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Xiao Long Bao [Soup Dumplings]

Xiao Long Bao [Soup Dumplings]
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  • Post #91 - February 6th, 2016, 6:43 pm
    Post #91 - February 6th, 2016, 6:43 pm Post #91 - February 6th, 2016, 6:43 pm
    It's not XLB but similar - smaller but yeah. Jiaoxi - northern style. Check out Qing Xiang Yuang Dumpling in Chinatown. Easily some of the best dumplings I've had anywhere in the US.
    2019 Chicago Food Business License Issuances Map: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AGfUU ... sp=sharing
  • Post #92 - October 25th, 2016, 5:06 am
    Post #92 - October 25th, 2016, 5:06 am Post #92 - October 25th, 2016, 5:06 am
    BR wrote:I've had some pretty crappy XLB in Chicago, often served in candy foil cups or atop carrot slices. But I have to say that the last couple of times I've had them at Katy's Westmont location

    Very good XLB Sunday at the the Phoenix, which has new owners. Plump, filled with blisteringly hot soup, moderately thin wrapper, best I've had in Chicago including Katy's Westmont, which I've had twice in the past couple of months. Slight ding for no slivered ginger in accompanying red vinegar. Three of us ate for 6 and Sunday Phoenix dim sum was solid. The Phoenix appears to have dropped cart service for menu ordering system.

    New first floor seafood restaurant with the same owners seems to have great potential, lots of clean well oxygenated tanks with live eel, multiple types of crab, shrimp, abalone, lobster etc. Clean, bight, friendly interactive servers willing to answer questions for an inquisitive looky-loo and open into the wee hours of the morning.

    Phoenix
    2131 S Archer Ave
    Chicago, IL 60616
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #93 - October 30th, 2016, 7:20 am
    Post #93 - October 30th, 2016, 7:20 am Post #93 - October 30th, 2016, 7:20 am
    Bride and I picked up a niece on S Michigan Ave Saturday morning after a tire emergency, proximity to the Phoenix, dim sum seemed logical, at least to me. :)

    Twice in a week impression remains the same, solid to very good dim sum with best XLB I've had in Chicago* to date. Droopy with blisteringly hot soup, moderately thin wrapper, slight ding for red vinegar sans ginger or dedicated soup dumpling spoons.
    PhoenixLTHSD1.jpg Phoenix XLB

    Sleeper of the meal, same as earlier in the week, were glutinous rice balls, these are not red bean paste filled/fried with sesame seed covering but soft steamed glutinous rice flour filled with oozy deep dark flavored sesame paste. No picture for some odd reason.

    PhoenixLTHSD2.jpg Chicken feet twice in a week makes me smile


    Phoenix Dim Sum, count me a fan!

    *Feel free to make tallest mountain in Kansas or fastest horse in glue factory race snark. :)
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #94 - October 31st, 2016, 7:19 am
    Post #94 - October 31st, 2016, 7:19 am Post #94 - October 31st, 2016, 7:19 am
    I don't get out for dim sum often these days, but Phoenix seems to be upping their game. Even service seems to be improving. We dropped in for a late lunch last week, and my only complaint was that the "after hours" dim sum options are literally half of what was previously available. Raymond, also owner of LTH, was on duty that afternoon.
    If you aren't tasting, you aren't cooking.
  • Post #95 - October 31st, 2016, 12:25 pm
    Post #95 - October 31st, 2016, 12:25 pm Post #95 - October 31st, 2016, 12:25 pm
    Interesting. I recall when we first moved to Chicago this was highly recommended for dim sum but then seemed to fall out of favor. Did the quality actually ever dip or was it just perception? All I know is that picture of XLB has decided where I am getting dim sum next...
  • Post #96 - October 31st, 2016, 4:13 pm
    Post #96 - October 31st, 2016, 4:13 pm Post #96 - October 31st, 2016, 4:13 pm
    botd wrote:Interesting. I recall when we first moved to Chicago this was highly recommended for dim sum but then seemed to fall out of favor. Did the quality actually ever dip or was it just perception? All I know is that picture of XLB has decided where I am getting dim sum next...


    I seem to remember going to Phoenix 5+ years ago and not being too impressed with it. Then I got invited to dim sum there about a year ago and remember it being a lot better than 5+ years ago. My girlfriend (who is from China and lives in NYC) was with me and thought it was pretty good too. She didn't think it was too different from some of the places we've had in NYC. I was surprised though because my expectations were pretty low of it based on prior experiences but they had certainly upped their game (including renovating the entire restaurant).
    2019 Chicago Food Business License Issuances Map: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AGfUU ... sp=sharing
  • Post #97 - November 9th, 2016, 9:06 am
    Post #97 - November 9th, 2016, 9:06 am Post #97 - November 9th, 2016, 9:06 am
    G Wiv wrote:Droopy with blisteringly hot soup, moderately thin wrapper, slight ding for red vinegar sans ginger

    Third time for XLB at the Phoenix in a couple of weeks, still contend these are the current pick of the Chicagoland crop. (see previous post about mountains and horses)

    One of my dining companions, with near perfect palate pitch, commented the wrappers were a shade thick, no disagreement though I phrased it "moderately thin" in a previous Phoenix/XLB post. On the plus side accompanying red vinegar now contains slivers of ginger.

    PhoenixLTHSD3.jpg Phoenix XLB


    Rest of dim sum lunch was solid with a few highlights such as crepes in X.O. sauce and steamed egg yolk bun.

