“I think you use a syringe and you inject the soup into it”
“No no too fiddly, I think it’s like a blob of gelatine that they put in it”
“No no you’re both wrong. They cook the meat and the skin separately and then put them together and pour soup inside and seal them up”
Dumpling Auntie
It’s almost Chinese New year and as an avid Xiao Long Bao eater, I had always sworn to find out how they put the soup in these little beasties and when New Shanghai asked me if I would like to learn how to make these dumplings I jumped at the chance. My mother is also curious to know so she comes along. Shanghai dumplings seem to have taken over as the new Yum Cha and on weekends (and some weekdays) eager hordes queue to try these delicious little morsels.
Dumpling Auntie
Traditionally these dumplings are actually eaten as breakfast foods or snacks in the afternoon rather than the way in which we eat them here as lunch or dinner. Today the two dumpling aunties are going to show me how to make four of the dumplings. The fillings and dough are all made up already but they’ll show me how to fill them and Shirley and John who own New Shanghai will explain the differences in making each bun.
Roll the circle mainly around the outside…
So that the centre is slightly thicker than the edges
First up are the regular gyoza type dumplings. These are steamed and then pan fried. The skin for this and the Xiao Long Bao are the same although the Xiao Long Bao are rolled thinner. They show me how to roll the skin which has an emphasis on rolling out the sides leaving the centre slightly thicker as the sides are to be pinched and gathered together. I watch as the other dumpling auntie fills a dumpling with the pork filling and then cradles it between two fingers in the hollow of her thumb ad forefinger and pinches the sides using her right hand while turning the dumpling slightly with her left so that they can a slightly rounded shape.
Fill generously (fill with less if you are starting out though)
Pleat with thumb and index finger
Ta-da! Sort of…I’m not getting hired with this one 
My turn! OK not bad, she kindly fixes it up for me before I see that it has made the cut (although they might have binned it when I turned away to avoid hurting my feelings 
). Each Dumpling Auntie has worked for years making these dumplings and they can make them all.
Xiao Long Bao attempt one
Hmm could have used some more pleats!
Second attempt: fail. No-one wants their meat showing do they?
Now for the Xiao Long Bao. They estimate that they make up to 1,000 of these a day. The secret to how they get the soup in them is this. John remains a little evasive I think in an effort to keep the secret recipe a secret but it is with pork skin broth which produces gelatinous cubes that once steamed, melt into a soup. The other trick to these is in the pleating. You sit it in one hand (your left if you are right handed) and fold each over in tiny pleats using your pointer finger to fold it against the already folded pleats in a total of 22 pleats per dumpling!
Watching the pro do it
Pinch, pinch, pinch
And if you, like me, love the puffy, pan fried dumpling with the lovely burnished bottoms but often found that you were too full to eat them as they always arrive last I now know the reason why. The filling and method for these dumplings is the same as the Xiao Long Bao but the dough is a different yeast dough. They store the dough in the fridge and these dumplings are only made once an order is placed or the dough will start to puff and develop and the result will be a puffier, more porous dough.
My last attempt
In a powerful commercial steamer like this, Xiao Long Bao are steamed for a total of a mere two minutes
Once they are made (and these Dumpling Aunties only take a few minutes to make a batch), these are then moved onto the frypan area where they are placed in a lightly greased frypan and then once they sit there they ladle over about four ladles full of oil and 1 of water-yes water! This is then cooked for 10 minutes which explains why they take so long as each batch is cooked to order. And yes don’t lift the lid while you are cooking these as the water and oil combination is explosive!
Four ladles of oil and one ladle of water. Yes, seriously!
She’s a brave woman opening up the pan halfway through…
But look how purty they are!
Chinese proverb: a brave person opens up the pan fried dumpling pan once they are cooking
White Tea $3.50 per person
A couple of weeks later dumpling fiend Mr NQN and take a seat to try these dumplings for ourselves. It’s busy with a crowd gathered at the front. We take a seat and the crowd is mixed-there are Chinese families as well as people from all sorts of ethnicities. The design inside here evokes that of a Shanghai alley and there definitely appears to be an effort to raise this above the usual Shanghai dumpling eateries. There is a selection of teas from white tea, spiral green tea, dragon as well green tea as well as additional extras like XO sauce (a divine and extravagant mixture of dried scallops, dried shrimp, chilli, garlic and Yunnan or Jinhua ham) for $2 for a small serve- I looove XO sauce (I’ve considered carrying it around with me)!
