Shengyuan Xiao Long Bao — Restaurant in Da'an District

This review is not just about food, but a story of extended loving care. Last Friday I took in cold wind waiting for my family to meet up. They were late for a hour so I walked to the closest XLB place in Hangzhou S Road. It was 2:28pm before that restaurant closed for afternoon break but they refused to serve despite their signs says 2:30pm. I was hungry and cold and about to shiver so I went to Sheng Yuan for a try. By the time I arrived, it was already 2:32pm and there were no seats. Despite past their serving hour, the owner Ms. Pan offered me their employee table and let me order what us still available. She even brought their employee hot turnip pork bone soup to share with me. I dressed in very casual clothes but she offered me a hit meal which other would have refused. NT230 that day bought myself a hit meal with extra loving care. Her family story on how the 3 generations of making XLB (from soy milk breakfast till now, Sheng Yuan) has touched me. Many younger generations rather not take over their family business by inheritance but Ms. Pan is doing such a good job on upholding the family...

What a shame!! Their dumpling chef must have left! My husband and I ordered loofah gourd dumpling and meat-veggie dumpling as usual, but was shocked to find the taste are totally different than the way it was. There’s barely loofah gourd inside but a chunk of pork, lack the sweetness of the soup. We can tell immediate from the appearance the proportion of meat and loofah gourd is not the same as before. The meat-veggie dumpling is even worse, no veggie but only green onions, and it tastes like regular “boiled dumpling” except for this is steamed. We tried to find out whether they served the wrong dumplings, but the waitress responded that these are what we ordered. As regular customers here over 10 years, we had to believe they lost the chef and the original recipe, and didn’t even tried to replicate it.

However, the rests of what we ordered taste similar to what we had before. (Millet porridge, beef pocket, radish pastry, steamed cabbage, bean curd w/anchovies, sliced pork ears).

Very sad to see a dumpling house, used to be packed with locals and tourists, letting go of its...

Sheng Yuan is very near the always queuing popular Hang Zhou xlb, so don’t get confused. SY has a shorter queue and is absolutely worth it.

Their signature must be the Si Gua xlb, which includes the luffa vegetable and meat in soup. I love how light tasting the xlb is with the addition of a juicy vegetable. You should try their original xlb to taste the difference.

Another of my favourite is the orange chive meat dumpling. The taste of chive is so delicious in the chewy healthy wolfberry outer skin. If you eat beef, do try their tender beef slice with egg. Those slices are so tender and well marinated.

Chinese soup lovers, do give their pork or chicken soup a try. Taste rich and traditional. For dessert, I really like the crispy red bean pancake. No oily aftertaste, but just an aching mouth due to the chewing. The whole thing is filled with so many sesame seeds which enhances the taste and...