A weekend in New York City can still be fun.
It has been quite sometime now that I have strolled the streets of Manhattan. It’s a skip and a jump for me and I wish I would make time to visit. I normally visit Manhattan during the Christmas season while Times Square and Macy’s are all decked up in wonderful holiday decorations.
Last weekend, I ended up in New York City not but choice (ehemm!) but because a friend of mine was visiting from Hong Kong.
Not that I didn’t want to go. It was just that I had planned on going to New York the night before to pick her up but somehow we crisscrossed messages via text and Facebook that we didn’t quite meet up that night. I ended up at a friend’s friend’s bar opening in Union City, NJ.
The place is called Troy’s Grill and if you are in the area, you should stop by for a drink or so. The drinks are super cheap (compared to Manhattan prices) and the ambiance is mixed Latino-Asian crowd.
The next day, I received a text message that my friend had arrived. I had to drive all the way back to NYC even though I didn’t have much sleep the night before. It’s always a pleasure meeting up with her anyway – - to catch up, to gossip and most of all – to eat.
She was boasting of a place somewhere in Chinatown (perpendicular to Canal St.) named Joe’s Shanghai and their famous Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao).
Xiao Long Bao or “Little Dumplings from Basket” was originated from Nan Xiang, a suburb of Shanghai. Their perfectly symmetrical shape, resembles a pagoda.
These tender pouches, “little dumplings”, are freshly made to order. They arrive at the table in piping hot bamboo steamers. Each plump dumpling contains a little pork meatball surrounded by a delightful meaty broth.
To prevent burning one’s mouth and to savor the dumpling, the preferred method of consumption is to bite off a little piece of the doughy wrapper, suck the broth with a “slurp”, then eat the rest.
There are two variations available at Joe’s Shanghai - crab meat and pork meat. Each basket is freshly made to order, so don’t forget to order your Soup Dumpling upon arrival at your table. Otherwise it might be a long wait.
My friend and I decided to take the subway because neither of us knew how to get there by car. Me, being the smart ass that I am thought I could get us there safely. When we got to the subway, we ended up in the wrong direction – - at the wrong part of town! YIKES! There I was with my DSLR around my neck and there she was with her expensive LV bag and designer sunglasses. I thought we were not going to get out of there alive. But we did.
When we got to Joe’s Shanghai (in the blistering heat of the afternoon), the place was packed. Luckily, there were no lines outside (I’ve heard stories that people actually line up for blocks for this place) and we went right in.
I must tell you folks! If you ever visit New York City, the Xiao Long Baus are a must!!! IT WAS WORTH EVERY BITE! I also heard that the Xiao Long Baus from Joe’s Shanghai are served at Cathay Pacific flights – - and it’s labeled as such. “Xiao Long Bau” by Joe’s Shanghai – Chinatown, New York.
