Joe’s Shanghai

Have you ever walked into a restaurant already knowing that you’re not going to like it? Yeah that was how I felt when I walked into Joe’s Shanghai… But, because I’m a sucker for popular/​trendy food places and this place is the most reviewed restaurant in Chinatown, I knew I would eventually make my way here. As soon as my group of 3 walked in, we were (not) greeted by an inattentive server and Justin Beiber being blasted on Z100. This is not, by any means, an authentic Shanghainese restaurant and you can tell because the majority of the clientele are not Asian. Because it was a rainy day, we had no problem getting seated but I have heard that there can be a line out the door on better days. Service, for the most part was meh but there was one server who was more attentive.
Scallion pancakes– Flavor was alright but it was too greasy and not crispy enough. For good scallion pancakes try the ones with beef at Nan Xiang in Flushing.
Pork soup dumplings– How is it even possible for people to say that these are the best soup dumplings in NYC? The skins were so thick, the soup was bland AF, and the pork had impurities in it…
Chicken pan fried noodles– ALL WRONG. I honestly don’t even know what they served us but they were definitely not pan fried noodles… The noodles were completely off and the sauce on top tasted like Chinese take out sauce… Skip this one and try the one at Shanghai Café instead.
There are a ton of Shanghainese restaurants in Chinatown that are better than this one. This one happens to be the most popular because it caters to a broader population of diners, not because the food is good. Well, I can finally mark Joe’s Shanghai as «attended» in my books but I will definitely not be back.

I heard that Joe’s Shanghai is famous for their xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), so I decided to drop by on Sunday to give them a try. There were no seats available so I asked for 2 orders of xiaolongbao (8 dumplings per order) to go.
The dumplings looked very sad and deflated in the to go containers. The soup dumplings in the Unilocal photos look very full and pillowy, so maybe the dumplings here are best eaten fresh. I did not enjoy the taste and texture of these xiaolongbao as much as the xiaolongbao from Nan Xiang Dumpling House in Flushing. The skin felt too doughy and the meat/​broth did not taste as flavorful.
I’d like to come back and get a table next time so that I can try the fresh dumplings that they serve here.

Word Of The Day «Soup Dumplings».
Thats pretty much all about Joe’s Shanghai.
I have visited their Mid Town location the this particular one and none failed on the Dumpling THE BEST. Rest of the menu is pretty mediocre nothing out of the ordinary your sameOl sameOl Chinese Food. I mostly have my fill on the dumplings. The other dish that impresses me is the Fried Noodles the dish starts out with crispy fried noodles with your regular stir fry ingredients but a bit saucy in the center so as you eat your way in you go from crispy to soft a good play on textures.
Only drawback Cash Only and 20 – 30 min waits always.
FYI — There is NO wait for parties with pregnant ladies and preference for parties with toddlers.

A very famous restaurant for soup dumplings, and rightly so. We went on lunar new year, waited about 30−40min for two people. Do not ask the lady what number she’s called, she will most likely snap at you.
They have big round tables which they fill up, so you will be seated with other diners. They are so famous for their soup dumplings that the first question they ask when you sit down is, «start with soup dumplings?» When you say yes (because you don’t say no to this question), they’ll ask you if you want pork or crab. The crab soup dumplings actually has pork too, so non-​pork eaters, beware.
Portions are huge. Better to come in a party of 3 or 4. For 2 people, dumplings + 1 thing off the menu is enough to be stuffed. They also include gratuity to each check already.
Crab (and pork) soup dumplings
8 big nuggets of flavor await for you to tear the skin a bit, then slurp the juices. No wonder people wait in line in the cold for this.
Seafood rice cake
My first time having rice cake. It was average for me.
Shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots
This I recommend! Flavorful shiitake, with a crunch from the shoots, drenched in oyster sauce. Yum!

I’ll make it simple —- nothing is edible here except the soup dumpling.
Honestly I don’t get the line that builds up everyday outside of this restaurant. The food simply fails as authentic Shanghainese food — hell, it even fails as Chinese food period.
Everything is really extremely overly unnecessarily greasy and the worst dish here has to be the fried tofu and vermicelli soup. Not only is it NOT authentic, the vermicelli wasn’t even cooked through.
There’re so many Shanghainese places around and not too far from this location; save the wait.

This is a mixed bag review. I would never put this place in the 5 star category but it did have some really good food items.
The good — the food
Soup Dumplings — very good, not the best I ever had but very tasty.
String Beans — flash fried and delicious
Crispy Beef — tasty but not the best
The bad — Communal tables — my fellow Unilocalers, you left that small piece of info out of your reviews…
The ugly — no surprise, the service. The staff couldn’t be bothered with you. They gave you the impression that you were interrupting their time playing on their phones with your requests of water and food.
Don’t know if this is worth the trek to Chinatown but I am glad I tried it.

