Shanghai Nosh Advisory, has teamed up with City Weekend to show you some of the best authentic local fare in Shanghai. In this blog, we visit Jade Cuisine (斗香园) to check out their Yangzhou-style steamed jiaozi.

Some of China’s finest steamed jiaozi dumplings can be found in the city of Yangzhou, at two of the town’s most famous snack establishments – Fuchun Teahouse (富春茶社) and Yechun Teahouse (冶春茶社). For those not up for a road trip, there are also passable steamed jiaozi available here in Shanghai.

Yangzhou city marks the cradle of Huaiyang cuisine, which is one of the more understated components of China’s eight culinary traditions, but among the most influential in terms of Shanghai’s own food culture. Noted Shanghai-style dishes, such as lion’s head meatballs and soup dumplings, have their roots in Yangzhou.

Xiao long bao - Shanghai’s take on soup dumplings – according to our own expat scale of palatability, are far superior to those found in Yangzhou or nearby Suzhou. Referred to simply as tang bao (汤包), the original Yangzhou version is enormous. Set free from bamboo bonds, its appearance could be described as ‘Jabba the Hutt on beach blanket’. Jabba squirts a fatty crab and pork juice when pierced. Said broth is consumed with a straw by those who dare.

If you make it to Yangzhou, take a pass on the monster soup dumplings in favor of simple steamed jiaozi. Unlike the boiled variety, steamed jiaozi can be made with very thin wrappers, which became firm when cooked and this makes for a pleasant texture. The filling, like local soup dumplings, is made of crab, pork and a bit of broth – but all elements are in moderation.

There are many restaurants that serve steamed dumplings in Shanghai, of course, but I have yet to find anything here at on the same par as those served at Yangzhou’s famous teahouses. The Din Tai Fung chefs are experts at all things dumpling, yet the wrappers on their steamed jiaozi are very soft compared to those found in Yangzhou and less interesting overall. When I dragged foodie friends to Yangzhou Fandian (a famous local Yangzhou style restaurant) in search of something more authentic, I was treated to six courses of slop plus an extra helping of shame. This restaurant should be avoided, as despite a long and glorious history, it is now a tourist trap. Even the hallmark fried rice was a disappointment. Lao Ban Zhai, in its early days of operation, was focused on Yangzhou classics and this might explain why they have such a remarkable lion’s head meatball on the menu. But like many classic regional Chinese restaurants in Shanghai, Lao Ban Zhai has over the years become focused on mainstream Shanghai fare.

I recently stumbled across Jade Cuisine (斗香园) – a chain operation which has locations in mall food courts across town, including Kerry Parkside, Hongqiao Parksons and the New Park Place mall. Jade Cuisine is operated by King Mang Group, which brought us the reliable brand Jade Garden (苏浙汇).1

Fare at Jade Cuisine is more Shanghai-style fast food than anything else, positioned against the likes of Yong He King (永和大王) and Pizza Hut. Jade Cuisine is perhaps best known for xiao long bao, which are better than average. But their steamed jiaozi are excellent, very similar to what I had in Yangzhou, save for a pork/shrimp filling versus pork/crab. They are not prepared with the same care and precision as in the Yangzhou teahouses, as you can see below, but they taste great.

You can also find a decent fried pork chop there, plus the best Ningbo tang yuan (汤圆) that I have found in Shanghai. Glutinous rice balls with a sweet sesame paste filling – tang yuan are a great compliment to local savory noodle and dumpling dishes. Options such as these make Jade Cuisine a good option in select shopping mall food courts.

He's given us a few other suggestions on how to eat local. Check out:
Shanghai Nosh Advisory: Bake Your Own Bread at Home
Shanghai Nosh Advisory: Pudong Kebab Connection
Shanghai Nosh Advisory: Noodles and Wontons Done Right
Shanghai Nosh Advisory: The Steamed Noodles at Qin Affective Tone Snack
Shanghai Nosh Advisory: Dried and Cured Meats at Pudong’s Food Inn
Shanghai Nosh Advisory: Learning to Love Shaoxing Cuisine
Shanghai Nosh Advisory: The Lion’s Head Meatball at Lao Ban Zhai
Shanghai Nosh Advisory: Sesame Meat Biscuits at Fengsheng Hutong
Shanghai Nosh Advisory: The Salmon Hotpot at Lao Liu’s
Shanghai Nosh Advisory: Exploring the Yin and Yang of Eating