Jane C
Google
Finding the restaurant is a bit like a treasure hunt. Outdoor signage is limited, and there's no access door directly from the outside. Instead, you have to come inside a larger complex and turn right into two dark hallways before the space opens up to this nearly hidden restaurant space. Inside, the tables are fairly packed in, so when my husband and I came at peak lunch time on a Saturday, nearly every table was occupied with customers.
When full, the energy is lively without feeling frenetic, and that's largely thanks to the efficiency of the servers here. Unlike most other restaurants, there isn't any one server assigned to a table, so there was always someone around to help if ever we needed something. It also seemed like someone came by with jugs of hot tea and ice water every five minutes, topping off our glasses as soon as we had a few sips. Plates are brought as soon as they're ready, which helps keep the food fresh and - depending on what you've ordered - the meal into more of a course-like affair.
Our soup dumplings with pork were the first and fastest to arrive at our table, clocking in at a mere seven minute wait. Since the name strongly hints at their expertise, it's impossible not to order at least a basket. In fact, when you first sit down, they'll place small plates of ginger shreds as matter-of-factly as they put down water glasses because the presumption is that any one dining here is likely to have soup dumplings. I've had xiao long bao at quite a few spots across the city and Queens, and I found these to be excellent. The dumpling skin was on the thinner side without being so thin that the wrappers burst to soup spillage. There wasn't as much soup inside, but the taste was amazing.
We loved the soup dumplings, but we might've liked the beef with string beans even better. The string beans were perfectly cooked with a generous amount of tender beef pieces. This was a conversation-halting entree for us as we both silently fought for last pieces.
Our pan fried noodles came last, and I've typically found that this dish takes a little longer in most soup dumpling spots. A layer of crispy, deep-fried noodles are placed under a scalding meat sauce, so that it gently 'cooks' and softens at your table. This was a lighter sauce - both in flavor and in the amount of meat. We ordered one with chicken sauce and felt hard pressed to find the meat. That said, the overall dish was delicious and I loved the contrast of crunchy noodles with the hot, silky sauce.
This was our first visit after several friends claimed it as one of their top spots for soup dumplings. Having visited, I can definitely see why. Street parking in the area is limited, but there are a few spots right outside. There are also two adjoining underground complexes with a few free spots in each.
