三六九 小笼包

Short review/recommendations: XLB/Xiao Long Bao, Hot & Spicy Wontons (mild but excellent,) Honey BBQ Spare Ribs, and Shanghai Style Fried Noodles. Originally opened as a small restaurant in Chinatown on Lafayette, right off Canal, this spot serves Shanghainese and Cantonese food with a wide selection of dim sum. I was here with a very large group a good while back, and the friendly staff was very happy to accommodate all of us, with our group taking up two large tables and then some. They had the typical selection of beers and other soft drinks, but as per usual in less fancy Chinese spots, I stuck with tea. We first received a lot of dim sum. The Steamed Crabmeat & Pork Xiao Long Bao, which includes 6 pieces for $11.95, was above average. The skin was thin, the inside had a good, meaty filling, and the soup was well-flavored, mostly with pork and a bit of crab. It wasn't the best XLB I've had, but it got the job done. Also good was the Hot & Spicy Wonton, made with mixed pork and shrimp and served with hot oil and peanut sauce. These included 7 pieces, and the price at $10.75 was comparable to most Szechuan places. I wish the sauce had been more pungent, but it's a Shanghainese place, so that's a bit more typical. Again, the wrapper was thin, and the filling was generous. For the same price and portion size, you can also order Pork Dumplings, either steamed or fried. We got both, and I, as per usual, preferred the steamed variety. These were more standard but fine, with my definite preference being the other dumplings we had. There was also the Walnut Rock Shrimp. As we ordered 3, I presume it was around $12, but I don't remember the price, and it's not listed on the online menu or in any photos I can find on Yelp. I've never been a huge fan of this dish, as I generally only like the larger prawn variety found in many Cantonese places, where you can taste the shrimp better, but this was good. The batter was light and not overly sweet. We also got two of the siu mei/roasted meats. I don't see the Honey BBQ Spare Ribs listed, but I presume they were around $15 or $16. This was a very tasty version, with the ribs falling off the bone yet retaining some texture. Also, compared to most Chinese-American spots, the ribs weren't overly sweet. The BBQ Roast Pork for $15.45 was alright. I've had this dish from too many spots not to compare it to the better places around Chinatown and other neighborhoods, and this was just OK. I liked the mix of fatty and lean pieces, but the leaner ones weren't super flavorful and were also a bit dry. I wouldn't recommend this as much./ The remaining plates were larger. The Shanghai-Style Fried Noodle, available with a choice of protein, was good for $14.75. The noodles were the best part, with a good wok hei and a nice, slightly chewy texture. I probably would have preferred them with beef or pork, as there wasn't too much shrimp, but otherwise, no real complaints. The Young Chow Fried Rice for $15.25 was, in many ways, the opposite of the noodles. By comparison, the dish had plenty of protein, but the rice itself felt a bit lacking in flavor and wok hei. It was decent For a veggie, there were the Sauteed Snow Pea Leaves With Garlic for $22.75. The leaves were cooked nicely, and there was plenty of garlic flavor. In other words, nothing to complain about and nothing particularly notable, so it was a good standard variant. It was also the expected price for these usually expensive greens. Last was the Sizzling Ginger Beef in Basil Sauce, consisting of beef with ginger, scallion, and onion in basil sauce for $24.75. The beef was tender, but the sauce was a bit milder than expected. It was still tasty, and the portion, as expected for the price, was generous. This is a tasty Chinese place with a couple of excellent dishes. Bumping it up a good amount, given the neighborhood and the general quality as if this was closer to Chinatown, it would be closer to a lower 4/upper 3.

Ate there for the first time today and I was welcomed immediately and was seated very quickly. I don't know who the specific woman is, but she was very alert and had great hospitality. The food portion was very generous and decent Manhattan prices. She was very attentive and communicated often with me to make sure I was okay. She's a talker too and a good listener :). Service was fast. Place is well organized and not overwhelming.

Get the hot and sour soup. You won’t regret it. The scallion pancakes are phenomenal. Everything tasted wonderful! Highly recommend.

I love excellent dumpling house. We will definitely be back next time we are in the city. The steamed pork dumplings were very flavorful and we enjoyed the house noodles.

NOT WORTH SPENDING $23 BUCKS NO VALUE FOR MONEY.... $5 crispy shrimp sticks are small pencil shaped 3 pcs fried stick $5 just for 1 pc half fried crispy veggie roll... $12 for 7 pcs of small frozen dumpling fried