Shanghai Cafe

The STAFF ASK THEIR CUSTOMERS TO TIPS THEM THE «REQUIRED» AMOUNT.
The food is Pork Soup Dumping is very tasty. However, the most staff is not so friendly. We entered and ask for the table, the waitress literally thrown the menu on the table and point at the table. Then, when we ask for another disk. I said «excuse me, can i oder one more of the soup dumplings». Then the waitresses just walk aways from us without even nodded once. But they did get me my oder. I was little bit disappointed because the soup dumplings is very tasty, but my mood didn’t right to enjoy the food. When we ask for the check is the same. The staff treat us like we are very annoying. Then, one of them, literally ask us to tip them. Originally, we didn’t even want to tip them because of their attitude toward us. But we did tip the at 15% of out total bill. Right when we decided to leave. The waitress came and ask us to tips them the «REQUIRED» amount. Even the soup dumplings IS delicious, I would never go back here again.

The food is great. Highly recommend the Xiao Long Bao (Steam Tiny Buns). The restaurant atmosphere is cozy and family-​friendly. However, I got to take off 2 stars for the service. I am aware not to put high expectation on these kind of restaurants located in China town, but the customer service really need to improve. I took off 1 more star since we (my two friends and I) got «tips demanding». I have never got demanded to put more tips down for not reaching the tip minimum.
Generally, good food with reasonable price. Highly recommend for breakfast and travelers on low budget.

Dumplings were ok. Go to Shanghai manor for better ones.
THAT $ 5.95 FRIED RICE THOUGH!!! Will def be coming back and ordering 4 of those to take home.

I was craving dumplings. and what better place to get dumplings than Chinatown? I wanted more traditional dumplings, but got soup dumplings here as well! Was curious about the differences between the many options in NYC.
The traditional pork and chives dumplings were.okay. Not the worst, but also just pretty mediocre. They’re a little small in my opinion and for some reason there wasn’t soy sauce on the table.
The soup dumplings here were pretty much on the same level as the traditional dumplings. they weren’t bad, but not stellar by any means. Probably good if you think Joe’s Shanghai is good (which it isn’t).
Finally, I was very pleasantly surprised by the Pork Fried Rice here. It was AMAZING. I was expecting your usual shitty, dry, red pork pieces kind of fried rice, but instead got tender, juicy pork strips with a fried rice that had amazing flavor and texture. This exceeded my expectations so much, I would come back here for the fried rice and not even dumplings.
I will say the décor is somewhat nicer than your typical chinatown joint and overall this is a good place for familiar Chinese food.

I’m a sucker for soup dumplings. So trying new spots for soup dumplings is really exciting for me. After having Joe’s Shanghai a couple years ago, I was pretty excited to try another soup dumpling great.
INTERIOR:
Looks like it used to be nicer and fancier at one point. Not so much anymore, but I remember it being slightly cleaner than Joe’s Shanghai. I wouldn’t want to walk barefoot on the floor or lean against the wall, though.
SERVICE:
The typical rude Chinese servers who forget about you as soon as they give you what you ordered, but will wait nearby when you ask for the check and they see you pull out your wallet. I didn’t even count how much money I was about to put down in the tray before the money was swiftly swept away by a conveniently passing server. She wasn’t our server, but I’m sure anyone if the servers would have swooped down to grab it. Yikes. My sister told me the rumors of this being the renowned restaurant who would chase you down if you didn’t tip enough. Thankfully, we didn’t have this problem.
FOOD:
We came specifically for the xiao long bao, but also ordered a few other dishes to share:
Pork Soup Dumplings: delicious. The meat was juicy and the soup was hot. The dumpling skin was a little tough on top, but otherwise, it was a darned good soup dumpling.
Crab Soup Dumplings: I don’t know why I keep ordering crab soup dumplings. They always taste the same — just not natural. I’m sure they taste fine, but it’s just not what a xiao long bao is about!
Lo Mein: your typical lo Mein. Nice and saucy, chock full of veggies, which my sister «graciously» left to me.
Red Bean Buns: they are just red bean paste in a bao. That’s it. Nothing special but definitely warm and soft.
Overall, I would probably come back — I’m just glad we didn’t have to share a table with strangers or have to wait for our table number to be called like at Joe’s Shanghai; although I suppose it has to do with going during the late afternoon versus peak dinner time. Pricing is so reasonable I don’t see why I wouldn’t come back for just a steamer of Xiao Long Bao and a veggie dish.

