NY Chinatown Must

Joe's Shanghai is located in the tourist part of Chinatown at Pell St, New York, NY 10013. You have to go there just to try the xiao long bao listed on the menu as steamed dumplings. For $6.95 you get 8 steamed dumplings filled with pork, crab roe and a fabulous broth. You need to eat these with a spoon, because at the first bite the broth will ooze from the dumplings. They are served with a sauce comprised dark soy with slivers of ginger and a touch of vinegar. Joe's has another branch in mid-town but the dumplings just aren't the same. Compared to the original on Pell Street, the dumplings at the mid-town location are just a pale reminder of what could be. Other restaurants have begun to offer the "soup buns" but again, they just aren't as good.

The seating at Joe's is somewhat typical of the restaurants in Chinatown. They will put you at tables where other guests are already eating (if there is enough available seating for your party at that table). The advantage to this is that you can see what other people are eating and find out if they like what they've ordered.

Now for the rest of the items at Joe's Shanghai. Everything else that we've tried is mediocre. Today we had snow pea shoots (dou miao). Nice and fresh, but way oversalted. Another couple (non-Asian) sat at the table with us and had the won-ton soup. The husband said that he loved the soup so it is probably worth trying. It certainly looked good. We let them try our pea shoots and they loved them in spite of the saltiness.

In the past we've tried other vegetable dishes, duck and various appetizers including spicey pickeled napa cabbage (la bai cai). Nothing was spectacular. We've learned to go to Joe's for the xiao long bao and skip the rest.

The restaurant gets very busy on weekends, so get there early or be prepared to wait in line.

The service is fair, but not special.

Cash only... No checks... No credit cards... No bartering.