The battle of the Xiaolongbao - Jia Jia Tang Bao (plus Xiao Yang Jian Bao)

Being a big fan of xiaolongbao (also known as Tang Bao in China), my usual stop for good xiaolongbao is Din Tai Fung, though Imperial Treasure Nanbei at Ngee Ann City serves up pretty good ones as well.

On a recent trip to Shanghai, I had to try the much raved-about local favourite, Jia Jia Tang Bao (佳家汤包). There are a few branches I believe, but I tried the one at 90 Huanghe Road.

Go at off-peak hours for the place is small (about 10 tables in total... 8 of which can seat 4 and 2 and take 2 people). It opens at 7.30am and I was the second customer in the shop, and the xiaolongbaos were still being prepared (a sign of freshness, no doubt) in the tiny kitchen.

I ordered a basket of 12 original pork dumplings.

This is how it looks when it arrives. 

There is a little sauce dish that comes in the basket, all steamed (and therefore hygienic to use in place of a spoon as there is none).

Let it cool for about five minutes as there is no spoon, only chopsticks and the sauce dish to be used in place of a spoon (and because it's been steamed together, the dish is very hot as well).

Here's my verdict.

For 13 RMB for a basket of 12 xiaolongbao, it is extremely cheap and filling for a breakfast or snack. The quality is overall good especially for the price.

And now, here's a more detailed comparison versus Din Tai Fung's:
Dough skin: Din Tai Fung's craftmanship tends to be better - the skin is slightly thinner and the folds are a lot more intricate and precise. Jia Jia's looks homemade.

Pork filling: Looks roughly about the same size. Both taste fresh without a "porky" smell.

Broth: Both are honestly good, in their own right. It's more about what you prefer. Jia Jia's tends to be sweeter, while Din Tai Fung's is more savoury.

Service: You can expect a difference based on the price differential between Din Tai Fung and Jia Jia.

If you're at Jia Jia Tang Bao on Huanghe Road, then you absolutely cannot miss the fried version just across from Jia Jia, at 97 Huanghe Road. The name of the shop is Xiao Yang Sheng Jian (小杨生煎）. The fried buns are deliciously crisp on the outside, with superbly flavoured broth seeping out with your first bite, and a very generous amount of filling.

The pork buns (4 for 6RMB) are really good value for money, though I prefer the trio (6 pieces for 15RMB) as it gives you two pieces each of pork, prawn and vegetable filling. Eat the pork or prawn one first, and have the vegetable one in between the two as it can be a palate cleanser.

They do look identical, but you can tell by the colour of the sesame on the bun. Brown = pork; black = prawn; white = vegetable.

These are seriously good and in my opinion, if you have stomach space only either for Jia Jia or Xiao Yang... go for the latter!

FYI, how to order:

For Jia Jia: Make your orders at the counter, pay, grab your receipt (important! If not, the food may not end up on your table) and go to a table that the boss / staff points to.

For Xiao Yang: Make your orders at the counter, pay, grab your receipt, and go to the little window to collect your food, then proceed to sit at your table.

There are also a few branches of Xiao Yang Sheng Jian in Shanghai.

Enjoy!