Shanghaideli

Its a good dumpling, fresh made, hot off the steamer and all.
I am not a dumpling snob here but I have had better.
Their spicy dumpling was spicy, but not spectacular. It needs to be real spicy and more savory flavors.

Love their dumplings but my wife won’t come near me if I hit them up for lunch. Apparently Spicy Mandoo (heehee) gives me rank burps, farts and generally stank breath. So tasty though it might be worth the lack of attention for the evening.

The very first time I tried this place, I was so hyped about it! Know why? Know why?! Because I love giant dumplings!!! They are my FAVORITE!!! I tried a bite of the spicy giant dumpling from one of my siblings and BOY was it EVER BURNING MY TONGUE! I was like «AHHHH AHHHH!!! MY TONGUE!!!» and had to drink a lot of water! I got the mild dumpling (regular) and I was happy or at least my tongue and stomach was. anyways! The size of the dumplings were SO HUGE! I guess it was only for the grand opening (when the first opened), because now the size of the dumplings got a lot smaller.
Just a few nights ago, my mom had to stop by Mega Mart to buy a couple of groceries. My sister, Angela H. and I didn’t eat our dinner yet, so we stopped by the Shanghaideli. They weren’t closing yet (closed at 9 pm), so we ordered the giant dumplings. I got the mild giant dumpling (regular) and she got the spicy giant dumpling. They were also selling red bean giant dumplings, too, but I’m not much of a fan of red beans. When I saw how much smaller the giant dumplings got. I was like «OMG! It looks like it’s not going to fill me up!» but guess what? It did! I was very full and happy! Ha ha!
Oh and the water was free since it was a water dispenser. Hot and cold water. I kept getting refills, too. I guess it’s for everyone since it’s out there in the open. Well not really «out there» but in front of one of the food places (I think it’s the place where they sell rice cakes).

After Mega Mart first opened its doors in Duluth over a year ago, my parents had heard that this little place in the food court was selling delicious «wang mandoo,» which is Korean for «giant dumpling.» I’m usually not a huge fan of the giant mandoo, but there was such a hype about it, so I had to try them for myself. At $ 1.99 each, it wouldn’t break the bank either!
Apparently they sell other Asian food items, none of which I have tried myself, but their most famous items are their giant mandoo. They have a Spicy Mandoo and also one that isn’t spicy, and they are filled with minced pork, tofu, translucent noodles, and veggies. One mandoo (or two, if you’re a big eater) can fill you up, and they are, indeed, delicious!
I recall that when they had first opened, Shanghaideli attracted a huge crowd of Asians! The line would be so long, and since they couldn’t keep up with the demand, customers would wind up standing around waiting 10+ minutes sometimes for new batches of the mandoo to be cooked. You can watch the workers make the mandoo (not your mandoo but for the next batch) right in front of you as you stand in line. I thought this was pretty neat and initially, the giant mandoo was made REALLY huge.
It seems that over time, the «giant» mandoo has shrunk in size. A few days ago, I went for the first time in probably over a year, and I had a Spicy Mandoo. My sister, Yoomee H., got the Regular (not Spicy) Mandoo. The Spicy Mandoo is still really tasty, and it has the perfect amount of heat — not super spicy, but you can still use a cup of water to cool your mouth down. However, the mandoo it definitely looks a lot smaller than when they had first opened their shop. Fortunately I didn’t have a huge appetite that night, so I was satisfied with one.
Overall, Shanghaideli deserves 4 stars for their famous wang mandoo — Spicy or Regular! Both are really good, and for $ 1.99 each, it’s a cheap and filling snack (or meal, for those who can’t eat much)! I subtracted 1 star because the mandoo have gotten much smaller, but the next time I go back to Mega Mart, I will be sure to stop by Shanghaideli again. If you’re a fan of dumplings, these giant ones are must-​try items if you’re ever in Duluth!
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