Yogurt Soju. 

It was an eventful day and I was starving. We arrived later on a Saturday night around 10 but my sister and I didn’t have to wait at all! It was definitely busy though. I love the artsy warehouse feel and nightclub music. We started the night with the yogurt soju. There were quite a few interesting drinks that came out to tables around us that looked like humongous lava lamps with steam coming out of them. If we had more people with us, we’d definitely order those fun drinks but we opted for the simple, delicious, and strong instead. Shots of soju were poured all night and it drank like a dessert, but don’t be fooled. It’ll kick in quickly!

We didn’t order much. Just 12 wings in Soy Garlic Flavor. That’s all you need. The batter was a medium in thickness and extra crispy. The chicken was so moist and flavorful. My whole time in New York, I wanted to go back again, but never had the chance. If you decide to try Turntable, please have some for me!

Rating: 5/5 spoons

Pork Dumplings. 

Crab & Pork Dumplings. 

Snow Pea tips. 

It’s been at least 10 years since my first and only time to Joe Shanghai and now I’m back. I’ve decided to try the newer location in Midtown, New York. It’s definitely cleaner and friendlier! My sister-in-law and I wanted a little tasting or mid-day snack and ordered the Pork dumplings and the Crab & Pork dumplings. Our server said his favorite had to be the Crab & Pork and I’d have to agree! The Pork seemed to be on the saltier side. The Crab & Pork was light, delicate and perfectly seasoned. Someone was  a little heavy-handed on the regular Pork dumplings that day, but it was still tasty. I always like a little veg with any meal so I ordered the Snow Pea Tips, which was perfect!

There are definitely other options when it comes to soup dumplings, but I’ll always love Joe Shanghai’s for that first bite!

Rating: 4/5 spoons

In case you haven’t had this deliciousness yet, soup dumplings are a delicate wonton-like pouch filled with a nice, hot broth and a savory meatball. If you’re wondering how they get the soup inside, wonder no more. First, they create a gelatinous stock that’s then combined with a meatball. Next, it’s sealed and steamed. Out of the steamers comes perfect little pouches of soup-filled dumplings. Sounds easy enough, but it’s definitely a lot more intensive than that and that’s why I’m thankful for soup dumpling restaurants.

Most people head straight to Joe Shanghai for soup dumplings, but a New York local mentioned  another option and it was The Bao. It doesn’t have the same authentic asian feel inside as Joe Shanghai, but it’s much cleaner and more friendly.

Seating. Empty house, but at an off hour (5:00ish on Sunday)

Kung Fu Steamed Pork Xiao Long Baos. 

Spicy Pork Xiao Long Bao. 

Chocolate Xiao Long Bao. Nutella. Banana.

I love the variety that The Bao offers. Actually, I haven’t even seen variety at any other soup dumpling restaurants that I’ve been to. We ordered the regular Kung Fu Baos, Spicy Baos (not the super spicy one), and the Chocolate Baos. The Kung Fu Baos were the perfect warm-hot temperature, which allows you to eat the whole bao in one bite without caution. Some restaurants, you have to be extra careful or even punch a hole to let the soup out first in order to let it cool. Here, you can easily devour the whole thing and just let it melt in your mouth! Next, we ate the Spicy Baos, which had a good kick. I can’t imagine ordering the Super Spicy Baos since the regular Spicy was perfect. I enjoy spicy, but I can’t imagine ordering the Super Spicy especially since spice is usually intensified with hot broth. Lastly, we had the Chocolate Baos, which I find really interesting. It’s like a bite of Nutella crepe! The bao has a slight chew like crepes and it’s stuffed with Nutella and banana. A perfect end to our Bao meal.

The service was good and the baos were delicious. My favorite part is the variety of baos. Usually, at a soup dumpling restaurant, we’ll order trays of the same baos. There’s nothing wrong with that, but a variety of flavors adds a lot of excitement to the meal. Honestly, I’ve never really seen different flavors at any other soup dumpling restaurants and that’s what will bring me back!

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Watermelon juice. 

Five-Spice Glazed Pork Belly. Pickled Asian Pear.

Inside: Five-Spice Pork Belly. Pickled Asian Pear.

I’d never thought I’d say that I’d pay over $4 for a banh mi sandwich. If you’ve ever been to any Vietnamese banh mi shop, the most it’ll cost you is $3.50 a sandwich. This sandwich is $8.75 and to really blow your mind, it’s roughly 2/3 the size of a normal banh mi…but it is AMAZING. The bread is slightly buttery and lightly crisped. The 5-spice pork belly was so tender and flavorful. I usually scoff when I see a banh mi over $4, but Num Pang has proved me wrong! 

If you happen to be strolling through Chelsea’s Market and can’t decide which delectable goodness you’d like to fill your tummy with, I highly suggest Num Pang’s Five-Spice Pork Belly as one of them. Add a Watermelon Juice to your order. It’s fresh, pure, and I love the chunky pulp.

Rating: 5/5 spoons

Ramen cousins. 

Totto Spicy RamenTotto Spicy Ramen. Rayu. Spicy Sesame Oil. Paitan Ramen. Scallion.  Bean Sprouts. Nori. Added: Corn, Char Siu Pork, and Boiled Egg.

Taiwan Ramen. Spicy Ground Chicken. Bean Sprouts. Garlic Chives. Added: Corn, boiled egg

I ordered the Spicy Totto Ramen. The broth was light, but rich with spice and chili oils and with just the right amount. I’ve had some ramen bowls with overwhelmingly too much oil and that’s a real turn off. You know your food is good when everything balances each other so well. There was a charry smokiness from the seared pork combined with the nuttiness of the sesame oil, which added a great amount of depth in the broth flavors. I like the layers of flavors since that’s what separates it from a regular bowl of noodles.

The chef ordered the Taiwan Ramen, which was very good and the noodles even looked a bit different from the Totto Ramen. What made it unique was the different noodle. It was softer and even chewier or more al dente. Also, the garlic chives really set off the flavor in this bowl!

Honestly, I can’t tell the difference between the chicken broth ramen from the pork broth ramen that I’ve tried, but I will say that it seemed lighter. Also, keep in mind that I mainly ate the Spicy Ramen so sometimes the spice overpowers the pure broth flavor just a bit.

I will have to admit that this restaurant is in my top 3 ramen bowls in the whole U.S.! 

Rating: 5/5 spoons!