I sat in the booth in Shanghai 21 across from my big bro, and took in an ambiance that ticked many boxes for a legendary Chinese spot: Cash only signs littering the oddly colored green walls, traditional looking tablecloths, beat up tile floors and furniture, servers that don't really engage with you and whose 2nd language is english, and a huge overwhelming menu that could swallow you if you get too deep into it.
I was ready for battle, as I read the reviews for this place that said it's almost impossible to avoid a wait, but at 5:42pm on a Thursday we walked right in and were seated in a mostly empty restaurant.
We can both EAT, so we went with the following: Soup Dumpling with pork ($9.75), Fried Tiny Pork Buns ($8.75), Szechuan style wonton ($9.25), Spring rolls ($6.00), Scallion Pancakes ($6.00), Low Mein w pork and shrimp ($13.25), and Szechuan style beef ($24.50).
Pretty cost efficient. Some major bang for your buck here. Inflation buster adjacent.
The only thing that didn't blow me away was the Szechuan style beef, as it was just a little too heavy for the two of us... I was FORCING it down by the end.
Everything else was phenomenal. Other than that beef, I truly feel like we ordered perfectly. If I could only order 2 things, it would be the end of the road for me as I couldn't decide, but If I could only order 3 things they'd be the soup dumplings, Szechuan style wontons, and the low mein. Truly the big 3.
Decent enough. Big portions, reasonably priced. Attentive service. Cash only.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4
Caroline Sellke
no alcohol served, not BYOB, just FYI
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Daniel Garcia
I've been here a couple of times and everything is always amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Agustin Garcia
Good quality of food, fast service. The only thing is they only accept cash.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dan Castro
Every dish is delicious, but the Szechuan fried dumplings are next level! The hostess is also very very friendly and accommodating!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dianne Simmons
Each plate demonstrates both skill and creativity. This employee showed chattiness with many restaurant guests. You'll find good quality in everything they make. Staff members exceeded expectations and the place sits in an ideal area. No place matches this consistency.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jessica Schreindorfer
Worth the stop if you’re grabbing the Szechuan Wongtongs. They are a burst of flavor and worth every penny. Highly recommend adding this to your china town food crawl list
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tom M
Best soup dumplings around!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab and Pork Soup Dumplings
Cecilia Lee
Even after all these years, this is still and forever my absolute go to soup dumpling spot in Chinatown! I can't believe my last review was 12 years ago - time flies, but the quality here hasn't changed.
The tea that’s served here is also very fragrant just the way I like it too!
I remember use to coming here at least once a month.
I keep track of their specials better than their website does. Nice setting that works. The workers here provide warm service with careful attention. This place performs well consistently. This spot is exceptional and will see me frequently.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Steve C
Pretty solid dumplings.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Crab and Pork Soup Dumplings, Dim Sum
Cynthia
Edit: I still come here, 6 years after this review was last edited, even though I've moved 200+ miles away. Best soup dumplings. Always worth the wait.
I gave this five stars over a year ago and I stand by that. I take everyone who visits me in NYC to this place for soup dumplings. The Crab meat and pork ones are my favorite. Just a heads up that they're cash only (or Amex) and there is often a wait, especially for parties larger than 2! But I love coming here. Love it. I've lost count of how many times I've been!
Jimmy Lee
Kau Fu was roughly made, and its presentation was awful! The Kau Fu was too big and needed to chop into smaller chunks. The whole dish was sugary. The wine chicken was salty. It's not the typical chicken that's used for this dish. They used a much bigger chicken with thicker meat. The traditional soup dumplings with pork was OK but not my type. These dumplings are with thick flour wraps, and I prefer thin skins. I would not come back and I would choose a different shop nearby.
I sat in the booth in Shanghai 21 across from my big bro, and took in an ambiance that ticked many boxes for a legendary Chinese spot: Cash only signs littering the oddly colored green walls, traditional looking tablecloths, beat up tile floors and furniture, servers that don't really engage with you and whose 2nd language is english, and a huge overwhelming menu that could swallow you if you get too deep into it.
I was ready for battle, as I read the reviews for this place that said it's almost impossible to avoid a wait, but at 5:42pm on a Thursday we walked right in and were seated in a mostly empty restaurant.
We can both EAT, so we went with the following: Soup Dumpling with pork ($9.75), Fried Tiny Pork Buns ($8.75), Szechuan style wonton ($9.25), Spring rolls ($6.00), Scallion Pancakes ($6.00), Low Mein w pork and shrimp ($13.25), and Szechuan style beef ($24.50).
Pretty cost efficient. Some major bang for your buck here. Inflation buster adjacent.
The only thing that didn't blow me away was the Szechuan style beef, as it was just a little too heavy for the two of us... I was FORCING it down by the end.
Everything else was phenomenal. Other than that beef, I truly feel like we ordered perfectly. If I could only order 2 things, it would be the end of the road for me as I couldn't decide, but If I could only order 3 things they'd be the soup dumplings, Szechuan style wontons, and the low mein. Truly the big 3.
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Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Decent enough. Big portions, reasonably priced. Attentive service. Cash only.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4
no alcohol served, not BYOB, just FYI
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
I've been here a couple of times and everything is always amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good quality of food, fast service. The only thing is they only accept cash.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Every dish is delicious, but the Szechuan fried dumplings are next level! The hostess is also very very friendly and accommodating!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Each plate demonstrates both skill and creativity. This employee showed chattiness with many restaurant guests. You'll find good quality in everything they make. Staff members exceeded expectations and the place sits in an ideal area. No place matches this consistency.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Worth the stop if you’re grabbing the Szechuan Wongtongs. They are a burst of flavor and worth every penny. Highly recommend adding this to your china town food crawl list
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best soup dumplings around!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab and Pork Soup Dumplings
Even after all these years, this is still and forever my absolute go to soup dumpling spot in Chinatown! I can't believe my last review was 12 years ago - time flies, but the quality here hasn't changed.
The tea that’s served here is also very fragrant just the way I like it too!
I remember use to coming here at least once a month.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Hop Kee 21 Restaurant
I keep track of their specials better than their website does. Nice setting that works. The workers here provide warm service with careful attention. This place performs well consistently. This spot is exceptional and will see me frequently.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pretty solid dumplings.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Crab and Pork Soup Dumplings, Dim Sum
Edit: I still come here, 6 years after this review was last edited, even though I've moved 200+ miles away. Best soup dumplings. Always worth the wait.
I gave this five stars over a year ago and I stand by that. I take everyone who visits me in NYC to this place for soup dumplings. The Crab meat and pork ones are my favorite. Just a heads up that they're cash only (or Amex) and there is often a wait, especially for parties larger than 2! But I love coming here. Love it. I've lost count of how many times I've been!
Kau Fu was roughly made, and its presentation was awful! The Kau Fu was too big and needed to chop into smaller chunks. The whole dish was sugary. The wine chicken was salty. It's not the typical chicken that's used for this dish. They used a much bigger chicken with thicker meat. The traditional soup dumplings with pork was OK but not my type. These dumplings are with thick flour wraps, and I prefer thin skins. I would not come back and I would choose a different shop nearby.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
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