Take a bow: Modern Shanghai’s xiao long bao!

MANILA, Philippines - Hi, there! I’m at Modern Shanghai — and about to savor more than a slice of Shanghai history.  From “the showpiece of China” comes this piece de resistance: xiao long bao (steamed soup dumplings). For Modern Shanghai’s award-winning xiao long bao (it was recently named No. 1 in the local dining scene by spot.ph), it takes a bit of ceremony to enjoy it.

The xiao long bao craze began in Manila a few years ago, and for first-time eaters here are the hard-and-fast rules on the proper way of eating your xiao long bao:

Gently lift the xiao long bao from the basket to your spoon, placing extra care not to break its skin (lest you spoil the fun and spill the hot soup all over yourself).

Bite off a portion of the xiao long bao skin from the side to allow cooling of the soup broth and pork filling, then sip the soup broth.

Complement with ginger slices and (Zhenjiang) vinegar, and enjoy!

Spot.ph described Modern Shanghai’s xiao long bao as “amazingly fresh, it’s soft and velvety … cushioned inside a creamy envelope of rice dough that adds a chewy bite to all the silkiness.”

Soup opera

Paul Kwok, the franchise’s president and former chef who mastered elegant French cooking, says, “Delicate craftsmanship goes into each piece to ensure that customers always get the pleasant surprise of a hot soup infused inside the flour dough pouch with every bite.”

So, what goes into a xiao long bao?

A lot! The filling is made of three cuts of pork: It’s got pork leg meat, pork collar, and pork fat, to give it that outstanding flavor. The dumplings are then wrapped in freshly made flour dough and steamed to perfection so that you can eat a dumpling whole without (heaven forbid!) burning your tongue and simply enjoying the warm, tasty broth inside.

If you want it with a bit of a crunch (why not?), you can have it pan-fried style, which is just as delicious especially when dipped in Modern Shanghai’s special vinegar sauce (a secret recipe that executive chef Ben Leung guards with his life) with slivers of ginger.

A bit of trivia: Xiao long bao is some kind of  street food in Shanghai and every restaurant in Shanghai serves this.

“The quality of the xiao long bao at Modern Shanghai is better than the ones served in Hong Kong,” asserts Paul with a hint of pride. “The minced meat is mixed with the broth and cooked for two hours. The dough is rolled into thin sheets and the pork is put in the middle. Folded and sealed by hand, it’s truly a work of art.”

So, what can I say about the xiao long bao at Modern Shanghai? I’m speechless!

Having recovered my speech, I gingerly browse the menu for more of Modern Shanghai’s dishes that are bound to win over your taste buds.  A signature dish to start the new year off on the right foot is the Braised Lucky Pork Knuckle (slowly braised in brown sauce with baby pakchoy veggie).

Soy delicious

Brown sauce? Yes, in fact, says Kwok, Shanghainese cooking is very saucy — more saucy than Canton cooking. “The Shanghainese, especially those living inland, use a lot of sauce in their noodles, pork knuckles, and basically a lot of dishes. But their sauce is sweeter because they add sugar to it. They don’t have so much vegetable in winter because of the cold so they just add sauces to their food. They also eat more carbs (noodles and buns).”

What else goes into Shanghainese cooking?

A lot of skill! Let chef Ben show you: He blindfolds himself to show how good his skill is in cutting up tofu as thin as hair. It’s no surprise to find out that he comes from Yang-Chow, which is famous for its skilled butchers.

Touted as the Paris of Asia, Shanghai does not really have a cuisine to call its own. But it’s got its own unique culinary tradition. Shanghai food is simply colorful in terms of presentation, variety, and cooking methods.

At Modern Shanghai, we eat as the Shanghainese do.  We start off with some savory cold dishes plus a hot one, such as the sautéed prawns with scallions. But of course, we follow this up with the signature xiao long bao, which should really not take you too long to demolish. And then comes a colorful parade of more Modern Shanghai bestsellers: deep-fried garoupa with sweet and sour sauce, deep-fried crispy chicken with crispy garlic, deep-fried squid with spicy salt and pepper, the signature Shanghai fried noodles, sautéed river shrimps with spring onions, sautéed string beans with minced pork.

Nope, there’s no lumpiang Shanghai in Shanghai as there’s no pancit Canton in Canton, China. “The spring rolls did not come from Shanghai,” Paul shares. “Filipino food has a lot of similarities with Chinese cuisine. Shanghainese cooking has a lot of stir frying, stewing, and braising. Which is why Shanghainese food is very tasty. It also has a lot of pickles and preserved  vegetables since nothing grows during winter.”

Tea-tillating

For my drink, I opt for a refreshing glass of passion fruit lemonade doused in jasmine tea with pink guava, lime juice, soda, and pink lemonade. Refreshingly good!

Perfect for capping a thrilling, filling meal at Modern Shanghai are the assorted tea drinks. Or why not pour a little excitement into your life and try the blooming tea? Keep your eyes peeled as this aromatic tea blossoms into a stunning arrangement as hot water is poured on it. Called the Lily Blossom, this sweet and mild tea is a mixture of lily, osmanthus, and jasmine tea. Tea-licious!

“We have a lot of tea cocktails which are non-alcoholic because I want something that everybody, young and old, can drink like the mint tea mojito, for instance,” Paul explains.

Did we miss dessert? No way, sweetie! We agree on a bowl of glutinous dumplings in sweet ginger soup (which is cooked in many a Shanghainese home) and fresh mango pudding. What a sweet way to end a simply memorable meal!

Paul relates, “A lot of customers who come here say, ‘Oh, this is really Shanghainese food!’”

FYI, Modern Shanghai uses only Shanghainese ingredients including the sauces, vinegar, herbs and spices while it gets only the freshest fish, seafood, meats, and vegetables locally.

The quality of the food is perfectly matched by the resto’s heartwarming interiors. The old and the new — the wooden lattice and the lamps inspired by floating lotus leaves — seamlessly blend to create an upscale, cozy ambience. “For me, the ambience/feel of the place is as important as the quality of the food,” Paul stresses.

Welcome to (Modern) Shanghai!

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Modern Shanghai has branches at the new Glorietta and Mall of Asia (with telephone number 551-1110, open Sunday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 midnight). Check out www.facebook.com/ModernShanghaiPhilippines.