Qun Zhong Eating House @ 21 Neil Road

This foodie post comes from my brother's birthday dinner at our favourite xiao long bao place at Neil Road (very near Chinatown). So far, nowhere else that we've eaten at compares. Not even Shanghai! That's a glowing recommendation OK! (OK but it must be noted that Shanghai xiao long bao are different from the Beijing ones that these are - the skins tend to be thicker than the nice thin ones we favour, because the Shanghainese eat them alone as a meal. It has to be filling)

What they call Chinese Pizza, in English($9). In Chinese it's called 三鲜合子 and is filled with chives, pork and shrimp. It's essentially pan-fried, but it was a little oily and the filling was a tad dry. Can't fault the taste of this dish though. Just not something I would want to eat a lot of.







三鲜锅贴, ($7 for 10 pieces) same ingredients as above. I hate the English name for this: potstickers. Literal translation, but yucks! Although the filling was the same, it tasted juicier and less oily, I suppose because it has been pan-fried only on one side, as opposed to the "pizza".







小笼汤包, or what we know as xiao long bao! I like this one! :D It is a must-order everytime we come here. Or should I say, we come here for this. The skin is thin, the stock inside is very flavourful, and the meat is steamed perfectly. Only drawback, I guess, is the need to learn how to transfer these successfully from steamer to spoon to mouth. Because the skins are thin and fragile, you've got to sandwich the meat between your chopsticks to lift up the dumpling or risk the skin breaking and the yummy soup spilling out.

We had 豆沙锅饼, a red bean paste pancake for dessert ($9). Not-too-sweet red bean paste wrapped with some sticky glutinous rice paste and pan-fried with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Eaten fresh, it's lovely, crisp on the outside, sweet and soft on the inside.







Not pictured: 炸酱面 ($4). For non-Chinese friends, that's noodles topped with a fried pork and soya bean sauce. I loved it too, but forgot to take a picture of it until I'd eagerly mixed everything in and uglified the whole bowl :(

Verdict: The options on the menu of this place aren't exhaustive, but they make it quick and they make it well. It's a loud, cheerful environment, great for family or friends to gather for a quick meal and a chat.

Also, it has to be noted that all these items are to be SHARED! If you eat them alone, I can guarantee you'll end up feeling so ill! Anyway, because this place is not open at all hours from lunch, here's additional information..

Business hours: 11.30 am to 3pm, 5.30 pm to 9.30 pm, closed on Wednesdays.

They don't accept reservations, so if you want a table, you'd better make sure your entire group is there first. It's a small establishment, but the food is good :)