Manhattan Chinatown · Flushing · Sunset Park
Soup Dumplings in NYC: 10 Most-Reviewed Spots, Tried (2027)
Soup dumplings in NYC: the 10 most-reviewed spots, tried and judged, plus a Sunset Park pick and each Chinatown’s bragging-rights winner.
More than 42,000 Google reviews say soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) in NYC are serious business. We ranked the 10 most-reviewed spots in all five boroughs, chain branches added together, then ate at every one. Not all of them passed.
Here’s the verdict on each, the Sunset Park spot worth the ride, and which Chinatown gets the bragging rights. New to the neighborhoods? Start with Manhattan vs Flushing vs Sunset Park: Which Chinatown Is for You?
Every verdict comes from a real visit. Prices and hours change, so confirm before you go.
Quick picks
Best overall Nan Xiang · 6 for $9.95, Flushing, Queens
Best in Chinatown Shanghai 21 · 6 for $9.75, Manhattan Chinatown
Best value Deluxe Green Bo · 8 for $9.95, Manhattan Chinatown
Best splurge Din Tai Fung · 10 for $18.50, Times Square, Manhattan
Sunset Park pick Din’s Kitchen · 6 for $8.95, Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Soup dumplings vs other dumplings
A soup dumpling hides hot broth inside a thin, pleated wrapper. Most other dumplings don’t. The trick: cooks fold jellied pork stock into the filling, and it melts into soup in the steamer.
Soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) come from Shanghai, and the best-known story starts in Nanxiang, a town on its northwest edge. That’s where the restaurant at the top of this list gets its name.
| Dumpling | What it is | Soup inside? |
|---|---|---|
| Soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) | Thin pleated wrapper, pork filling, steamed in bamboo baskets | Yes |
| Pan-fried soup buns (sheng jian bao) | Thicker, bready dough with a crispy fried bottom, also from Shanghai | Yes |
| Jiaozi and potstickers | Northern-style dumplings, boiled, steamed or pan-fried | No |
| Wontons | Thin square wrappers, served in soup or chili oil | No, they sit in it |
| Dim sum dumplings (har gow, siu mai) | Cantonese, ordered with tea alongside other small plates | No |
| Bao | Fluffy steamed buns with a filling, like char siu bao | No |
If the menu says “steamed buns” or “tiny buns” and the photo shows pleats, those are probably soup dumplings. Two spots on this list use those names. Want har gow and siu mai instead? See the best dim sum in NYC.
How to eat a soup dumpling
- Lift it by the knot at the top, onto your spoon. Never by the belly.
- Bite a small hole in the side and let it cool for a few seconds.
- Sip the soup, add a few strands of ginger and a splash of black vinegar, then eat the rest.
Bite first, sip second. Get the order wrong once and your tongue will remember.
Bragging rights: one winner per Chinatown
Every Chinatown has a soup dumpling spot it swears by. Only one per neighborhood gets the bragging rights, and only after we’ve eaten there.
- Manhattan Chinatown: Shanghai 21. Thin wrappers, savory broth, 6 for $9.75. Noodle Village and Deluxe Green Bo came close.
- Flushing: Nan Xiang. The basket we’d go back for, with plenty of soup and well-seasoned filling. Shanghai You Garden came close.
- Sunset Park: Din’s Kitchen. The cheapest basket on this list, 6 for $8.95, at a great neighborhood lunch stop. Add the pan-fried buns.
Soup dumplings in NYC at a glance
| # | Soup dumpling spot | Area | Google reviews | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nan Xiang | Flushing + 6 branches | about 13,500 | Auntie Approved |
| 2 | Joe’s Shanghai | Manhattan Chinatown | about 7,500 | Why Not 100? |
| 3 | Kungfu Kitchen | Hell’s Kitchen | about 4,200 | Why Not 100? |
| 4 | Shanghai You Garden | Flushing, Bayside | about 3,800 | Auntie Approved |
| 5 | Shanghai 21 | Manhattan Chinatown | about 3,600 | Auntie Approved |
| 6 | Din Tai Fung | Times Square | about 3,100 | Auntie Approved |
| 7 | Noodle Village | Manhattan Chinatown | about 2,200 | Auntie Approved |
| 8 | 456 New Shanghai | Manhattan Chinatown | about 1,800 | Why Not 100? |
| 9 | Deluxe Green Bo | Manhattan Chinatown | about 1,700 | Auntie Approved |
| 10 | Joe’s Home of Soup Dumplings | Midtown East | about 1,400 | Aiya |
Google review counts as of October 2026, all NYC branches added together. Joe’s Shanghai includes Joe’s Ginger, opened by the same owners.
The 10 picks
01
Nan Xiang
AUNTIE
APPROVED
Order
Original pork soup dumplings · 6 for $9.95
Auntie Approved: our favorite basket on this list.
Lots of savory soup and a well-seasoned filling. The colorful sampler is fun, but keep a basket of plain pork on the order. Seven NYC branches, and our verdict is from the Flushing original. The room is busy and service can feel hurried.
- 39-16 Prince St #104, Flushing · opens 8 a.m.
- Also 24 W 33rd St (Koreatown, $12) and 15 St Marks Pl (East Village)
02
Joe’s Shanghai
WHY NOT
100?
