XLB – A Brief Glimpse into the Past
Xiao Long Bao popularly known as broth or soup dumpling originated from China in the Yuan Dynasty some 600 years back in Shanghai.
Legend has it that the people of Long Pao Town in Jiangsu prepared for the visit of their emperor by making their specialty Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao to pay tribute to their beloved leader.
The Emperor loved Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao also known as Xie Huang Tang Bao that it became part of the Emperor’s Menu. It was intended to be enjoyed only by the Emperor and his well-heeled guests.
Fast forward to the present, thanks to Bai Nian Tang Bao which opened its pilot restaurant at the Ground Floor Uptown Parade 9th Avenue corner 38th Street Taguig, even non-royals like us can now taste the famous XLB at any time of the day. You can even watch how the Chefs make it from the restaurant’s open kitchen.
Fun Trivia : Bai Nian Tang Bao literally means hundred years (Bai Nian) and famous soup dumpling (Tang Bao)
The Making of Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao
It was engrossing to watch the step by step procedure for creating this delicious snack. Did you know that it takes a total of 20 steps to make one Xiao Long Bao?
Check out the last few steps here :
Step 1 :
Get the prepared dough and shape into flat thin round discs.
Step 2 :
Put a dollop of crab roe paste right smack in the center of the disc
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| Note that this soup took 12 hours to cook. Wow! |
Step 3
Deposit a prepared broth in soft jelly form on top of the crab roe
Step 4 :
Fold the thin dough around the broth and crab roe until both crab and roe are sealed inside the dough ball
Step 5 :
Garnish the huge xiao long bao with crab roe on top
Step 6:
Steam and serve with straw. Be sure to wait a little bit to sip the soup from the straw to avoid scalding. Enjoy your Xiao Long Bao .
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| Giant Tang Bao with straw P258 |
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| Sipping Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao through a straw is definitely a novel experience one must try soon |
OTHER DELICIOUS DISHES
Special Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao P288
Chicken Soup Pork Xiao Long Bao P158
Scallops and Pork Xiao Long Bao P238 and Corn XLB
The common base among all 4 variants is the minced pork inside. The classic variant is all pork and was delicious. Actually all 4 variants were scrumptious. The problem is I can not tell one from the other except for the corn variant which is easily identifiable taste-wise. But that’s just me. Try it yourself and tell me what you think.
RICE TOPPINGS
Stewed Pork with Pork Steak P228
Stewed Pork with Beef Steak P238
Stewed Pork with Chicken Steak P218
Shanghai Golden Sheng Jian Bao P138 4 pcs
Shanghai Special Braised Pork P329
By its appearance and taste, you can almost mistake it for our local pork adobo and I mean that in a good way.
Bok Choy with Mushroom P199
I love greens and ‘shrooms so this dish was a hit with me. It helps that the bokchoy was fresh , crisp and verdant green. The shitake mushroom provided the “protein” component with its meaty texture. I loved how the two ingredients complemented each other visually and palate-wise
Sweet and Sour Pork Spare Ribs P279
The flavor was spot on. It looked delicious with its rich brown color. My only issue was it could need a few more minutes to make it fall off the bone. But that’s just my personal preference.
Summary :
Foodie Mom
It was an exciting day for this foodie mom. Watching how that giant XLB was made then drinking the soup from the straw was a novel experience everyone must try.
Lest I forget, the other items in BNTB’s menu were nothing to be sneezed at too . My favorites were the Bokchoy and Mushroom, the Wonton soups, the different kinds of rice and the rice toppings. It was just sad that I was not able to taste everything because I had to leave early. Oh well more reason for me to return with the family.
Chef-Wanna-Be
Imagine 20 steps for just one XLB. Wow! It would be amazing if I can replicate it at home. The stunned look on the handsome hubby and piggery’s faces will be worth all the trouble, that is assuming Im successful hahaha. Ma-research nga. Ambisyosa lang.
Inner Geek
XLB’s riveting history as told by Bai Nian Tang Bao fascinated my inner geek..What a pedigreed snack this XLB is turning out to be. It makes me want to delve deeper to find out more about its origins.
Budget Conscious
From a budget-conscious mom’s point of view, Bai Nian Tang Bao is value for money. I loved that all the dishes that were served to us were quality ingredients and generally tasty. I noticed that the pricing is very competitive. They were mostly below P300. I found that a delightful surprise considering its prime location in Uptown Parade.
All in all, what a productive foodie meet up it was. Thank you for having us Bai Nian Tang Bao and for the invite ZomatoPH. This foodie mom, cook-wanna-be, inner-history-buff and “practical” mom (read Makunat na nanay hehe) is replete.
Definitely returning here with the piggery in tow .