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| Restaurant | Nan Shian Dumpling House |
| Address | 38-12 Prince St Flushing, NY 11354 |
| Hours | |
| Cuisine | Northern Breakfast |
| Scotch | Oban 14 |
With her pesky work responsibilities behind her, CA Scotch Chick was able to resume her play time with Wise Woman on Saturday morning. They began with a visit to Nan Shian Dumpling House.
Nan Shian Dumpling House serves traditional Northern Breakfast, some of the best Xie Fen Xiao Long Bao (Steamed Crab Pork Buns) in Flushing, and a surprisingly simple noodle that is out of this world – Cong Yo Ban Mian. For a scotch accompaniment, CA Scotch Chick would recommend Oban 14. It has the kind of body and rich flavor that is perfect for this carb rich food and the cold weather it originated from.
Northern Breakfast reflects its chilly origins. It is hearty fare, heavy on warm liquids and carbohydrates. One of the staples of this cuisine is warm soy milk. This lovely liquid is served in a bowl, either sweet or salty, and is traditionally accompanied by a long crueller shaped fried dough called You Tiao. One dips the dough in the soy milk in the manner in which one would dip a cookie in the United States. Nan Shian Dumpling House serves an excellent Northern Breakfast. The You Tiao comes fresh and not too greasy, and the soy milk is silky and flavorful.
Soy Milk and You Tiao
Xiao Long Bao is a sublime dumpling brimming with meat and soup. One takes the dumpling, places it on one's spoon and carefully attempts to navigate the eating process without breaking the dumpling and spilling a drop of the precious liquid. This dish is extremely difficult to do well. The soup is key; it must be plentiful and flavorful to give the dumpling the appropriate juiciness. As well, a restaurant must be able to create a perfect skin to contain that soup without making it too thick. Cat fights have broken out on food forums over the relative merits of the Xiao Long Bao at different establishments, including those at Nan Shian Dumpling House and Joe's Shanghai. The crab version Xie Fen Xiao Long Bao is a true delicacy.
Xiao Long Bao
Nan Shian Dumpling House's Xie Fen Xiao Long Bao is definitely worthy. These dumplings are juicy and have an excellent skin. While the crab overtures are not very strong, the meat has a robust flavor. CA Scotch Chick's only complaint is that the restaurant used too small of a bamboo steamer. If Xiao Long Bao touch during the cooking process, it is extremely difficult to extricate them from their neighbors without breaking them. The key is to wet the conjoined sides by dribbling soy sauce along the seam and to exercise extreme patience while gently pulling them apart. Almost all of the Xiao Long Bao at Nian Shin Dumpling House required careful removal.
As noteworthy as the Xiao Long Bao at Nian Shin Dumpling House is, their best dish is a seemingly nondescript offering, but what lurks below its mild manner surface is truly amazing. The dish is called Cong Yo Ban Mian (Noodle with Scallion Sauce), and it consists of noodles and a simple brown sauce with scallions fried in oil. When it arrives at the table it resembles spaghetti with soy sauce, but when one stirs it the oil from the scallions adheres to the noodles giving them a remarkable toothiness. The sauce is subtle and very tasty. This is a dish CA Scotch Chick has never found anywhere else, and it alone is worth the trip to Nian Shin Dumpling House.
A perfect accompaniment for Cong You Ban Mian is Cong You Bing. Nian Shin Dumpling House does this multi- layer scallion pancake quite well. While CA Scotch Chick prefers it to be a bit saltier, it is airy and crispy - a perfect dipping companion for the Cong You Mian.
Cong You Bing
Our heroines ended their meal with Dou Sha Guo Bing (Red Bean Pancake) a sweet desert that can be very good if done well but lends itself to a soggy center. Alas, Nan Shiang Dumpling House undercooked theirs. Overall, however, the trip to Nan Shiang Dumpling House was a very satisfying return to play time. It is definitely worthy of a trip to Flushing.
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