456 Shanghai Cuisine

It’s no surprise that this popular Chinatown restaurant has a novel-size menu of Shanghai-esque delights. It is a revelation, however, that the soup dumplings churned out here --- served in a traditional bamboo container --- could rival those at dumpling monarch Joe’s Shanghai for the best in the city. They’re bold in flavor and texturally playful, a must-order at any meal. But if your taste...

The setting is dropped-ceiling bland, with a few plants and paintings for color, resembling nothing so much as a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. Behind a shiny storefront and plate-glass window, the dining room runs crowded and bright back toward a hectic prep area replete with garbage bags and a dumbwaiter. The kitchen is down a flight of sticky stairs, next to the restrooms. The scene is not...

Come to this Chintown eatery for above-average Chinese fare, such as General Tsao's chicken, pork buns, and cold sesame noodles, but do yourself a favor and ask for an order of soup dumplings (xiao long bao) as soon as you sit down. You won't regret it. The dumplings, doughy and thin on the outside, encase morsels of crab swimming in a bold pork-y broth, and are truly a wonder of the culinary...