Fried Dumplings for thought

The most popular fried dumplings in Shanghai

Have you ever had Shanghai Sheng Jian Bao (生煎包 - Fried Dumplings)?

Together with my classmates, we tried Friend dumplings at a restaurant close to our Mandarin class - Yang's restaurant.

Fried dumplings are similar to the famous Xiao Long Bao (小笼包 - Soup Dumplings). The only major difference is that the bottom of Sheng Jian Bao is pan-fried and crispy. The pork filling adds a salty taste to it while the sesame seeds enhances the taste of the dumplings. Although I have tried Xiao Long Bao numerous times, the crispy bottom of the Sheng Jian Bao adds a whole new dimension to dumplings.

We can actually see how the dumplings were made in the kitchen. They had people making the dumplings and people frying the dumplings.

The lady is making the dumplings

The guy is pan-frying the dumplings in a big pan.

Sheng Jian Bao - Fried Dumplings

The usually way I eat a dumpling is to first drink the soup inside the dumpling at first bite. I believe that the soup must not go to waste as the flavor of the dumplings come from the soup itself. It was a great meal of dumplings.

I strongly recommend anyone who comes to Shanghai to try their Sheng Jian Bao as it's one of the best dumplings in the world!