XO chilli sauce $2
#514 Stir fried Chinese rice cake with blue swimmer crab $18.80
The non dumpling dishes are the first to arrive as we start with the stir fried rice cakes with blue swimmer crab. The crab itself is plentiful with a soft shell and soft, sweet meat in that distinctive delicate blue swimmer crab texture. The sauce is gingery and flavoursome and the rice cakes are chewy and spongy.
#613 pork belly braised overnight in sweet soy sauce $12.80
The pork belly is straight from my mum’s repertoire-it arrives with a flourish and other tables crane their necks to see what it is. A woman leaving the table next to us enquires as to what was contained within this urn type receptacle. The pork belly is soft, unctuous and sweet and salty rich with the long layered stratified pieces showing the meat and various layers of fat. It’s perfect with a bowl of plain steamed rice.
#201 New Shanghai Xiao Long Ba steamed mini pork bun 8 pieces for $7
Aha! The xiao long bao. They were all plump and juicy and delicious although they don’t quite have that distinctive ginger flavour that Mr NQN likes so much. I have a newfound respect for the number of pleats on top of these.
#209 Deep fried pastry filled with white radish, dried shrimps and shallots 4 pieces for $9.80
I do like radish filled pastries with seafood and these aren’t bad although they could be more crispy.
#213 Steamed vegetarian dumplings 8 pieces for $7.80
These vegetarian dumplings are filled with vermicelli, mushrooms and greens that give them a slight crunch and a good mix of flavours. I would imagine that vegetarians would be quite happy with these.
#217 Mini prawn and pork short soup 15 pieces for $9.80
This was an item that we hadn’t thought that we’d really go for but these end up being one of our favourites. Again it’s the mixture of pork and seafood that goes well together to make the small wontons juicy little morsels full of flavour. There are 15 of these wontons in this seaweed and tiny dried shrimp flavoured clear broth. And given that it’s a complete meal in itself for $9.80 it beats most of the other offerings in the outside food court.
#204 New Shanghai pan fried crab meat and pork bun 8 pieces for $12.80
I have to admit that I do like dumplings that have a bit of crab or prawn with the pork as this really gives the meat a better texture and added dimension of flavour. True to what we now know, these come out one of the last items. The bottom is lovely and golden brown and crunchy and there is a lot of soup inside these. Bliss.
# 218 Shepherd’s purse and pork wonton tossed with sesame butter, red chilli oil and spice 10 pieces for $9.80
We wanted to try these dumplings as they sounded quite different. These dumplings I have to say were a little odd. The sesame butter reminds me of a runny peanut butter and they are paired with a red dried chilli oil and cucumber. The dumplings are filled with a mixture of pork and vegetables but looking closer it looks more vegetable and it has to be said that the dumplings are large. We both preferred them without the sesame butter.
#219 Steamed fish dumpling 10 pieces for $9.80
Now this is where the XO sauce came in handy. They’re quite mild tasting white fish mince filled but when I dip them in the XO sauce the flavour really sings.
So tell me Dear Reader, if you could carry around a condiment or sauce with you in your bag, what would it be?
And don’t forget that you can win a dumpling banquet for four!
NQN and Mr NQN dined as guests of New Shanghai
New Shanghai Chatswood Chase
Shop B-038, Lower Ground Floor, Chatswood Chase, Chatswood, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9412 3358
3 hours free parking at Chatswood Chase
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66 Comments | Add your own
Lucky you!
I particularly like the one with the excess filling showing; I’d welcome that.
The only time I would object to exposed meat, would be in some back alley in Detroit, alone, at night.
1,000 Xiao Long Bao!
Anyway, it is one of my fav Dim Sum items
I always joked that they used a syringe to inset the soup as well.
I would carry out a bottle of Kewpie Mayonnaise with me if I could.
Nice! I remember reading about this at your earlier post. I will try to go there the next time I am in Sydney. In the meanwhile…I am going to try to make some by myself first!
This looks amazing, its making my mouth water. The vegetarian steamed dumplings look really good!
