabu specials. The dim sum on the whole was good though.

Delicate

Crab meat soup dumplings.

Crab Roe and Fresh Meat XLB.

Vegetable Bamboo Prawn Dumplings

Xiao Long Bao - Steamed Pork Dumplings

Pork & Chive Dumplings

BRIEF: “Fragrant, earthy aromas that leave an impression. Our signature Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao is complemented by whole slices of rich truffle imported from Italy.” SOOT’S TAKE: At a whopping $25 for 5 XLB, I thought these were quite underwhelming.

BRIEF: A favorite for fish fans: Filled with a perfected ratio of Alaskan cod to Atlantic cod, these dumplings have a light, delicate flavor. Taiwanese cabbage, celery, and water chestnuts add extra springiness and crunch. Contains chicken broth. SOOT’S TAKE: I don’t think I’m huge enough of a fish fan to appreciate this more than their porky counterparts.

Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) in 8 flavors. It's recommended to start with the Original (the plainest-looking one in the middle), before proceeding clockwise beginning with the Ginseng (green), Foie Gras (brown), Black Truffle (black), Cheesy (yellow), Crab Roe (orange), Garlic (slate) and ending with Szechuan (beetroot red). It is done in order of increasing intensity of flavor, although I found the flavors to be rather mild.

These soup dumplings are served in tin foil cups to minimize spills from a potentially messy eating experience.

For $4, this was an excellent deal.

Rice Wine Xiao Long Bao

Not entirely lacking in flavor (spicy) but something’s missing to take this to another level.

Truffle Bean Dumplings

Original ☑️ Salted Egg Yolk ❌ Chilli Crab ☑️ Black Truffle ☑️

To be dipped in vinegar. Nowhere as appetizing as their Cantonese counterparts.

Taro dumplings with a meat and vegetable filling. This was probably the best of the dishes, although I probably wouldn't order it again. #hakkafood