Handmade xiaolongbao, a specialty shop for meat buns. The main customers are Chinese, and the taste and atmosphere are just like in China! I definitely want to try the leek pie and pork Chinese buns! The taste, cost performance, and portion are all excellent! All the staff are Chinese. They seemed to struggle with Japanese, but their service was good and likable! It seems like it wouldn't be bad to drink alcohol while eating meat buns. I really liked it! I will definitely go back!

Rating: 3.6 [Casual Dining] A friend wanted to eat a lot of xiaolongbao, so we decided to go to a Chinese restaurant in Ikebukuro. It's located about a 3-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station West Exit. We walked through a slightly dodgy street to get there. The restaurant seemed to be popular for takeout orders, but we were the only ones dining in. The seating area was a bit small, but the staff kindly seated us at a larger table. We ordered: - Shanghai xiaolongbao (5 pieces) - Crab miso xiaolongbao (5 pieces) - Lamb dumplings (10 pieces) - Beer The beer came with pickled vegetables as a snack. The xiaolongbao were the highlight of the meal. They were filled with plenty of soup, and the skin was just thick enough to hold the soup without breaking. Unlike other xiaolongbao specialty shops that have thinner skins, these ones were more substantial and satisfying as a meal rather than just a side dish. The lamb dumplings were also delicious, with generous filling and a thicker skin that complemented the meat well. If you're craving xiaolongbao, this place is highly recommended. Thank you for the meal!

◼️Previous Tabelog rating: 3.06 (July 2022) Genre: Dumplings, Meat Buns, Chinese Porridge ◼️Food Consumed - Shanghai Soup Dumplings x5 (620 yen) - Pork Meat Bun (170 yen) - Lamb-filled Dumplings (1180 yen) - Smoked Hormone (640 yen) - Korean Cold Noodles (980 yen) - Black Sugar Millet Porridge with Wolfberries (620 yen) ●●● Overall Review ●●● The dim sum and smoked hormone are cheap and delicious! Highly recommended!! The lamb-filled dumplings were particularly good! The portions are generous. The noodles and meat buns may be divisive in terms of taste. It feels like a go-to spot for Chinese people. Hardly any Japanese customers around. Thanks to my love for Ikebukuro, I'll give it 4 stars (biased, I know). ◆ Shanghai Soup Dumplings x5 (620 yen) The soup is flavorful and the dumplings are affordable! They make the dumplings from scratch after ordering. It takes a bit of time, but it's worth the wait. ◆ Pork Meat Bun (170 yen) The filling tends to separate from the bun, making it difficult to share. But I prefer this kind of meat bun where the filling and dough are distinct. The fact that they serve freshly steamed buns for 170 yen is great! They offer various options like ones with celery. Despite my comments, I'd like to try other flavors too. ◆ Lamb-filled Dumplings (1180 yen) I apologize for showing a half-eaten dumpling, but look at that juicy goodness! This was amazing!!! It contains lamb, coriander, and carrots. The thick skin is chewy and the soup inside is rich! Be careful when biting into it, as the soup might splash out like with soup dumplings. ◆ Smoked Hormone (640 yen) Delicious! It's tender and collagen-rich! Served hot from the steamer, it's perfect for those who enjoy oily dishes. ◆ Korean Cold Noodles (980 yen) Surprisingly sweet! It's like a sweeter version of cold noodles with vinegar soy sauce. The noodles have a texture that falls between Korean and Japanese cold noodles. ◆ Black Sugar Millet Porridge with Wolfberries (620 yen) Not sure what to make of this... It's so bright yellow but tasteless. I ended up adding soy sauce to eat it. Since it's millet porridge, it's not made from rice. The millet grains are smaller than rice, and it lacks flavor. ◼️Interior All seats are table seating. ◼️Crowdedness Moderately crowded. ◼️Service Slightly lacking in hospitality. ◼️Solo Female Difficulty I could go alone (confident).

Ikebukuro's local Chinese restaurant, which is likely known for its dim sum such as xiaolongbao (3.06). Ikebukuro is becoming more like a Chinatown, with menu items primarily written in Chinese. It seems that all the customers and staff, except for us, are non-Japanese Chinese. Asahi beer (530 yen), Asahi Super Dry in a medium bottle, Shanghai xiaolongbao (5 pieces, 620 yen), pork meat bun (170 yen), lamb-filled dumplings (1,180 yen), smoked intestines (640 yen), Korean cold noodles (980 yen), pumpkin congee (520 yen). Here are the reviews of the dishes we tried: [3.3] Shanghai xiaolongbao (5 pieces, 620 yen): A type of xiaolongbao where you eat it with the soup and skin rather than the filling. Personally, my favorite xiaolongbao is the one from Inuwashi in Kitasenju and Xiaolongbao Shin in Kashiwa, Chiba, both made by Japanese. [3.1] Pork meat bun (170 yen): Similar to Sekine in Asakusa, the filling is like a meatball. The juicy filling is good, but the balance is off due to the small amount of dough. [3.7] Lamb-filled dumplings (1,180 yen): Thick and chewy skin filled with lamb, coriander, carrots, and other ingredients. The spices like cumin and turmeric give it a flavorful and juicy texture. This dish may divide opinions due to the lamb and spices, but for those who love the combination, it's an outstanding dumpling. [3.6] Smoked intestines (640 yen): Served hot, possibly steamed before. The intestines are likely smoked and sliced, with a smoky aroma that masks the typical smell of offal. The strong flavors of lamb and offal might be the charm of this restaurant. [2.8] Korean cold noodles (980 yen): The noodles are soft, unlike the chewy noodles typically found in cold noodles. The soup is sweet and sour, almost chemical-like. Toppings include cucumber, tomato, boiled egg, pork, Chinese cabbage kimchi, and coriander. It felt more like a failed attempt at cold noodles, with the chemical soup and soft noodles not matching my taste. [2.7] Pumpkin congee (520 yen): Congee with pumpkin, but it's too bland to be enjoyable. Perhaps it's meant to be seasoned according to personal preference. There are vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil on the table, which are more suited for changing the flavor of dumplings.