My experience of Joe’s has always been pleasant.
Their waiters speak good english and they are very helpful.
The XLB though. you get 8 of them per container and it is full of flavor. YUM! Trust the orange oil XLB they are always more authentic than the cleaner ones.
The only downfall I have is that their XLB always have some shards of crab. However. I guess that is what makes them taste so authentic? haha…
Anyways, good job Joe’s Shanghai!

I came here for the 小笼包 and I was super disappointed. The price wasn’t bad, 6.25 for the dumplings. However, the skin was so thin the soup came out the instant you picked it up. I won’t be coming back here ever again.
The service was also terrible. The servers were pressuring us to order food the instant we went in and then they were in a rush to get us out.

After 3,600+ reviews, I’ll put in another penny’s worth.
A party of 6 ordered the following:
3 orders of pork XLB, 1 order of crab XLB, 3 orders of scallion pancakes, 1 order of stir-​fried rice cake, 1 order of crispy fried chicken noodle.
All this for $ 12/​person. Hard to beat. My only gripe was that some of the pork XLBs were a bit too delicate (popped too easily). Everything else was spot on. We all left quite happy (and full).

We came for an early dinner on a weekday and there was no wait time. Of course we ordered some xiao long bao/​Shanghai dumplings /​soup dumplings /​little dragon buns. We also got some scallion pancakes and fried pork dumplings. Everything was delicious and nostalgic, and not so nostalgic.
While these soup dumplings from Joe’s Shanghai are delicious, they are very different from the xiao long baos I am used to eating. I’m not a xiao long bao /​Shanghai dumpling snob, but I’ve been eating these dumplings ever since I could consume solid food. They just aren’t ‘authentic.’ I hate using the A word, because it’s so vague and meaningless. Food trends and even food traditions are changing all the time.
In my opinion, these are the deviations from a typical soup dumpling.
— Super-​sized type dumpling. Each dumpling is nearly the size of a small burger.
— The flavor of the meat filling also tastes a little different, could use more flavor.
— The skin is too thick.
What I do like:
— The meat in each dumpling is a generous amount
— There is plenty of soup encased in each one,
— Very good price, so I did walk away feeling full and satisfied.
It is a cash only establishment, so once again, I have to plan out a visit to the ATM first. Just an extra step that cuts into my eating time. I’d still come back for some very affordable, extra large dumplings again.

Delicious soup dumplings and wonderful family vibe throughout the restaurant! Worth the wait and not too heavy on the wallet for delicious food with great portions!

The last time I had Joe’s Shanghai, I was a wee (actually, not so wee, the Senior 15 is a very real phenomenon) college student, intimidated by large Chinatown crowds and by Chinatown waiters who slap utensils down on the table, but lured by this thing called soup dumplings. It’s been a long time since I inhaled that first burning gulp of crab-​infused pork broth, mixed with the a few drops of soy sauce and ginger.
My first piece of advice is to get here before the obvious meal times — if you’re going on a weekend, the best bet is 2:00 — 5:00.
My second piece of advice is to tell the waiter right off the bat that you’re ordering soup dumplings, so that, if you time it just right, the first batch comes to your table only a few minutes after you place your order for other dishes.
Everything other than the soup dumplings was a little less dazzling. I loved how sugary and crunchy the crispy sliced beef was, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The crispy pepper skin duck and baby bok choy were standard Chinatown fare.
If you’re less than 5 people, get ready to share a table with other happy strangers slurping down soup dumplings.
NEXT TIME: more of the crab-​pork, though if I end up in Chinatown during a peak hour, I’m sure there’s another restaurant a stone’s throw away that also serves soup dumplings.

Came here on the Sunday of the Chinatown lunar new year parade + it was Valentine’s Day + it was the coldest day of the winter this year. This place was still packed, with a line.
We lucked out and got seated right away at a shared table (everyone waiting must’ve had more than 3 in their party). Sheer luck, really.
Anyone who whines about having to share tables with strangers really should just go somewhere else. What matters here is great Shanghainese soup dumplings steamed to order, and maybe a side dish or two. This is Chinatown, not midtown.
Customer service is pretty great given how busy they are and how small the space is. They’re efficient, but still they don’t rush anyone to leave after finishing their food just to turn over tables.
My Shanghainese parents swear by Joe’s for the soup dumplings. It’s a solid spot for this side of the globe.

