Joe's Shanghai

The story

The soup is hidden inside the dumpling. At Joe's Shanghai, xiaolongbao are made by chilling a gelatinous broth until solid, wrapping it in dough, then steaming it — so the filling melts back into liquid inside the sealed bun. Restaurateur Barbara Matsumura and chef Joe Si opened the original in Flushing, Queens, in 1995. The concept spread to Manhattan and then Japan. Si later opened Joe's Ginger a block away, folding in Hong Kong influences, while Matsumura went on to open over a dozen restaurants across New York City.