Hot Spot | Shanghai Dumpling King

Wow, how mean would it be to just leave you with this picture (and all the pictures behind the jump) of delicious dim sum dumplings, without telling you when or where I got them?

Well, luckily for you, I already put the necessary info in this Hot Spot heading. Crisis averted!

I have been going to dim sum lunches with my family (and extended family) for years, but a couple of years ago I met my true dumpling love: Shanghai Dumplings. These soup dumplings are filled with meat and broth, served on a soup spoon, and topped with a vinegar sauce to add a small kick - then, eaten whole, the broth explodes out of the dumpling wrapper and you simultaneously do the "waving your hand in front of your burnt mouth" motion while signaling for more.

Yeah, I may have done that once or twice. I'm not a very patient eater, you know? Especially when there's delicious food sitting in front of me!

So, when I heard that there was a restaurant in the Outer Richmond named for one such favorite dumpling, I had to make a special trip over there. Introducing: Shanghai Dumpling King.

(Come on in for more pictures...)

My friends Evan and Camille were willing accomplices to this dumpling destruction, and they helped me try more than just the one thing on the menu...which is probably more fun for you all to see anyway.

We started with pea shoots slathered in some kind of subtle garlicky sauce. These were far more delicious than you would imagine pea shoots to be.

Then, we ordered and received (in no certain order...)

Potstickers:

Pan-fried pork buns:

Spring rolls:

Pork and spinach meat pastries:

Wonton soup:

And, finally... the pièce de résistance, the Shanghai Dumplings:

Let me just say... they were delicious, but honestly, they weren't my favorite part of the meal. I went absolutely bananas over the flavorful pea shoots, the wonton soup broth, and MOST IMPORTANTLY the pan-fried pork buns.

I could have eaten about thirteen of those pork buns! I usually love the sticky-sweet BBQ pork buns served at most Chinese restaurants, but there was something different about these savory, pan-fried treats... The spices, the texture of the dough... *Does finger-mouth kissy thing* Perfecto.

Alright, that was a little dramatic - you get the idea!

We had no trouble finishing off most of what we had been served, and it was the perfect introductory spread for our initial venture there. Next time I go back (with friends, or family, or just by myself DON'T JUDGE ME), I know exactly what I'll order: Shanghai dumplings, pan-fried pork buns, and probably some pea shoots.

Hey, those are green. It's healthy!

(This Shanghai Dumpling King is located on Balboa Street between 34th and 35th Avenue; don't get it mixed up with the two other similarly-named SF locations. And let me know if you try it!)