Don’t buy into the hype. Just don’t do it, especially if there is any sort of a wait.
Good soup dumpling: thin skin but doesn’t break when you pick it up with chopsticks. Juicy, but not greasy or oily. Flavorful, and the skin is not doughy.
Joe’s Shanghai: opposite of everything I just listed above.
I been here several times with groups of friends and always thought the place was «meh» (but then I think that of the majority of Chinese restaurants on the in New York…).
This time, I was nearby, missing Soup dumplings, and decided to give it a try myself — and realized I must’ve not paid much attention to the food as I did the conversation those previous visits because the food is as other reviews have mentioned… So oily, so greasy, and just overall not of a good quality (why are parts of my soup dumpling yellow? From the grease?). The overly aggressive service didn’t help either, though I was one of only 4 tables filled at the place, they came by to make sure I still had my last two dumplings left four-​five times so they could clear me out.
I flew back to LA this week and made it to a good soup dumpling place just to do a comparison and make up for this meal. And wow… Night and day difference.
Hungry Kat does not approve.

General tsos chicken here was bomb.
I know what you’re thinking. «That’s not real Chinese food,» and «who orders that.» Well I say to you pompous fraud foodies that I don’t care that general tsos chicken is American food. It’s freaking delicious!
We also had the soup dumplings, which were bigger and juicier than most places I’ve been to, and the pork shoulder (slightly under seasoned, but nothing some soy and hot oil didn’t fix).
The only gripe I have with this place is the seating. There is nothing more intimate than sharing a table with 2 tourists from mannitowah county Wisconsin and 3 mainlanders. Would have rather gone somewhere a little step down in food to be able to be only amongst friends.

I don’t understand why there are so many raving reviews when you could get similar soup dumplings elsewhere or even at their own chain restaurants on 56^th street or 37^th avenue where there is probably better service. In all honesty, I come solely for their soup dumplings but, it can get boring. Unfortunately, whenever I decide to venture off into other foods on their menu, I am disappointed.
If you want to try their soup dumplings, then come here. They offer either crab pork or pork dumplings in a stacked bamboo container straight from the stove. Always piping fresh. It is best eaten with some soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger. It gives the pork a fresher stronger flavor. Make sure to use your spoon to catch the soup when picking up the dumplings!
Now if you want to try other foods, I recommend other restaurants. Their portions are small for the amount they charge and their service is atrocious. To be tightly seated with other strangers is honestly unappetizing and with all the cash they make under the table while evading taxes, they could use a renovation. At least their bathrooms. Even their waiters could use some etiquette lessons.
I would only come back to entertain friends who insist on trying out this infamous soup dumpling restaurant.

Not bad at all, but I guarantee you’ll find better on the Pacific side :)
The only things really worth ordering were the xiao long bao, all the other food was not even mediocre. The skin was a little thick for my liking but the broth was tasty. Be prepared to have a shared table.

Tips:
–Come early! The restaurant may be open, but they do not start taking orders until 11am. I arrived at 10:45am, and there was already 2 tables «reserved» by 2 customers sitting there. Even if all members of your party arrive before 11am, orders are not taken till 11am. By 11:20am, the entire place was jam-​packed!
–This may be common sense haha but order the soup dumplings (8 per order). The first time the waiter asks is if you want soup dumplings. All other food items are comparable to 500 other restaurants in Chinatown. However the soup dumplings… oh my lord, are one of a kind!
–I prefer the crab soup dumplings to the pork. I was surprised at the amount of crab in each dumpling. The crab flavor is very prominent in both filling and soup.
–Eat it while its hot! The dumplings are not as good as it cools to room temp.
Dislikes:
— Cash only $
— 15% involuntary gratuity/​service charge
Best soup dumplings I have ever had? Yes, in my life thus far.
Is it worth the hype? Well… I do not think its worth the wait if its more than 30 minutes.

Unassuming front, tucked up on a side street in Chinatown, this place is actually quite large and bustling. Had some great sesame noodles and scallion pancakes during an epic walk around Manhattan.

My go-​to place for soup dumplings! Always crowded but worth to be in line.
recently found out that their chicken /​peanut dishes are amazing, too.
Although they are cash only, prices are good!
This is a must-​try place if you are in China town area.

Joe’s Shanghai is a very stressful place to eat. The process for sitting down seems more complicated than it really is, and that’s probably because no one really explains it. Then, you get sat down, and it’s kind of a place where you need to know what’s happening and know what you want before you get there, or else they’ll just pass you by. It’s loud, and there’s a lot of yelling happening because it’s usually so crowded.
That being said, the food is really quite good. The soup dumplings were great but wait for them to cool down before you give it a go! My favorite however was definitely the scallion pancake. One of the best I’ve ever had.