You are so lucky to learn the skills – i’d love to have a go at making dumplings at home. Maybe not water and oil though….aaaahhhhhh!
I like a sauce depending on the food – a good sweet chilli, a luscious mango chutney, tomato on my sausage sanga…..
I carry tamari with me – as soy sauce has wheat in it!!!
DUMPLINGS!!!!!!
I was thinking I need to head over the bridge more often than I do. If dumplings can’t entice me, then nothing will!
Extraordinary, and great dumpling making skills you’re showing there. Not really a condiment, but I’ll probably carry around some roasted garlic if I could. Tastes great on most things, and it does double duty in warding off vampires and those aunties with the moustaches who always want to kiss you!
Funny you should ask as I always carry a bottle of gluten free soy sauce in my handbag when I know I am going out for sushi… I am always very upset when I forget to take it!
Ahh, the mystery of how they get the soup in the dumpling is solved! Congrats for having a go at making these dumplings – you did well. The food all sounds fantastic. If I carried a condiment with me, it would have to be tomato sauce – a good all rounder.
The blue swimmer crab and radish pastries are making me hungry… Great photos!
Its 9.30am and looking at these dumplings its making me so hungry.
Oh, yum! I regularly make dumplings at home, especially in the cooler months and for Sunday night comfort suppers. I have not tried making the soup kind though, so I will be trying that.
Love all the little condiment bottles that you get here and there so would probably have a few different of that size, chilli, kecap manis, mango chutney and good mayo are top of the list!
I am absolutely addicted to Tabasco Chipolte Smokey Sauce. It is amazing. Just typing it is making my mouth water! It makes eggs and bacon the meal of champions, it loves steak and hamburgers.. oh it just loves me! And i love it so! I may need to have some for lunch now. I went to New Shanghai on Australia Day, and we had a few problems with food not arriving after an hour etc, but the Xiao Long Ba were indeed extraordinary and fantastic! And i would tell people to avoid the cold noodles with drunken chicken, definetly not the highlight of the menu!
22 pleats, that’s insane! My fav sauce is nuoc cham (pretty sure I was Vietnamese in a past life). I make my own in a big batch and pop it in the fridge. Doesn’t last long, though. I love it so much, I reckon I’d even drink it straight out of the bottle!!!
Oh! Ok slightly dumpling obsessed I just emailed Stud and told him we HAVE to go haha. Well done you too
Thanks for unravelling the mystery of the dumpling! I have always wanted to ask if I could have a weeks intership at my favourite Yum Cha restaurant, just to learn the secrets.
I match condiments to cuisine, but I do looove wasabi. I was recently frowned on at a sushi bar for slathering wasabi on my noodle dish. They explained it was tradditionaly used just on sushi, but I love it on everything.
I love the dumplings at New Shanghai – they offer new hope for the usually depressing choices in shopping centre food-courts! I could eat their xiao long bao all day long… As for the condiment that I would carry around – I don’t think that you could go past the king of chilli sauces (in my opinion!) – Sri Racha Hot Sauce! Dumplings, burgers, soups, grilled meat… so versatile, so delicious
It’s amazing how many pleats are on top of those xiao lung baos. I’m craving dumplings just reading your post. Might just pop down to Ashfield for a quick dumpling fix tonight =)
the mystery behind the soup in soup dumplings is pork fat gelatine.
what happens is that they take the fat and skin off slabs of pork, cook it so that it all melts down into a yummy, yummy, soup and then let it set in a slab that in room temp is a solid. then they chop the slab up, mix it with meat/veggies and then when its steamed, the pork fat/skin mix melts to becomes the soup in soup dumplings.
in shanghai (well it was avaliable when i was there 3 yrs go) they have giant versions of these soup dumplings that come out with a straw. you sip the soup through the straw and then eat the rest of the dumpling.
but yes, soup dumpling innards are actually not hard to make, the secret is actually in the skin where the dough is semi-raised, hence the wonderful transluscency and bite.
What a treat – inside the world of dumplings!
And I always thought the pan fried buns were rather oily – now I know why…! (I’ll still be ordering them, though)
I’m so delighted by this post, Lorraine.
