Yang's Dumplings, Shanghai

Our first full day in Shanghai had to include dumplings. Through very extensive internet research, I found that this is the place. Off course, there are plenty of other establishments selling dumplings, but this is where we started.

It was the right move. Yang's is a chain of restaurants established by Mrs. Yang in 1994. It grew to well over 20 locations throughout Shanghai.

We could look at the photos hanging above the cashier or read the printed English menu. Once the order was placed and paid for, we took the receipt to a small window and were given a number to be placed on the table. The waiter would bring the order to the table within minutes.

The dumplings arrived on a plastic dish with the vinegar sauce on the side. We got the dumpling plate to sample all the flavors. The buns were pan fried and had a nicely seared crunchy bottom.

I have read that the proper way to eat them is to dip them into the vinegar sauce prior to tasting. I bit into the first dumpling and hot broth gushed into my mouth. These are very hot and I would recommend waiting a minute before eating. With the second bite I was able to taste the array of flavors, it was delightful. The shrimp and pork dumpling was one of the most memorable dumplings I have ever tasted. It was so packed with flavor, had a bit of a nice spice to it, it was bathed in delightful broth and tasted like heaven. This was one dumpling I will never forget. The other dumplings were fantastic as well but the shrimp was exceptional.

My husband got the curry beef soup, it came with these really cool looking clear noodles. They are called cellophane or glass noodles and are made with starch (mung bean, yam or potato) and water. He said that the soup was excellent and spicy and the noodles had a nice texture.

I enjoyed the pork wonton soup which was delicious.

These tiny shrimp were floating in the soup. I noticed them after a few spoonfuls, they really didn't taste like anything. The wonton dough was super thin and the filling very small but delicious.

This was a really delicious lunch, I will remember the dumplings for a very long time and crave them as I am writing this. If I were to return to Yang's, I would just get lots of dumplings and forget the soup. All around us, the other diners were getting dumplings and soup but the soup was quite large and I would have preferred to have more stomach room for the dumplings. They were exceptional.

Yang's - many locations throughout Shanghai

Joanna

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