Best Xiao Long Bao. Food Guru Lauraine Jacobs wanted me to take her to Taste In Memory for Xiao Long Bao as the last time it was closed on a day it was supposed to be open. I haven’t been to Taste In Memory for dumpling yonks, having encountered sao wei in the pork they use. It’s the gamey taste of pork that is prevalent in boy pigs, meat that shouldn’t be used in delicate steamed dumplings. Instead, armed with a new selfie stick, I took Raine Deer to Chu Long Ji, off Link Drive, Wairau Valley to savour their XLB, one steamed basket of the usual and the other a slightly savoury spiced wuxi style dumplings (as XLB originates from Jiangnan province which includes Shanghai & Wuxi. Raine Deer enjoyed the XLB, though I have reservations being a total traditionalist. There were only 13 pleats on the XLB instead of the mandatory 18 folds and the soupy juices were a tad sweet. The last time I came to Chu Long Ji, the XLB skin was thinner but still being able to hold in the soup. Probably a new dumpling chef in the kitchen. As befits a Shanghainese restaurant, we also shared cold dishes: crunchy celery with pipis, salted duck and tofu skin strips a la noodles tossed in a tasty light oil dressing. And then I produced my new selfie stick, ordered online. Raine Deer was incredulous but agreed to be selfied in front of the wall of steamer covers. Chur! *Lauraine Jacobs would like to reassure all her loyal Listener readers that her popular food column will be back after a mix-up in planning last week. #xiaolingbao #wuxi #crunchycelery #saltedduck #tofustrips #colddishes #shanghainesefood #chulongji #linkdrive #wairauvalley (at Chu Long Ji) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwD6mnShQ5n/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=vvll2t1wir20