Dumplings have always intrigued me yet I’ve never attempted them. You’ve given me courage to try. 
I can happily burn the top of my mouth a hundred times for a hundred xiao long bao! Love them so much! Never would have thought there’d be 22 pleats on one little dumpling.
Oh how I love that place! When I was back home in Sydney for 5 short weeks, I ended up there for an early lunch three times, and can confirm that the pan fried dumplings are worth the fat! (However, I did burn my lip, so you have to be careful).
I think I’d carry around a nice aoli, or mybe a truffle something. Either is always excellent in an emergency.
I’ve gone past this place quite often & wondered if it’s similar to the one in the Lemon Grove center. I always thought the soup was produced from the meat when it was cooked.I’d be scared to carry around a sauce thinking it would spill in my bag.
Looks delicious! I feel like I want to plan a visit there soon.. I’m a big fan of dumplings but I find it really hard to pleat them (plus i often over fill them.. lol..)
Which sauce would I take with me in my handbag?
-McDonald’s sweet mustard sauce (the one in the individual containers to accompany chicken nuggets).
Guilty pleasure, absolute trash value, but OH SO GOOD…
Delicious! Thanks for demystifying the story of the xiao long bao. I love watching them fold the pleats – it’s very soothing. We’re heading there on Friday for an early dinner and I can’t wait. I love the pan fried pork buns, xiao long bao, lamb and leek dumplings and shanghai noodle but I think we’ll have to start expanding our repetoire!
Swoon! I love dumplings, especially XLB. So, were the wrappers on these especially thin and fragile?
This is very cool, I love this place. The Spice Girl took us there, and we’ve been back a couple of times since. I never knew how they put the soup in until now, thank you! Really, all so delicious, and very reasonably priced as well!
When I lived in outback NSW we had to make our own Gyoza as they were just not available in town – so much effort! Now I just love being able to go to a great dumpling place and have a Dumpling Auntie make perfect dumplings for me. I’d probably carry soy sauce around…
Holy cow, 4 ladles of oil! Wowsers!
I’ve never realised dumplings could be so gorgeous before! The White Tea also looks beautiful – and well done for having some of your pleated goodies make the cut!
What a great post with Chinese New Year just around the corner. It’s great to see how these are made. I think if I made them they’d turn out like funny shaped sacks. I love their puffy-ness too
YAY dumplings! I tried dumplings for the first time last year and became suitably obsessed.
I’m glad the soup mystery has been solved for me!
I sometimes think about carrying a jar of my favourite mustard – Honey Mustard from the Berry Treat Factory.
I used to have this crazy thought that they injected the soup in, until my ex-flatmate told me that the gelatinous parts of the pork were boiled to a stock and left to cook.
Her mom actually sent her to work in a famous dumpling restaurant for a day because she kept complaining that she misses shanghainese dumplings.
This looks like such an awesome experience Lorraine- love love love dumplings! C could empathasize with you on the XO sauce, he always asks for it to be refilled about 5 times during every dumpling feast.
YUM!! LOVE dumplings, true!
Your photos made me salivate, want some now too!
LOVE the unending choices of food varieties!
Look forward to making them again, with my fave healthy recipe!
WHOO HOO!
Have just finished a VERY late lunch – and yet could demolish EVERYTHING you have shown!! Oh, gad, m’yums!!! I love the gyoza – anything Shanghai you may write of (OK, bad grammar!)!
Would you believe I have never had fish dumplings?! What have other bloggers experienced?
Dumplings really are ‘in’ at the moment aren’t they. I can’t believe how reasonable their prices are.
I actually bought a packet of wanton wrappers from the Asian grocery store last week ready for my first attempt. Thanks for the tips!
Oh..how I love dumplings and dumpling making. I could stand there all day and make dumplings, or even just watch. I was in heaven when we had the dumpling DC challenge in the Summer of ’09. Need to get on making some soon! Great write up, and those Snicker’s Rocky Roads look sinful and delcious, as in, may I have all of them?
oh yum …. they opened a New Shanghai up here in Newcastle in Nov/Dec last year …. and in the last 4 weeks we have had lunch there on 3 occasions and are slowely making our way through the menu but we just can’t not order the Xiao Long Bao each time …. the cold noodles with drunken chicken is simply amazing too…
I tend to end each trip watching the dumpling aunties doing their work whilst the OH pays the bill … its amazing how quick and precise they are
living in the south of italy the food is wonderful but it becomes limited after many years…this is like discovering a new world..thank you.
