If I could write one sentence over and over again, à la Bart Simpson at the blackboard, it would be: Stop bitching about Portland’s Chinese food. Seriously, stop.
Sure, our NYC-beloved Chinese-American joints are not the best, but that in no way covers the breadth of incredible regional spots across town. The fish balls in curry sauce at Kung Pow! The wonton soup with brisket at Kenny’s! The shrimp har gow at Pure Spice! The goubuli pork buns at Master Kong! Those perfect hand-made noodles at Stretch the Noodle!
And now, we can add Shanghai and its soup dumplings to the list. Newly opened in the former Karam restaurant space on Southwest 4th, owner Danny Chen (who also is behind the great Szechuan Chef on Southwest Macadam) has dedicated the menu to specialties from China’s biggest city.
Let’s address those xiao long bao (XLB) to start, on the menu here as Shanghai juicy steamed buns ($12.95). They’re packed with pork and a flavorful soup, and both times I ordered them, they had some of the thinnest dumpling skins in the game—delicate and utterly non-gummy, yet still managing to contain the hot broth within.