I’ve been to New York 4 times and I’ve been to Joe’s Shanghai 4 times. so I guess it’s time I write a review! I somehow don’t come across a lot of opportunities to get soup dumplings, so whenever I’m in New York I just crave Joe’s humongous pork xiao long baos. With the communal dining style, I found it pretty easy to snag seats if you’re eating with 1 – 2 people.
I always start off with at least 2 orders of the soup dumplings. I prefer the pork ones but the crab one is alright too– some people think it’s too fishy. I truly believe that soup dumplings should be consumed in one mouthful so that the juices explode on your mouth and you get all the flavors as you’re happily chewing away. This is hard to do when the soup is so hot and the dumplings here are so huge so it takes awhile for it to cool down. There have been instances where I had tears running down my face because I couldn’t wait for the soup to cool down before I devoured the massive dumpling. Still well worth it if you ask me :) I have since learned my lesson however, and just take my time to eat the other dishes while my soup dumpling is cooling off in the vinegar dish and alternate between each couple bites. The broth is on point for the dumplings and the skin is super thin. You will get maybe one or 2 that might’ve already erupted, which kind of sucks but you get what you pay for.
I’ve also had:
Sliced braised beef noodle soup: imo it was nothing extraordinary, the soup was kind of bland but the beef was tender.
Fried Rice Cake: I love rice cake so there’s not much that will ruin a fried rice cake dish for me. This one is a little on the salty side (they use a lot of dark soy sauce which I’m not used to on rice cakes) however, but the texture is on the softer side — just how I like it.
Pan fried noodles: I think the pretty much the same flavors were used in the fried rice cake as well, so definitely pick one or the other depending on what carb you’re in the mood for.
Cheap soup dumplings in the heart of Chinatown — the best thing on a cold day!

Okay c’est bon, leur Dim sum valent la peine mais le service oulalala !!! Si vous avez envie de prendre le temps c’est pas là qu’il faut aller on vous amèné l’addition alors que vous mangez toujours!

Yeap– the Xiaolongbao are as good as it gets. Anywhere. In the whole world.
I’d give this place 5-​stars but their service is bad even for a Chinese restaurant. And the 15% involuntary gratuity will always earn a star deduction from me. You think it’s a coincidence that places with an involuntary «service charge» always have bad service? Que lastima…

Typical Chinese restaurant but this one is super busy! & you get seated with others if your party is not big enough. Eating here, I felt like I was being rushed to eat by the workers when they kept asking over & over again «are you done? Are you done?»
We ordered:
–2 XLB (1 pork, 1 crab)
–chow mien
–fried rice
The XLB came out really fast & they were HUGE. Normally they would but bite size that would fit perfectly on the soup spoon. I’m not complaining about getting more for bang for my buck but I would say it was pretty difficult to eat since it’s bigger than my spoon, the soul fell everywhere. The dumplings were hard to pick up as well. They immediately broke on the bottom because it got stuck to the bottom of the container it was in. Which was really annoying. I never had XLB that would break so easily! I think it might’ve been over cooked. It wasn’t like that with all but mostly half of them we had to eat it without the soup because they broke. It also had way too much cabbage on the bottom which got stuck to the dumplings & I wasn’t too crazy of it. It seemed like they rushed cooking these. Nonetheless, it was still good (especially the crab one!) but way too messy to eat here. Hopefully I just came on a bad day & it’s not always like this.
I’m pretty sure we ordered the wrong fried rice because when we got it, it looked too brown & dry. The fried rice looked like it was from the fast food Chinese to-​go places. It wasn’t good at all. Although, we tried the Shanghai friend rice & it was a lot better! Definitely be specific next time because I didn’t know they had multiple versions of fried rice.
The chow mien we had was with udon type noodles. We’re use to having it with ho fun noodles but they didn’t have it. It was good but it lacked some flavor, but I added some hot sauce & it made it better.

One of my favorite NYC eats! We came specifically for the soup dumplings and they did not disappoint!
1) Grab a number from the lady in the front.
2) Wait in a conglomerate of people for about 30 – 45 minutes.
3) Watch people get impatient and hangry.
4) Get called in and be seated at a communal table with strangers.
5) Finally order some soup dumplings (and scallion pancakes)!
We ordered the crab and pork dumplings and I thought they were delicious. The soups were both rich and flavorful (and came out HOT). Though if I had to choose, I’d probably prefer the pork. The sauce that came on the side was too vinegary for me, but the dumplings were great by themselves.
Overall, food is great and prices are awesome! A definite must-​try if you’re in the area!
Warning: CASH ONLY.