So this review is just for the soup dumplings (because that’s the only thing I had…)
Delicious dumplings with the perfect amount of soup and meat and doughy exterior– we tried both the crab and the pork, and both are excellent. I felt the crab was especially good– some places, it tastes a little too fishy, but it was just right here.
Cash only! (but not like you need that much– the pork dumplings are 8 for $ 5, and the crab were 8 for $ 7, and we were stuffed after 3 rounds of dumplings!

At $ 4.95 for (8) pork xiao long bao, this place is on my new favourite stop for soup dumplings.
Great quality dumplings, skin is a good thickness, broth plenty.
The other things on the menu are pretty bland or just greasy, would not recommend coming here for anything other than good, quick, tasty xiao long bao.

Super authentic and delicious Xiao long bao. The stir fry rice cakes are also really good. There is normally always a wait and service is usually pretty bad but to be fair it is almost always terrible at Chinese restaurants in Chinatown. Make sure u order ample of Xiao long bao the first time around, if not your 2^nd round might take up to 30mins.

Just coming from Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao in Flushing, we were not very impressed. The soup dumplings here had too thick of skin and weren’t as tasty inside. Is this really better than Joe’s Shanghai? Oof, Manhattan was not all I thought it would be. Flushing’s Chinatown is so much better!
Still liked the food overall though, even if everything was really salty. Other than the xiao long bao, I think it’s worth getting:
— #11 Fried Shanghai Wontons (8 for $ 4.95) which were absolutely amazing. Never had fried wontons like this, with a TON of juice inside and fresh pork and leeks. Fried soup dumplings? yeees.
— #78 Shanghai Pan Fried Noodles (pork, chicken, & shrimp, $ 9.95). Great version of this classic crispy noodle dish, but the sauce may have been a bit too thick and salty.
Do not recommend:
— #27 Bamboo Shoot w/​Brown Sauce ($ 4.95) — way too saucy, salty.
— #133 Subgum Casserole ($ 13.95) — salty soup, average hot pot medley.

Come here for the soup dumplings! We ordered the pork xiaolongbao and braised beef noodles. Beef noodles were average and I wouldn’t order them again. But those soup dumplings were SO good. I’m shanghainese, and these are pretty much the same as what you get on Shanghai. I only wish I got more of the soup dumplings instead of the braised noodles.
Btw, this is a Chinese place so service isn’t going to be spectacular. They’ll rush you and may not smile all the time but you’re there for the food not the service!

Writing this inside the restaurant as we speak.
We ordered the jumbo shrimp and scallops dish and my younger brother, who is a seafood fanatic, described it as «weird» at first. So we continued eating just in case it was an acquired taste.
But after a few moments, he said that it tasted like paint, and that he felt an almost acidic sensation in his nose. My dad spit it out instantly after trying it.
Now my family is worried that we might have ingested some chemical ingredients…

Bite off the top and suck the juice out while it’s hot! Best soup dumplings in the city. My friend and I split soup dumplings and pan fried noodles with vegetables for $ 14. Great deal. The soup dumplings are 5 stars. The service is a 3. They are pretty quick. However, this is not a warm and fuzzy place. If you come in, wait your turn, order quickly, then you will have no problems. My friend was shooed away when she tried to ask the wait time. It was really crowded Saturday afternoon, but we managed to score a table within 10 minutes. They changed from Shanghai Café to Shanghai Café Deluxe at some point, but the food has not suffered in my opinion.

It was ok. But I don’t see what the hype is about…
1. The spring rolls have pork in them… I’m vegetarian and love spring rolls, so this was really disappointing. At least the waitress told me before she put the order in.
2. I ordered the pan fried vegetable noodles. The noodles weren’t even pan fried. I was so confused. Hard noodles on the bottom of the bowl with a really hot sauce on the top. The noddles softened up because of the sauce but it was still weird. Not what I expected.

Let me start by saying that the food was good. BUT at the end a Roach, im not kidding, a big roach ran from the wall, unto the table and then under it. I wish to God that we killed it so i can have proof. I have never been so disgusted. I wont ever go back for this reason.
Food:
Salted, pepper squid was very good. Just the right amount of Salt, and pepper. Ordered the string beans with meat, no meat, they were very scarce on the meat, but tasty. Scallion pancake, no flavor and way to greasy.
Dumplings:
The crab and pork was the best, soup was super tasty and full of flavor.
Service:
It was okay, fast, and just in and out. They weren’t to attentive, but anyone walking by was willing to help.

