Sim Lim Square is one of my favourite malls - I'm a bit of a computer geek. There are a couple of nice things in the basement food court too. Shanghai Delights is one that offers really nice dumplings for a fraction of what you'd have to pay at restaurants. Five dollars buys you a plate of large and juicy "guo tie" or potstickers (fried dumplings).
Each of these is filled with juicy minced meat and chives. They taste quite light despite being fried. Traditionally eaten with sliced ginger and black vinegar, but I still prefer to eat them with a touch of soy sauce and some spicy sambal. The dumplings are also available in a steamed version.
"Xiao long bao" (literally little basket buns) or steamed dumplings with soup inside, are also popular. This tray of eight dumplings only cost S$6. Each one daintily made, sitting pretty on a thin slice of carrot. The skin is quite thin, and just strong enough to encase the filling of lightly seasoned minced pork and its stock.
Oh, the many ways to eat xiao long bao. You can pierce the dumpling to let the soup out on a spoon. One place defines the right way as: Dab the xiao long bao in vinegar, place it on your chinese spoon, bite the top part off the dumpling, and suck on the juices. Place some ginger slices on top, and eat the rest of the dumpling. I know some people who just like to pop the whole thing in their mouth (be careful when it's scalding hot!)
Best of all, you get to repeat with each little dumpling! At these prices, who needs Din Tai Fung?
Shanghai Delights also offers various other dishes like hot and sour noodles, beef rice, panfried lotus paste pancake, etc.
SHANGHAI DELIGHTS
Sim Lim Square basement Food Centre
Stall 14
Open 10am to 10pm
I've never been to Ding Tai Fung yet. So can't compare. But have been quite a fan of this stall for a few years. Xiao long bao and their shanghai fried noodles are always my regular orders.
ReplyDeleteSince you are at Sim Lim, you can try the other stall's poh piah. Quite nice.
Yes, the popiah is quite famous too. I contemplated getting some that day as well, but was too full already.
ReplyDeleteI always order the Beef rice. Shiok!!
ReplyDeletemm yummy. the small buns with the soup coming out are actually called "tang bao" though. They can be pretty stickler about that. Xiao Long Bao doesn't have liquid in it after steaming. "Tang Bao" which is soup bao, does.
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