We were visiting New York and definitely wanted to stop by and see what soup dumplings were all about! Our wait was about 45 mins long and we were seated with two other groups so it was very interesting to say the least. I guess they were trying to seat everyone as soon as possible. We ordered to orders of the pork Xiao long baos, spring rolls and shanghai fried noodles.
The spring rolls came out first and they were nice and hot. The fillings was your standard but they were a lot larger than we expected.
The noodles came out a little after and they were good but a little too greasy for my liking.
The pork xiao long baos finally came out and they were steaming hot in all their deliciousness. The dumplings came out piping hot and were overflowing with delicious broth that was full of depth and flavor. The sauce was a nice compliment to the savoriness of the dumplings.
Overall, this was our first experience at soup dumplings and we found them delicious. Other than the wait, we would definitely consider coming back again!

This is the one time that Unilocal has failed me. This place has seemingly positive reviews, but it just didn’t do it for me.
The restaurant is not big by any stretch. We had a group of 6 people and yet they still sat us at this table that probably could fit 4 max. The food was alright. I’ve definitely had better XLB’s. The XLB skin ripped easily, so before I can even put the damn thing in my mouth, all the juice (there wasn’t much juice to begin with) was gone. As far as the the service, I felt like it was crap. I say that because this dude taking away our dirty dishes then proceeding to drop those dishes on the floor, which in turn dropped the leftover stuff from those dishes onto my jacket, which is hard to clean. No apology, no nothing. Imagine all the juice from the XLB that popped out and stayed on those dishes and then having it all on your jacket. That’s what happened.
If you like to buy into the hype of restaurants, then try it. But if you want good XLB’s this is not your place.

I have to disagree with a lot of my friends and say that the XLB at Joe’s Shanghai is… NOT the father lol jk NOT better than Din Tai Fung! And this statement is for the XLB overall– the flavor of the meat (both crab and pork), soup broth, and texture of the dumpling.
This does not mean that Joe’s XLB aren’t good– they’re pretty damn tasty as well.
SO clearly– to any real foodie: go to Joe’s and you be the judge !

Not sure how difficult it is to find soup dumplings in the city, but I felt that this place was a bit overhyped. The soup dumplings with crab meat were pretty good, but the plain pork ones were very average and didn’t have enough soup in them. I tried a few other veggie/​meat dishes as well, which all tasted just mediocre.
The restaurant itself just seemed too noisy and crowded, but service was still prompt. Fortunately, all the food came out within a reasonable span of time. I just wish the quality were better.

Guilty. Yes, I complained about the long wait on Christmas day but partially it was our fault for leaving for ice cream and coming back. But I didn’t think I was as serious as others. Though it was concerning, one lady was shaking out of hunger or frustration for the long wait while she was specifically told by her family member it would be at least an hour wait. Or another group that we ended up having to sit next to that had endless complaints. Bottomline, come with patience and be prepared to wait.
Once you arrive in Pellet street, you’ll see mass people in all directions waiting. Ask around before standing around because like today, you have to go in and put in the # of your party and claim a # ticket.
Once your # is called, it will feel like you had won a small prize with envying eyes everywhere. Inside, there’s around 10 round tables and just note that you’ll be seated with strangers if your party is smaller than 10. And yes, dismay the long wait, food comes out super fast.
We had the pork soup dumplings ($ 6.25) and crab+pork soup dumplings ($ 8.25), their most popular dishes. My second time here and their soup dumpling is unbeatable! So much soup in these tiny dumplings that will make your mouth dance! Oh, but I do prefer the pork over the crab+pork~
Pay at the table and you’re all set. (Cash only with 15% service charge already included as well as tax — so make sure you have cash!) Afterwards, I recommend walking around a block to the Chinatown Original Ice Cream Factory to get their egg custard ice cream or their unique flavors such as almond cookie, lychee, sesame, and more! Perfect ending to the meal and don’t forget to walk around Chinatown! You’ll find something grabbing your attention every store =)

