Dragons and Lions and Soup, Oh My!

I've officially turned down the first full-time offer I've received. Funny how things work out, huh? But when you stack a F/T job that pays minimum wage next to a P/T job that pays more than triple the amount, the numbers speak for themselves. No, it's not all about money--it can't be about money in this industry--but you have to pay the rent at the end of the day. And you have to eat.

Speaking of eating (how about that transition?), my Chinese roommate took me to an incredible restaurant in Chinatown for dinner last night.


Please forgive the unoriginal photography--I left my camera at home last night and kicked myself for it at least ten times throughout the evening.

Anyway, Joe's Shanghai specializes in soup dumplings. You might expect soup dumplings to be dumplings served in soup, but they are quite the opposite (and are far tastier than wontons). Instead, these tasty little packages are filled with soup and meat, so you eat them out of a soup spoon rather than with chopsticks alone.


Making soup dumplings seems impossibly difficult, but eating them is an art of its own. I wish I'd had this illustrated tutorial by Robert Zimmerman before I started, because it took a little while to perfect the technique.


Since the text is small, here's the rundown. To avoid an explosion of steam in your mouth, you put the dumpling on a spoon, take a small bite to release the soup and steam, let it all cool down, and then eat.

Luckily, figured much of this out on my own (and of course, with the roommate's help). Aside from the dumplings (which I learned are also improperly translated, as they're really called "little dragon buns" in Chinese), we shared a wonderful side of water spinach and an entree of stewed pork meatballs called "Lion's Head," named for its large, fluffy shape. The meatballs were particularly impressive--the cooking temperature must remain perfectly even so that they stay soft enough to melt in your mouth but firm enough to eat with chopsticks. Like the soup dumplings, they're very difficult to make and it's rare to find good ones.

Joe's Shanghai has become popular with Americans because its menu features traditional dishes such as these alongside americanized staples like General Tso's and Sesame Chicken. The people we shared our table with ordered fried rice and lo mein, and we looked over in disapproval. Promise me, faithful readers, that ye will never commit such a sin if I give you the address to this wonderful Chinatown gem.

Joe's Shanghai, 9 Pell St., off of Mott St.