"Chef Jimmy Li earned a James Beard Award nod for Best Chef: Southwest in 2023 — primarily for his delicately wrapped xiao long bao. The kitchen turns out about 3,000 soup dumplings a day, each sporting savory broth and juicy pork suspended within tender, pleated satchels. The rest of the menu reads like a love letter to Shanhainese street food, with most dishes under $15: bean curd noodles in shrimp XO sauce (rich chile flavor); Shanghai crispy shrimp cooked with the shells on for extra crunch; and a robust beef stir-fry with bell peppers, onions, and oyster mushrooms in black pepper sauce. Mark down orders on paper menus and don’t miss fried sheng jian bao, crispy scallion pancakes, and sticky-sweet pork ribs that fall off the bone." - Janna Karel