Long wait but totally worth it! This was the «it place» when it comes to soup dumplings and boy oh boy do did I love them!
Our wait was about 30 – 45 minutes long, not too shabby, but keep in mind this was around 1−2pm so definitely not during the lunchtime rush. They give you a number and someone needs to stay close by to listen to them yell the numbers.
The place isn’t huge, so expect to be a little squished together, which isn’t too bad. We had a Chinese speaker on the team, so communicating was definitely not a problem for us and so I can’t vouch that they’re English is good or not.
The soup dumplings are a MUST MUST MUST if you come here. Soups are nice and piping hot, they serve complimentary tea, like most Chinese restaurants do, and we had drunken chicken (chilled). We had multiple «layers» of soup dumplings, most of them being pork fillings and 1 tray was crab filling.
The idea of the place is they ask you first hand if you want soup dumpling. PLEASE just say yes (since I recommend it –wink wink-​). The reason why I say decide NOW is that it does take them a while to make. They do make it fresh when ordered. So before you even finish your «layer» of dumplings. I highly recommend you order another set (if you want) when you are HALF WAY FINISHED! This way there’s no long wait in between.
Instructions for first timers with soup dumplings?
First the tricky part if to get the dumpling OFF the bamboo steamer. This is hard because it slightly sticks to the bottom. They do provide a tong for you to use, but in my honest opinion, chopsticks were easier for me. So the really tricky part if to grab these suckers off the steamer and ONTO your SPOON!!! This requires some ultra awesome skills!
After you successfully grab these wonderful buns onto your spoon nibble off the top and I mean it when I say nibble a small hole because next you’re going to decide whether or not you want to put black vinegar inside the dumpling! I absolutely love the black vinegar with the dumpling, but if it’s not your cup of tea don’t do it! I’d recommend trying it with at least one to see if you like it or not. But if not skip the vinegar part and now onto the «sucking» part. What you want to do after you nibble off a hole on the top, you want to suck the soup into your mouth SLOWLY. Be careful not to burn your mouth! After you’ve successfully sucked out the soup you plop the entire thing into your mouth and chew. Make sure you can handle a bit of heat, because initially it’s going to be HOT.
After you’re finished all these steps you have truly become a soup dumpling master! FYI for the crab dumpling, since it’s nearly impossible to remove all the shells, there might be a tiny fragment of the shell stuck in the meat, make sure to chew slowly! Not that I had a problem with the crab dumpling here, it’s just my word of caution when it comes to crabs!
Overall excellent place to eat at! Definitely loved the homey feel of the restaurant and would totally recommend this place to anyone! I absolutely enjoyed my expereince here.

Head to Joe’s Shanghai Restaurant for the soup dumplings, or Xiao Long Bao (XLB).
Take note, they are NOT called either on the menu, so they’re hard to pick out on the menu if you’re not in the know. They seat you at communal round tables and we actually had to ask our neighbors what they are actually called on the menu.
Note: They are the first and second items on the appetizer menu and they are called «buns» on the menu.
Stay strong with your order. As fellow Unilocaler Augusto mentioned, if you ask for a dish that takes 15 min to prepare, alternatives will be suggested — this is totally true! Don’t let them deter you from your initial order.
We got one order of the crab XLB which come with 8 dumplings. They are absolutely amazing! If you come here, just stick to ordering these or the pork XLB. This is what they are most famous are and this is where they shine.
We also ordered a beef noodle soup and the scallion pancake. The soup was just okay. The broth was alright, but the noodles were really mushy and not at all springy. The scallion pancake was nice though and that’s pretty cheap and a decent add on.
Don’t make a mistake when eating the XLB. Here’s how to eat one:
Pick one up with your chopsticks, and put it onto your soup spoon. Take a small bite off of the top, and if you wish, pour some of the yummy sauce in, and then devour. Do NOT try to take an initial bite just off of your chopsticks, or you will get soup all over yourself! I may or may not have accidentally done that.
If I came again, I would just share several orders of the Xiao Long Bao — one pork order and one crab order! Heed my advice! Their other dishes are pretty lackluster.

I’ve been dying to visit Joe’s house to try some of his xiao long bao for the longest time now! It’s been bookmarked on my Unilocal for days, and now that my friend hustles around NYU, she finally took me and damn… Joe delivered the hot, steamy goods… woof.
It turns me on just thinking about how good the xiao long bao is here! I’ve seen my friends go up and down on their reviews, and perhaps it’s a combination of the chef cooking that day, or how long it’s been since I’ve had these little dragon dumplings, or maybe the fact that I think Din Tai Fung is hella overrated and needs to step down.
Yep, prob the later.
But you must try the food here. The hour long wait? Sure, but just grab some ice cream or boba before hand and you’re settled. When you are seated, whether you are sharing a table or not, know what you want beforehand. The servers are busy but they try to help as much as they can considering the mob rush during the evening hours.
When you order the xiao long bao (pork or crab, either were great!), make sure you know how to eat it! Take a small bite on its side, suck it (the soup yo), and then swallow… or chew on the meat a little bit so that you don’t burn your throat. Please dip it into the vinegar and ginger for an extra punch. The xiao long bao here are larger, have thicker skin, and are overall tastier.
You’re still reading my review? You either have a really dirty mind, or are just hungry. I choose both.
Anyway, tag on a scallion pancake, some Shanghai Fried Noodles (which are not referred to as lo mein here), and you’re all set! They even throw in some orange slices in true Chinese restaurant fashion when you end your meal.
Thanks Joe. You gave me a fab ride for my mouth… and you weren’t that expensive either! Keep it up and I’ll be coming back soon for round two, hun.