OH YUMMMMM!!
I’m going to have to take a group of people with me so that I can sample plenty of dishes!
I love how you call them Dumpling Aunties.. ahahha.. My two fave cravings at the moment… XLB and fried rice cakes… nom nom!!
Thanks for demystifying dumplings! Love reading your posts – another great place to experience in Sydney.
Most of my friends are Chinese, so I sometimes ask their moms how to do dumplings properly – alas, no two methods are alike for a single recipe!
(Oh, and I actually carry around packets of mustard. :p)
Yum!!! Those XLB looks hard to make…
That’s fascinating, I’ve never dabbled into the art of dumplings….. I get that there’s gotta be more to it, but I think I’d give it a go, in fact I’m going to.
I am the world’s worst dumpling maker, Lorraine. Either they are perfect or perfectly awful and pop open. The best I ever made were fried shumai… they were the perfect version… the dough was light and the filling amazing. next time I made them– disaster! I am in awe of people that can do them well all the time. MAGIC!
Those commercial steamers look intense.
I love your photography by the way! Makes me incredibly hungry for Chinese New Year…
They look so yummy! I’d love to try to make them! Dim sum isn’t so popular over here
Lucky you for getting to learn!
Lorraine, you’re so lucky that you always get invited to various restaurants….and especially this one – I LOVE xiao long bao!! Unfortunately the ones I can get here are always dry
. I plan to visit Jakarta this summer and hope to visit many dim sum eateries there…;) *Drooling already*!!
I adore all condiments. My husband always jokes that that is all we have in our fridge.
I think my favourite is sweet chilli sauce. Good on everything.
I love dumplings.
One trip to the UK nowhere we ate had pepper grinders (it was the cheap trip!) so we bought one at Fortnum and Mason and I carted it around in my handbag from the UK, to Greece and then Turkey and Malaysia. It was a lifesaver!!
Whoa, whoa, whoa! These are absolutely stunning. I read the article a while ago – made me giggle a lot, my best friend’s mum is exactly that way and it has always fascinated me…
Ah if only they had this place when I used to work in Chatswood! I would probably carry around hoisin sauce. I have it permanently in my hand when eating a bowl of Pho!
All of these are so nostalgic.
You did a great job already being a first time and all. I don’t think I’d be able to make a good looking one even if my life depended on it.
I LOveee the braised pork belly…one of my favourite dishes. MMmm..making me hungry…
Hi NQN! Love the blog! I live in Shanghai and came by your blog after my Dad (back home in Australia) sent me a link to this post – great to meet another xiaolongbao devotee!
I’ve posted recipes for xiaolongbao including the filling, dumpling skins and the pork jelly on my blog, Life on Nanchang Lu, if anyone is up for a dumpling-making session
Xiaolongbao: http://nanchanglu.blogspot.com/2010/09/project-food-blog-challenge-2-great.html
Pork skin jelly: http://nanchanglu.blogspot.com/2010/09/great-xiaolongbao-experiment-part-1.html
Cheers! Fiona
D’oh! Of course he only sent me a link to that one post, and having left a comment I now see you have your very own recipes in your very next post! Apologies!
Am still yet to try these talked about xiao long baos, must try and talk the mister into trying one day!
This place looks great! dumplings galore! love the proverb
the new shanghai pan fried dumplings looks good – i really like these, a nice change from rice paper or wonton style dumplings. i also like the look of the white tea.
i think id have to go for a jar of chilli & garlic in oil as my condiment of choice. mmmm i love that stuff.
Heidi xo
When I travelled around Europe in my 20s, I always had a jar of vegemite. That way I could have vegemite crackers for lunch, and/or vegemite toast for brekky if I needed a break from the (absolutely gorgeous) cheeses, meats, breads and other goodies.
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[...] Ah yes, Xiao Long Bao, the famous soup dumpling. Have you ever wondered how they get the soup in there? Me too, so I was glad to see my friend Lorraine’s post with a step by step guide on how to make them. Click here to read it. [...]
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