These are probably my favorite soup dumplings in the city, even independent of price, and when you factor in how much cheaper they are than somewhere like Joe’s Shanghai, it really becomes clear just how good this place is. (Last time I went, I was with two friends, and we split 32 soup dumplings and 8 pan fried dumplings, which all came to roughly $ 10/​person after tax and tip.)
The soup dumplings are really fantastic — they have something close to the perfect combination of structural integrity and ease of access. The temperature is just right, they taste great, and they’re just the right size too. I’ve had some other things there too (different kinds of dumplings, scallion pancakes, etc) but the soup dumplings are undoubtedly the thing to get here.
As for the other stuff that people have written negatively about on here (the service, the insanity of the line, the sometimes-​random order the food comes out, etc), I get it, and I really can’t disagree. The thing is, that is all part of the «price» of the food, and if you want eight top-​of-​the-​line soup dumplings for $ 5, all that stuff seems like a very fair tradeoff to me.

Despite all the positive reviews. This is by far not my favorite to go place for soup dumplings.
Tables are toppled on top of one another. Party of two becomes party of four because there is just no room to move /​no space to even breathe.
& most importantly I question their CLEANLINESS. This place skeeves me out, just sitting on the chair I do not want to rest my arm or hand onto the tables. I’ve seen them wipe down tables w/​a cloth. Leftover food goes flying onto the floor. The build up in that towel. Ew.
I get it, it’s for the FOOD especially the soup dumplings. It’s good but I have had better. I prefer to dine in a clean, comfortable environment where I can hear myself have a conversation. Not trying to out speak one another because it’s so loud.
Service was rushed throughout the entire time. Yeah just drop off our food, and run off. Yeah ok thanks. Augh.
The hostess needs to learn some etiquette. She reminds me of a little chihuahua barking. I get it, it’s busy, your busy. Huge turn off when your asking politely for a table to two and you receive bark bites in return.
** Only pro is that their prices are cheaper than the other places I have been to. But I rather pay more $$ for service, cleanliness and space!

Hands down my favorite shanghai restaurant in all of Chinatown. $ 4.95 for 8 pieces, you can’t beat the price. They haven’t raised their price since they opened, and definitely haven’t lowered their quality. They make their soup dumplings fresh and you can actually see them making it by the front window.
The food comes out fast and piping hot. One thing about soup dumplings though is they only taste good fresh. Once they cool down, the dumpling skin gets hard. Take out is an entire different story. My favorite is the vinegar that comes with it, they give a generous amount of ginger which is my favorite. I love that this place comes with cabbage under the dumplings (not only does it keep the dumplings from sticking to the steamer, it also absorbs the soup if it spills out). I love eating the cabbage with the vinegar, it’s actually my favorite part. Not everyone eats it because it’s more of a the thing that just belongs there but hey, it’s food.
Service is extremely quick, but when their busy, they rush you out and give you the bill when you’re not even done. The cashier is the nicest person ever. She remembers your face and her service is quick and efficient. The tables for 2 are extremely small. Just 2 orders and 2 waters and the table is full, not to mention also wobbly. Definitely something they need to work on.

Worst. Service. Ever.
First off, the lady told the people in front of us to hurry up & leave because they didn’t have any food on their table. SUPER RUDE.
Then when we got sat, no one came to us. The entire time we barely got any service so we left a tip that was well deserved. The lady then had the audacity to run after us & get mad about the tip we left. Then continues to tell us she never wants to see us again.
We were generous to even leave tip.

No muss, no fuss dim sum restaurant in Chinatown. You won’t get an entertaining waiter who will sing and dance for you here… just someone who will bring out the food to you without so much as looking back to ask you how’s everything going and how’s the food. Just eat your food and GTFO LOL. But for the super affordable prices here, honestly I can excuse the non-​friendly attitude.
They have a wide selection of dim sum… everything from pork stuffed buns, several types of dumplings including soup dumplings and pork dumplings, scallion pancakes and sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves.
I went with the fried pork dumplings and a plate of chicken fried rice. The fried rice was huge and hearty… I’m always amazed at how cheap places can give you huge portions of food that you either can’t finish or have to take home, while super expensive places literally give you tiny morsels that they call «entrees» and charge both arms and both legs for.
The fried pork dumplings were pan-​fried very well and there was a generous amount of juicy meat inside. I judge dumplings precisely on this one particular factor… if they’re made up of too much dough and not enough meat, then they’re just ripping you off. I loved the dumplings here and would go back just for them.
My whole bill came out to just $ 11. For that much food for so cheap is outstanding.