The dumplings were good. I tried the crab ones. There was an abundance of soup in them compared to other places I’ve eaten at! We also got some sort of stir fried noodle dish that was pretty tasty, as well.
However, I felt uneasy at this place due to the aesthetics and scent it was giving off. We were seated next to their recycle containers and for the duration of my meal, I couldn’t really enjoy my food because there was a strong sour odor I couldn’t ignore coming from them.
The employees also kept coming in & out of this closet behind them and had to remove the recycle bins back and forth to open the door to get into this closet. At one point, one moved the bin too far out and it brushed up on my arm and it really grossed me out!
Sorry I can’t overlook this one and regardless how good the dumplings were, I can’t shake this one off.

YUM
Having zero experience with GOOD soup dumplings in CT, I was super excited to find out about Joe’s.
Victims:
— Xiao Long Bao or «Little Dumplings in the Basket» (Pork version)
— Scallion pancake (omg, try this, you won’t regret it!)
— Vegetable with bean curd (so’kay)
Their hours everyday, are 11am-​11pm. Arriving exactly at 1130am, I was not surprised to find out that there was a 30 minute wait. Bordering on being «hangry», it was well worth the wait. Seating is communal style — there are about a dozen large circular tables of 10. It’s fun dining with complete strangers! Our dining companions were mostly from New England, but we had a couple straight from France! Dumplings are fresh and made to order. They arrived at our 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 BEST method of consumption is to bite off a little piece of the doughy wrapper, drip the broth to a spoon or suck the broth with a «slurp», and then down the hatch! It was really funny watching newbies and other diners fail so hard.
Knowing we were going to spend the rest of the day in the City, we didn’t want to overeat. Otherwise, I would have easily tried the spicy szechuan-​style sliced beef, crispy jumbo prawns w/​lime sauce, or braised duck.
If this is your first time in Chinatown, don’t forget to try these guys out!

These are the best Xiao Long Bao’s I’ve ever had.
What is a Xiao Long Bao
–Soup Dumplings filled with hot soupy broth. You eat with a little soy sauce vinegar and thin slices of ginger. For the noob to this area, this is what you get when you come to Joe’s Shanghai.
Instructions:
–Gently lift the XLB out of the steamed basket with tongs and place in soup spoon (careful they break easily)
–Take a small bite off the top, sip the hot broth inside
–pour some soy sauce vinegar inside the dumpling
–consume the rest of the dumpling
–REPEAT
Crab Xiao Long Bao ($ 8.25)
«Crab Meat with Pork Meat Steamed Buns» on the menu. Eight little pockets of gold. Skin is thin, inside is super soupy and rich broth, and the meat themselves are delicious.
Pork Xiao Long Bao ($ 6.25)
«Pork Steamed Buns» on the menu. Again delicious. May I note too that these XLBs are pretty decently sized!
GET IT YO.

Dim sum de cerdo lo mejor que probé en mi vida, imposible parar de comer. Si estás por New York no podes dejar de pasar y comer en este clásico de chinatown. Ambiente tranquilo y gente de todas las etnias, si bien el frente del local no invita a entrar adentro es muy limpio y el aroma es delicioso. Es un must do en NYC!

Coup de coeur pour cet établissement type dim sum. J avais presque l impression d être a hk mise a part la variété réduite de dim sum. Grandes tables rondes ou nous sommes placés a cote d autres personnes, service ultra rapide et rodé. Après 20h30 une petite queue se forme à l entrée. La spécialité du restaurant, les xiaolongpao des petites bouchées a la vapeur au porc avec de la soupe à l intérieur. Ils sont délicieux ! Ils se vendent par huit pour 8 dollars idéal en entrée. Nous avons pris ensuite les pancakes aux oignons, riz cantonnais et nouilles sautées. Les plats étaient trop copieux donc c est mieux de partager avec tout le monde, au final nous avons fait un doggy bag. A recommander!

The place to eat Dim-​Sun !
(je sais même pas comment ça s’écrit)
Joe’s Shanghai est l’adresse où manger chinois à New York. On fait la queue un peu dehors, comme presque tous les restaurants à nyc j’ai envie de dire, mais l’attente est plutôt rapide, 15 min, même pas.
A l’intérieur des grandes tables «d’hôte» rondes, on s’assois à côté de gens qu’on né connait pas, et ça peut aboutir à des rencontres sympas!
On commande les fameuses bouchées vapeur en entrée, un délice, et on poursuit par du porc caramélisé avec des nouilles sautées. Les portions sont très grandes, et «omg» très bonnes, et Etats-​Unis oblige, on repart avec ses restes pour les manger le lendemain (vive l’invention du doggy bag).
Moi qui n’aimait pas vraiment manger asiatique, j’ai vite changé d’avis!