    Phoenix Dim Sum, count me a Fan!
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #98 - December 20th, 2016, 12:22 am
    Post #98 - December 20th, 2016, 12:22 am Post #98 - December 20th, 2016, 12:22 am
    Does anyone happen to know what the Phoenix weekday dim sum hours are, approximately? Early in the day during the week, do they have the same, full dim sum menu? I would assume so, since the place opens at 9a during the week, but I'm specifically looking for the full menu, not the very limited "evening" menu.
  • Post #99 - December 20th, 2016, 11:04 am
    Post #99 - December 20th, 2016, 11:04 am Post #99 - December 20th, 2016, 11:04 am
    I went to Phoenix a few weeks ago. The XLB are very high quality at least on par with Cai (my reigning champ). I did not like the red vinegar dipping sauce, however.

    Unfortunately, the rest of our meal was a letdown. A disgrace of a congee was saved only by smuggling in some fermented bean curd. Their shrimp paste eggplant dish can't hold a candle to Dolo's. Similarly the braised beef offal dish is executed much better at Dolo. It was unpleasantly chewy here.

    I did like their baked version of a sweet egg yolk custard bun.

    I guess I am not sure I can get a well-rounded dim sum here which probably means its a pass in the future.
  • Post #100 - December 26th, 2016, 6:46 pm
    Post #100 - December 26th, 2016, 6:46 pm Post #100 - December 26th, 2016, 6:46 pm
    DClose wrote:Does anyone happen to know what the Phoenix weekday dim sum hours are, approximately? Early in the day during the week, do they have the same, full dim sum menu? I would assume so, since the place opens at 9a during the week, but I'm specifically looking for the full menu, not the very limited "evening" menu.


    I went there close to 9am on Friday, and they had most of the dim sum menu other than a few items specially marked as only being served on the weekends such as douhua. Also note that on the weekdays, dim sum is 20% off from 9am-11am.
  • Post #101 - June 27th, 2017, 4:28 pm
    Post #101 - June 27th, 2017, 4:28 pm Post #101 - June 27th, 2017, 4:28 pm
    Just to follow up - they do indeed serve a robust dim sum menu during the week (daytime hours) as well.

    In fact, heading there tomorrow for a lunch.

    With the closing of Lao You Ju (Ding Sheng) am I right in thinking Phoenix pretty much has a lock on best XLB in Chinatown (which I understand might be faint praise)? My dining companion only discovered them last time we went out for dim sum and now has XLB on the brain, so I'd like to make sure I'm not overlooking another very worth place to take him.
  • Post #102 - June 28th, 2017, 1:13 pm
    Post #102 - June 28th, 2017, 1:13 pm Post #102 - June 28th, 2017, 1:13 pm
    DClose wrote:My dining companion only discovered them last time we went out for dim sum and now has XLB on the brain, so I'd like to make sure I'm not overlooking another very worth place to take him.


    Haven't had them at phoenix, but my XLB experience at Hing Kee was very favorable. not a dim sum place though, it's more of a noodle/dumpling house.

    Hing Kee
    2140 S Archer Ave (chinatown square, across from joy yee)
    Chicago, IL 60616
  • Post #103 - June 28th, 2017, 6:24 pm
    Post #103 - June 28th, 2017, 6:24 pm Post #103 - June 28th, 2017, 6:24 pm
    They were stellar again today - one set had slightly thicker skin than the other, but a minor difference. They were so hot they were barely edible when they hit table, full of soup, no tears or rips, and red vinegar was brought without asking (though we didn't receive or ask for ginger...next time).
  • Post #104 - June 15th, 2018, 3:50 pm
    Post #104 - June 15th, 2018, 3:50 pm Post #104 - June 15th, 2018, 3:50 pm
    I liked the XLB I got today at Cai quite a bit. Granted, I’m not quite the fetishist on this topic that some appear to be - and these were filled with a larger meatball and not a ton of soup, and were definitely not too hot, temperature-wise. But damn, they tasted good.

    Part of an overall really good dim sum lunch. I like carts, but I also like fresh stuff so didn’t miss them too much (on this topic - I called Phoenix and the woman that answered the phone said they no longer do carts, though she could have just meant during the week). We ordered a ton and the only thought pot stickers - just too dang big - and shiu mai - kinda grisly - were off. Really fine Congee with bitter greens and salted chicken. Nice with a dollop of chile oil.

    Shitloads of leftovers and looking forward to getting my appetite back to dig back in.
  • Post #105 - January 8th, 2023, 7:34 am
    Post #105 - January 8th, 2023, 7:34 am Post #105 - January 8th, 2023, 7:34 am
    Where is the best place to get the dumplings like I enjoy from Trader Joe’s frozen section. We used to love Yu-Lin’s in Highland Park many years back. I crave the ones where a bit of broth bursts into your mouth when bitten. Thanks for any Recs!
  • Post #106 - January 8th, 2023, 10:13 am
    Post #106 - January 8th, 2023, 10:13 am Post #106 - January 8th, 2023, 10:13 am
    viewtopic.php?p=515186
  • Post #107 - January 8th, 2023, 10:20 am
    Post #107 - January 8th, 2023, 10:20 am Post #107 - January 8th, 2023, 10:20 am
    Smassey wrote:https://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=515186

    Thanks!

    Added tag for soup dumplings to make this easier to find in the future.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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