For the first time in a while, I am so torn on what to rate this place. On one hand the food is pretty great (which I will go into shortly) but the service is atrocious.
My college friends and I always meet up sometime in December for my birthday/​mini reunion and since we were in Chinatown, I thought why not go to Shanghai Café? A decent amount of my friends haven’t had soup dumplings which IMO is a vital part of life. So I took it upon myself to help in their first XLB experience.
We had a party of 10 and obviously no reservations in this place. It was super packed — even on a weekday night. I spoke to the hostess and she said that everyone in my party needed to be there. When 9 people came, I had to really push for them to let us sit down. They were definitely strict about it (which understandably so) but they didn’t have to be as rude as they were. I was dismissed a few times but finally we managed to have our party sit.
The food there was great. AND cheap. We ordered an assortment of things to share (XLB) and individual plates. I love their Lo Mein here — their noodles are thick and extra chewy. You really can’t argue with the flavor, it was all there. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals which I was happy about! But it was difficult getting anyone’s attention even for more water… which took forever.
Yes, they rushed us in and out. Yes, the service is pretty rough around the edges… but the food is pretty darn great. If you’re willing to push those factors aside and look at the bigger (and more important picture) of making your stomach happy — then Shanghai is a good go-​to.

Great place.
There’s a bunch of ‘Shanghai’ restaurant places around Chinatown in general, so it’s completely understandable how for many people, they all kind of look the same. I’ll admit, if you don’t know what to order exactly, they probably all taste similar too.
However, Shanghai café stands out because it was a fun atmosphere in the restaurant, and great xiaolongbao. They are in fact much better than the xiaolongbao over at Joe’s, so it is definitely worth the walk up here.
The seating area will be a little cramped, but personally I think that adds to the fun!
Cash only.

We usually go for the pork with crab soup dumplings and it’s always amazing!!! If we’re feeling really hungry, we will order their orange beef and spicy eggplant dishes too!
The only thing that I don’t like is that the waiters would rush us out as soon as we’re done eating. It’s a bit annoying when you’re trying to let the meal settle in the belly. =\

came here on new years day which may not have been the best move, but after brunching and lounging all day long the boyfriend and i needed to go out and get some fresh air. we wound up here after i read about this place on an nyc website.
had to wait in line just to get to hostess, there was no process of actually putting a name in. basically once we go to the front of the line they asked if we wanted to share a table or not. obvi sharing a table got you seated quicker, so we ended up at a round table with 6 other people. i would also recommend studying the menu prior to getting seated. this place is no nonsense, they expect you to order quick, eat quick and leave! fortunately we were prepared after standing in line for about 10mins.
we didnt think we ordered that much food, but the portions here are HUGE and the food is so cheap… we kind of lost all self control. we had–
pork soup dumplings– OMG these were amazing, broth was so hot and flavorful ($ 4.95 for 8) can not wait to come back and eat more of these
scallion pancake– crispy light chewy, yes
general tso’s– not too spicy nice and crispy
moo shu pork– large portion and really good too
chicken pan fried noodles– this was our first time having these and i ordered solely because there were tons of pics of them on Unilocal.they were good, different from other noodles ive had and couldve used some more spice, maybe white pepper? we honestly couldnt even eat these and had to take the entire plate home. thats ok we all know how much better chinese leftovers are!
btw place is CASH ONLY. can’t wait to come back, may have found a our new go to chinese spot!

We came here because Kenji from Serious Eats recommends the soup dumplings (xiou long bao.) They are AWESOME. These dumplings offer a true hot flavor explosion in your mouth. You find yourself in a struggle against self-​mutilation. Because the pain of the hot soup explosion hitting your palette is real, but waiting is simply not an option. The complexity and the clean flavor rush of the pork broth along with a nice touch of aromatic herbs is simply awesome. Also, you can get 8 of these for $ 5. This is probably the best deal in all of NYC for chinese food.
If you come anywhere near Chinatown, you must try the Soup Dumplings w/​Pork at Shanghai Café.