Nach vielen Empfehlungen waren wir mit der Familie in Joe’s. Getränke sind außer dem Bier gewohnt günstig, Preise vom Essen sind in Ordnung. Man sitzt mit Fremdem an einem großen Tisch, kein Problem. Von den 3 Gerichten die wir hatten waren 3 sehr gut und 1 ganz ok. Jedes Kölner Chinarestaurant kann bei den Nudeln mithalten, die anderen Gerichte waren jedoch sehr lecker. Toilletten sind nicht sehr hygienisch. Alles in allem ein leckeres Essen bei außergewöhnlichem Ambiente. Die Stars an der Wand sprechen für das leckere Essen. Der Eindruck von außen täuscht!

Points positifs :
— quantité /​prix
— de bons plats
— menus variées
— lieu cosmopolite (différentes nationalités: français, allemand,…)
Points négatifs :
— brouillon
— attente pour avoir une place assise

Sind hierher als Tipp gelandet, ist ja auch im Lonely Planet empfohlen. Leider waren wir etwas enttäuscht. Auch die berühmten Dumplings empfanden wir nur als mittelmäßig
Das Restaurant an dich hat chinesischen Hinterhof Charme Nun ja, das nächste Mal gehen wir in eins der benachbarten ansprechenden Restaurants

Wie ich später erfahren habe, scheint dieser Laden bei Touristen absolut beliebt zu sein. Tatsächlich habe ich hierher aber gefunden, weil ein netter Chinese mir den Tipp gab, als ich ihn zufällig unter Tausenden auswählte und nach seinem Lieblings-​Restaurant für Mittagessen fragte.
(Siehe Foto unten) Ich hatte keinen riesigen Hunger, und so war es mir ganz Recht, dass die absolute Spezialität dieses Ladens die günstigen und nicht all zu erschlagenden Dumblings sind. Eine Portion kostet ca. 5 Dollar und macht bei kleinem Hunger richtig satt!
Ich wählte die Version mit Schweinefleisch und bekam, was auf dem Foto zu sehen ist.
Ich hatte noch nie Dumblings gegessen und hate anfangs technische Schwierigkeiten, das Geschmackserlebnis war aber super.
Definitiv zu empfehlen!

nom slurp nom nom…

Wir besuchten dieses Restaurant und waren leider nicht so begeistert. das soll passieren — Essen empfanden wir fade und eher wenig authentisch. Die Portionen waren aber sehr üppig und dafür dass dieses Restaurant relativ bekannt ist, sind die Preise auch noch o.k.
Übrigens: die Chinesen in New York bevorzugen die kleinen Lokale rund um die Strasse E. Broadway in der Nähe der Manhattan Bridge. Hier geht es authentischer zu.

Joe’s Shanghai gibt es drei mal in New York, ich war in der Filiale in Chinatown wo sonst?).
Der ‘soup dumpling’ — die Spezialität des Ladens — war eine für mich total neue Erfahrung. Für 5 – 8 Dollar (je nach Füllung: 5 $ nur Schwein, 8 $ Schwein und Shrimp gemischt) bekommt man 8 dicke Teigtäschchen, die man entweder als Vorspeise mit anderen teilen oder als Hauptgericht alleine essen kann. Wir haben uns zu dritt zwei Portionen Dumplings und zweiHauptspeisen geteilt — wir haben nicht alles geschafft. Preis mit Tip: 12 $ pro Nase.
Anleitung zum Essen eines Suppendumplings: Dumpling mit einer Zange aus dem Bambuskorb heben und auf dem tiefen Suppenlöffel plazieren. Dann den Dumpling an einer Ecke anknabbern und die Suppe aus der Teigtasche schlürfen. Anschließend die Teigtasche mit der Füllung verzehren. Vorsicht, die Brühe ist heiß und bei nicht sachgemäßem Schlürfen kann es leicht zu Brandblasen und Flecken auf dem T-​Shirt kommen ;-)
Der Service ist sehr nett (und wohl auch auf dumme Europäer eingestellt). Unsere Bedienung konnte uns nach zähen Verhandlungen ausreden, pro Nase eine Vorspeise und ein Hauptgericht zu bestellen. er hatte recht das hätten wir nie auch nur annähernd geschafft.
Fazit: die Suppendinger sind toll, der gebratene Reis war eher lasch vom Geschmack her. Beim nächsten mal werde ich mich auf die Dumplings beschränken.