Baos and Bowls

These $10 pan fried pork baos from the East Village might just top my list of my best sheng jian bao research… I shared my favorite sheng jian bao in NYC earlier which was in Brooklyn. But this time I checked out a new spot in Manhattan that could seriously rival my number one, with the added bonus of a more convenient location. ＊Pan Fried Pork Bao 豬肉生煎包 $10 *** The baos literally exploded with meat juice when I took my first bite (Yes, I didn’t learn from past mistakes and the delicious disaster happened again). Their sheng jian bao ticked every box for me: crunchy golden bottom, thin and soft dumpling wrapper, and juicy meat filling. Unfortunately they didn’t have the crab meat one when I visited. ＊The OG Beef Stew Noodle 爺叔牛肉麵 $19 ** I got their another signature dish — the braised beef noodle soup exceeded my expectation. The thick cut beef shank was so tender that it fell apart easily with chopsticks. I did feel a bit thirsty after drinking the soup though. ＊Shredded Beef w. Pepper Chewy Fried Noodles 小椒牛肉絲粗炒 $17 I love 上海粗炒 and this one came with green bell pepper and shredded beef. Packed with flavors and not overly greasy. ＊Jumbo Wonton in Chili Oil 紅油抄手 $7 While their baos were 11/10, the chili oil wonton was alright. It was doughy with few filling, and the chili oil sauce wasn’t aromatic enough. Size-wise it wasn’t really “jumbo”. ＊Iced Soy Milk 冰豆漿 $4.5 * SO GOOOOD I gulped the whole cup.

🤩 Shanghai Pan-Fried Bao One bite and the savory soup literally bursts out 💦. Fluffy dough, crispy golden bottom, and juicy, flavorful pork filling—every bite comes with that satisfying crunch sound. 🍜 Braised Beef Noodle Soup Packed with real goodness! Huge cuts of tender beef that can cover the whole bowl, slow-braised to perfection. The rich, fragrant broth and springy noodles are a match made in heaven 🥰. 🥢 Shredded Chicken Sesame Noodles Thin noodles coated in aromatic sesame sauce, topped with refreshing cucumber shreds—a must-order for perfect texture and flavor.

This place is a hidden gem in the neighborhood! The service is friendly, and the food is delicious, simple yet satisfying. I really love the vibe here, especially with the outdoor tables and stools that perfectly capture a cool Asian street-food atmosphere. It's ideal for takeout and worth checking out!

Stumbled upon Baos and Bowls tonight while they were running a promotion—$1 per pan-fried bun. I grabbed a set of four just to try, and they turned out to be absolutely amazing! Crispy on the outside, super juicy inside, and the flavor was spot on. Even at the regular price of $10 for four, it’s still worth it once in a while. Highly recommended!

A friend referred me to have a beef noodle here. To my surprise, it really brings back the yummy taste back home. The meat is tender and flavorful, so does the soup. Although the dining place is small but cozy and clean. Pan-fried pork buns is juicy and meaty. I definitely visit again!

One of the better beef noodle soups I’ve had in a while. Would recommend the popcorn chicken as well. The pan fried soup dumplings are also worth a try. Excited to have this new spot in the neighborhood.

Warning: allow the baos at least 10mins to cool before eating. Some of the best shenjianbao I've tried in the US, and other Shanghaiese dishes.

Walked by this place and had some of the best comfort food I’ve had in a while. The juicy pork buns were perfectly soft with rich, flavorful filling, and the green pepper beef noodles had the right kick with tender beef and chewy noodles. The fried Pork cutlet was amazing as well. Definitely a spot worth checking out!

Super exciting to see this pop up in this part of town - the bao buns are $1 each (minimum order 4) until September 10! The bao buns were my favorite thing here despite being pretty doughy, especially the bottom. It was such a good size though, and very juicy with a lot of protein inside. Super hot so treat it like soup dumpling! The Chewy AF fried noodle ($15) which is basically a Shanghai fried flat noodle - it was just okay to me, a bit saucy but not sauce enough? I wish it had just been stir fried. The spicy cucumbers ($8) fell very short - it looked like it had been prepared days ago, and wasn't very spicy. Some seating inside but did not seem to have a bathroom.