Communal Dinning

EATERY:

Joe's Shanghai Restaurant

LOCATION:

9 Pell Street (between Bowery & Doyers St) New York, NY 10013

REVIEWS:

Communal dinning in Joe's Shanghai Restaurant can be uncomfortable at first but once you get seated and pass the awkward “hi – hi ya doing” stage, you can more or less ignore them from there on. Joe’s Shanghai Restaurant is a typical Chinatown restaurant where the décor is lackluster and with somewhat questionable service. However if you’re an optimist Joe’s Shanghai is a really fun dinning adventure with activities from one round table to the next. The most impressive behavior I saw was the number of foodies with their cameras (including myself) some had huge Nikons with big lens other had the more slick and trim digital cameras and me I had the cheapo digital – hay what ever works. And then there are the Japanese tourist that order ONLY xia long tang bao - Shanghai Soup Bun, most often 2 sets of 2 steam basket stacked on top of each other. When we were seat at our collective table the first thing the waiter asked us was if we wanted the xia long tang bao (8 buns for $6.65), kind of unconventional but that was what we were here for so we got one with crab and pork. As we sat I noticed everybody had an ordered the xia long tang bao, I guess that is a given and that is why most eaters are looking for at Joe’s Shanghai. Once our tea was plopped down we decided to go with the Crispy Whole Yellow Fish ($14.35) and the Moo Shu Pork (comes/w 4 wraps $10.35). xia long tang bao - Shanghai Soup Bun came first, eight in all nestled in shredded napa cabbage, it was perfection! If your new the first step to eating a xia long tang bao is to grab your one bun by the top gently and put in your soup spoon, then with precaution take a tiny bite on top, blow some cool air into inside the dumpling and slowly slurp the liquidly fatty content (http://cheapassfood.com/eats/show/12 HOW to Eat xia long tang bao). It’s like nothing I have tasted in my life and the skills and craft that goes into making this dumpling is gifts form the gods. Once the Moo Shu Pork came I thought it was good, but over sauced and it goes for the Crispy Whole Yellow Fish. The Yellow Fish comes fried whole and is drenched in sweet and sour sauce. I sometimes have craving for Western Chinese food which I was craving this particular night so I enjoyed my self very much. Over all the food is good and yes do go for the xia long tang bao and enjoy the company of strangers.

RANTS & RAVES:

Long Lines Fast Food Cash Only

TAGS:

Chinatown New York Chinese CHEAP ASS PICK!