I came here on Christmas day. It opened at 11:30am. People were seated about 5 minutes before, but by 11:45am, there was a line! It’s insane how much difference a couple of minutes can make.
So I ordered some of the dishes I was familiar with — basic Chinese food. Beef noodle soup, scallion pancakes, kao fu, turnip cake, lotus leaf wrapped rice, pork chop on rice. We also ordered one order of pork soup dumplings and one also with crab.
The food all came out at once, which was a little overwhelming. The problem is that they forgot to give us the turnip cake and lotus leaf wrapped rice, but they charged for them. I didn’t realize this until afterwards! Ultimately, it wasn’t a huge deal because the prices were still reasonable since dimsum is pretty cheap. This is also not a true dimsum place because they don’t have staples like crystal shrimp dumplings or shumai. They’re more known for the soup dumplings.
1. Kao fu: This was not very good compared to others I’ve had. The gluten portion was a bit stale. There was also not enough bamboo.
2. Beef noodle soup: The beef was sliced and just OK. The soup and udon noodles were bland. There was one vegetable in the broth, which looked a little sad.
3. Scallion pancakes: It’s a little fluffier than what I’m used to, but it was quite good.
4. Pork chops over rice: The pork was quite good, but it literally was that on a large amount of rice. No egg or anything to go with it.
5. Soup dumplings: These were actually quite good. Not ‘din tai feng’ good, but Chinatown good. Definitely didn’t regret getting these because they were pretty well priced, much lower than Joe’s Shanghai.
I think overall it was satisfying, but was just annoyed at the missing dishes.
Bring cash.

Should’ve read the Unilocal reviews a little bit more thoroughly.
The place feels smaller than Joe’s, but it is cleaner and not as dated. The men’s bathroom is super tight/​small, but not a deal breaker — welcome to chinatown.
I came mostly for the XLB. The service i thought was nice and typical chinese… i dind’t get a lot of rude ones (thankfully). The sunday crowd leaned towards yuppies/​yappies (young urban professionals/​young asian professionals) which was surprising but it became apparent after reviewing the menu, i see why.
The menu had the classic shanghaianese dishes, but it also leaned towards the typical american chinese take out items.
I came mostly for the XLB. My group also ordered beef lo mein, shanghai over rice (beef, chicken shrmip?), beef and broccoli rounded out our order. I tried the lo mein, it wasn’t that good and lacked meat. My cousin’s beef and brocolli looked typical but skimpy with the beef. All prices were decent and expected for the portion and quality.
I will say, the crab XLB is pretty good. I thought they were made consistently (we had 3 orders) and the soup remained hot when we got to our 3^rd order. I will whole heartedly recommend this for XLB in chinatown manhattan. Why 3 stars?
We first got passed over on a table bc we had 1 child and 1 baby. Fair enough… Cash only, typical chinatown business. but this is where the issue came… i didn’t see a sign in the front for «cash only» considering it is a really busy place and its nyc, i assumed it would’ve been credit card… so when we paid, we didn’t have that much cash with us. the bill was $ 41+3.5 tax. we had $ 50 in cash… like Andrew C. reviewed, the waitress MADE US PAY 15% tip. we were short $ 2. I know it was a little bit our fault for not tipping enough (i’m typically a 20−30% tipper), but i don’t carry cash. So we had to scrounge change, awkward. This left a really bad taste in my mouth. If you want a mandatory tip, just make it a damn policy??? Or just say anyone with 3 or more diners, must pay 15% tip since the place is packed with groups.

Sooooooo much better than Joe’s.
When we walked in, the entire place was filled with Asians (good sign) but by the time we left there were gringos everywhere (also a good sign). So, if you’re looking to avoid tourists, try somewhere else. However, the food was awesome. No broken dumplings like at Joe’s, and a whole mess of other options that are barely distinguishable when you read the English menu.
We had the soup dumplings, wonton soup, and scallion pancakes. My friend described the pancakes as ‘different’ but good, and the wontons were surprisingly delicious. When you opened them, they immediately smelled like sesame and had way more flavor than I’m used to. Also, as my friend pointed out, the meat adhered to the dough and it wasn’t a pocket with a little marble of meat inside like most wontons.
Obviously, the star of the show was the soup dumpling (on the menu it’s option 1 or 2, ‘tiny steamed buns’). Each order came with 8 and despite their fragile look, they were pretty sturdy. The soup wasn’t as thick as Joe’s but had a more savory, garlicky flavor. The meat was also mushy and came apart very easily. More importantly, there was not a single broken dumpling. I was shocked– I thought for a second that my skills had declined but it was just the food (at Joe’s).
So happy to have found a new dim sum home!

