Xiaolongbao are one of the all-time greats on the Chinese menu. But even a classic can be reinvented. Let’s meet a chef who’s put his own special spin on the Shanghainese tradition. Whether it’s a garnish of black truffle, or pizza-style dumplings, not a single menu item is predictable.
Xiaolongbao are topped with a smidgen of black truffle. A waft of steam starts up your appetite. Each dumpling is oozing with pork and truffle-infused juices.
The filling is made with rump of pork mixed with truffle sauce, carefully dosed to not overpower the other flavors.
Lin Tsung-teh
Restaurant owner
Most xiaolongbao in Taiwan use aged chicken and pork skin for the broth. We mainly use fruits and vegetables – there’s sugarcane, pineapple and onions in there.
The xiaolongbao are finished off in these steamers and immediately served. These steamed dumplings are also drizzled in cheese, and their fillings have an Italian twist. It’s like a tiny pizza in a bite!
Yu Wei-chieh
Chef
We used tomato sauce at first, like Spaghetti Bolognese. Then when we came back to Taiwan we added the cheese on top.
The dough is colored with red yeast. The filling of beef, tomato and herbs is wrapped up in an unusual way, with its top pressed flat to make space for the cheese.
As soon as it’s in the steamer, the cheese melts to create a delicious fusion of East and West. This chef was trained in an Australian kitchen.
Yu Wei-chieh
Chef
I went abroad, I guess it was a working holiday. I added some foreign elements into our Chinese cuisine.
These deep-fried prawns spend just 10 seconds in the pan. They’re flavored with notes of pomelo. And the pig’s blood cake is not what it seems – this is actually a sweet mousse dessert – a perfect twist to round off a meal full of surprises.