Order
Pork soup dumplings · 8 for $15.95
Why Not 100? Big and soupy, and the priciest basket in Chinatown on this list.
Hearty pork filling in a tender wrapper. Give each one a moment on the spoon. The owners opened Joe’s Ginger on Pell Street in 2004, so its reviews count here, but our verdict covers Joe’s Shanghai only.
The catch: the room runs fast and loud. Come for a lively lunch, not a slow dinner.
- Cash only
- Daily 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
03
Kungfu Kitchen
WHY NOT
100?
Order
Pork soup dumplings · 6 for $14.50
Why Not 100? Juicy, sturdy wrappers. Not much to look at.
Thin but sturdy wrappers that survive the lift, with hand-pulled noodles on the same menu. The room is small, busy and no-frills.
The catch: they arrive looking a little beaten up. They taste better than they look, so judge with your mouth, not your camera.
- 811 8th Ave and 610 8th Ave
- Both open daily at 11 a.m.
04
Shanghai You Garden
AUNTIE
APPROVED
Order
Pork soup dumplings · 6 for $10.95
Auntie Approved: rich broth, tender filling.
The filling isn’t too dense, and the duck buns are worth adding. Frozen bags of 20 go home with you ($18.72). Tables sit close, so it feels crowded at peak times.
- 135-33 40th Rd, Flushing
- 41-07 Bell Blvd, Bayside
- Daily from 9 a.m.
05
Shanghai 21
AUNTIE
APPROVED
Order
Pork soup dumplings · 6 for $9.75
Auntie Approved: Manhattan Chinatown’s bragging rights.
Thin wrappers and savory broth made them the highlight of the meal. Add scallion pancakes and spicy wontons, and the bill still stays friendly.
- Daily 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
06
Din Tai Fung
AUNTIE
APPROVED
Order
Kurobuta pork xiao long bao · 10 for $18.50
Auntie Approved: delicate, juicy, worth the splurge.
Delicate wrappers with plenty of juice around the filling. You’ll pay more than in Chinatown. It’s Din Tai Fung, after all.
- 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., midnight Fridays and Saturdays
- Book ahead
07
Noodle Village
AUNTIE
APPROVED
Order
Steamed Shanghai pork soup dumplings · $12.75
Auntie Approved: delicate skins, and a full meal around them.
Savory broth and a filling with a little bite. Lift them carefully or the soup ends up on the plate. Despite the name, this is a full-meal place: wonton noodle soup and congee are right there.
- Closed Wednesdays
- 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
08
456 New Shanghai
WHY NOT
100?
Order
Steamed pork buns (soup dumplings) · 8 for $8.75
Why Not 100? Cheap and hearty. Doughy, too.
Hearty filling and a slightly sweet broth, across Mott Street from Noodle Village. Portions run big, so order one dish less than you think.
The catch: the wrappers are thicker and doughier than its neighbors’.
- Daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
09
Deluxe Green Bo
AUNTIE
APPROVED
Order
Steamed tiny buns (soup dumplings) · 8 for $9.95
Auntie Approved: thin skins, hot broth, eight to a basket.
Thin skins, a meaty filling and hot broth. Handle them gently. Save room for scallion pancakes and spicy wontons in peanut sauce. Seating is tight and service is brisk, so know your order before you sit.
- Cash only
- 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
10
Joe’s Home of Soup Dumplings
AIYA
If you go
Pork soup dumplings · 6 for $13
Aiya: the cabbage gets into everything.
The dumplings are big and soupy, with a soft filling and rich broth. But they’re steamed on cabbage leaves that leave a watery cabbage taste on every bottom. At Midtown prices, that’s a basket we’d skip. The review count earns it a spot on this list. Our money goes to the nine above.
- 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. weekdays, noon to 9 p.m. weekends
Sunset Park pick
No Sunset Park spot made the top 10 by reviews, so this is our pick for the neighborhood.
Din’s Kitchen
WHY NOT
100?
Order
Pork soup dumplings · 6 for $8.95
Why Not 100? The cheapest basket here. Not the best thing on the menu.
Decent soup dumplings that fit a meal built from several small dishes. As a neighborhood lunch stop, it’s a great one.
The catch: the rest of the menu outshines them. Get the Shanghai pan-fried buns (sheng jian bao) and the handmade chive dumplings too.
- Daily 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Just missing the list:
- Din Soup Dumplings · Brooklyn Heights · 162 Montague St · about 1,200 reviews
Jiang Nan and CheLi in Flushing have more reviews than some spots above, but they’re known for other dishes, so we left them out.
Before you go
- Cash: bring it to Joe’s Shanghai and Deluxe Green Bo. Both are cash only.
- Closed days: Noodle Village is closed Wednesdays.
- Waits: the busiest spots on this list get a line at lunch and on weekends. Book Din Tai Fung ahead.
- Allergies: we couldn’t confirm any of these kitchens as free of peanuts, shellfish or other allergens. Many soup dumplings come in crab and pork versions. Ask about ingredients and shared equipment.
- Prices: all before tax.
Lift gently, bite small, and never trust the first one to be cool. Still hungry? The Manhattan Chinatown Food Crawl stops for dumplings too, and our dim sum guide covers the har gow.
What did we miss? Tell us the soup dumpling spot you’d add, and what you want us to taste and rate next. Message us on Instagram at @chinatownsnyc.