CASH ONLY.
If it was solely based on the food, i’d give this place five stars.
You HAVE to get the xiao long bao here. It’s cheap, it’s fast, it’s amazing. The skin is a tiny bit thicker than other places i think, but that means it’s chewy and doesn’t break easily when you pick it up with dainty little chopstick ends… Another must get is the egg plan dish here. It’s soaked in oyster sauce and garlic, and it’s a huge portion — enough to feed two. The chicken or shrimp pan fried noodles is a great choice too, and definitely enough to share between two. I tried the beef/​beancurd over rice, and it’s so cheap and good.
They don’t charge ridiculous prices for canned drinks either — i think it’s $ 1.25 each.
downside to this place is that the servers try to look SUPER busy. They scurry around even if only half of the tables are full — I dont know why. It makes me nervous every time I see them basically run around with dishes. I’ve had to doge waitstaff multiple times, almost every time i visit this place.
One more downside is that they are CASH ONLY. There’s a chase across the street, but come on… please start taking credit cards (you can even put a minimum!)…
Come for lunch, or dinner, or snacks, if you will, but always get the xiao long bao :)

Beurk
Très déçue car un bib sur le guide Michelin.
Les dumplings sont plein d’eau et vraiment mauvais.
Les pâtes fries n’ont aucun intérêt.
Et le service n’est vraiment pas chaleureux.
À éviter

This restaurant is the best place to go if you are craving oily, carby, tasty chinese food. Although they are very busy and lack staff, if you are able to hail down a waiter/​waitress, they will get you what you want.
Pork Soup Dumplings: I honestly think the soup dumplings are pretty good here! Sometimes, soup dumplings gross me out if the pork is too fatty or the flavor is off. These taste really good and the skin is al dente and not too thick. That’s good in my book!
Beef Lo Mein Noodles: The noodles that they use for this dish are really thick noodles, almost like udon. They’re chewy and al dente and the sauce they use is sooooo good. I’m sure there is a ton of MSG, but it’s just so tasty. Even the beef is tender.
Shredded Pork and Preserved Cabbage Rice Cakes: I don’t know how they get this amazing flavor on the rice cakes, but they taste so good. The color is decieving since the rice cakes are white, but they are bursting with flavor! If you are not used to the flavor of preserved cabbage, then I wouldn’t recommend getting this.
Singapore Rice Noodles: These taste pretty similar to other singapore rice noodles that I’ve had. It does have a lot of curry powder so if you’re not a fan of curry, skip this dish. There are a lot of veggies and egg in this dish as well which really enhances the flavors.
Chicken Pan Fried Noodles: I’ve read that people think this dish has too much sauce or to ask for the sauce on the side, but I personally really like the sauce (although it is a bit oily)! It’s not overly salty, so having a lot doesn’t make it unbareable. I actually don’t like eating the noodles if there is no sauce on it. The chicken is tender and there’s a good amount of vegetables in it including broccoli, carrots, mushroom, baby carrots, and water chestnut. This dish does get soggy quick, so eat it first!
Shanghai Fried Rice: I wasn’t a big fan of this dish because I usually like my fried rice cooked with soy sauce. The fried rice here is white, but still has flavor.
Sauteed Dried String Beans: I love the string beans here. It’s hard for me to find a place that makes this dish well. The string beans are cripsy (most important!), salty, and tender. I can definitely eat this whole dish by myself and not feel bad because they’re string beans, right?
Scallion Pancakes: The scallion pancakes here are quite oily and very fried. I personally like them a little softer but if you like them crispy, then you’d like these.
Hot and Sour Soup: The hot and sour soup here tastes a little off like maybe it’s burnt? It’s also not really hot our very sour. I’d skip this.
West Lake Beef and Egg Drop Soup: This soup was pretty good. I like the minced beef with the egg drop swirls inside. It has nice flavor and isn’t bland or overly salty.

This has been my go-​to place for authentic Chinese soup dumplings for years now. If I’m ever in NYC, this is all I really crave and it is a must-​visit for me.
Located in the middle of Chinatown, it is not glamorous by any means. The waitresses appear grouchy and very to-​the-​point, probably because they are so busy. Prices, however, are very affordable ~$ 5 for 8 pork soup dumplings and ~7 for 8 crab soup dumplings, one order of which is more than enough to fill my belly.
I love the thin skin these dumplings are made with, and the abundant amount of fragrant soup that fill your mouth as soon as you bite in the skin. I love drinking all of the soup, then eating the rest of the dumpling. Typing this is making me salivate right now. Every time I eat it, the flavors explode like fireworks on my taste buds. SOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!
Make sure to bring cash, and preferably the exact amount so that the waitresses won’t be as grouchy.
Also had their scallion pancakes, which were very crisp and delicious as well.