Ikebukuro Chinatown Morning, "Da Mi Zhou" "Ban Hai Dai" "Xun Da Chang Tou" edition. Recently, I have been enjoying Chinese breakfast in the local area. Although the store is registered to open at 11:00, I often see the "open" sign around 10:00. I decided to try it out for the porridge and seaweed salad. The "Da Mi Zhou" (porridge) (420 yen), "Ban Hai Dai" (seaweed salad) (480 yen), "Xun Da Chang Tou" (smoked intestines) (640 yen) - as shown in the photo. The porridge was served in a deep bowl, so it stayed hot for a long time and was quite filling. The seaweed salad had a Chinese-style salty sauce with a hint of garlic and chili, complementing the seaweed texture well. The special chili oil on the table added a nice kick to it. The smoked intestines, which seemed to be smoked slices of pork intestines, had a unique flavor and aroma. The special sauce, with Chinese soy sauce, raw garlic slices, and green onions, paired well with it. I enjoyed it. There was also a side dish of chopped pickled vegetables that was delicious. I particularly liked the combination of seaweed salad with the special chili oil. It was delicious. Overall, I would rate the smoked intestines a "4.0" and the rest around "3.4" to "3.5," so I settled on a "3.6" overall. The father doesn't speak much Japanese, but the mother was able to communicate somewhat. The grilled and steamed dishes that frequently appeared on the Chinese version of Uber Eats seem to be popular. I would like to try other dishes next time. The interior had a few counter seats and two table seats. The entrance seemed narrow, but the inside was quite spacious. This place used to be an electronics store for many years. It seems to have changed over the years, but I think it's interesting that a unique restaurant has opened here. (By Kyanatsu Shukuu, 2021.9.27) (4 reviews/3.06)

Home-style Geda soup (pearl sui ton) is delicious! Tomato and egg soup with small pearl-sized sui ton noodles, very tasty with a satisfying volume. The bright shop, like a cafe with takeout, is a pleasant place to watch the careful preparation of orders. All the xiaolongbao, meat buns, and boiled dumplings are delicious.

Fresh meat and green onion bun (140) Pork and Chinese cabbage bun with cornmeal and pickled cabbage (140) Shanghai soup dumplings with pork (550) Made with domestic pork. Tomato and seaweed egg soup (490) Potato shredded salad (440) Smoked pork trotters with pickled vegetables (380) Served with Zasai. The green onion in the bun is unusual! It has a nice oiliness and a lingering spiciness. Goes well with alcohol. The pork bun has a juicy filling in a fluffy dough! The refreshing acidity of the pickled cabbage goes well with it. It also has cartilage for a crunchy texture. The filling may be small, but the meat juice is amazing! It overflows when you take a big bite! You have to eat it like soup dumplings to avoid spilling. The filling may be small, but it's rich in flavor and has a meaty texture, satisfying. The shredded potato salad is crunchy and slightly sour. It becomes spicy gradually! It has cilantro, carrots, and lots of chopped garlic. The wonton soup has the umami of dried shrimp! It's subtly delicious. The smoked pork trotters are fragrant from being smoked. They are bouncy and chewy! The flavor is concentrated and very delicious. It's generously served and priced at 380 yen, which is reasonable. It's great for takeout, reheating, or adding to stews. Will definitely come back.

In Ikebukuro Station's northwest drinking district, there is a new handmade xiaolongbao shop that has become quite popular. Located in a small shop in Prock no Kakko, with only 3 tables inside, the place sees frequent delivery orders. The staff includes a Chinese male waiter and two female chefs working diligently in the kitchen. I ordered their recommended xiaolongbao and wakame seaweed salad, both priced around 500 yen. The xiaolongbao, served in a square steamer, was about 6 cm in size with a thin skin and delicious soup and filling. The freshly made, piping hot dumplings were a first for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the delicate flavors. The wakame salad, made with plenty of stem seaweed and seasoned with white sesame oil, garlic, salt, and cilantro, was a perfect appetizer with beer. Lastly, I tried a rare sweet treat - mountain hawthorn berries coated in syrup. It reminded me of the time I had a similar treat at a street vendor in China. The simple yet vibrant flavors brought back memories of enjoying it while parked on the side of a bustling street during a school trip.

I visited the restaurant feeling a bit hungover and craving for porridge. Everyone, including the customers, the landlady, and the owner, spoke Chinese, and I seemed to be the only Japanese there. However, the taste suited my palate and was very delicious.

I came here to eat okayu because I wasn't feeling well. It had just the right flavor and size to comfort me. I also ordered a meat bun with pickled vegetables, which also had a good taste and the perfect size. The casual atmosphere here is great for coming alone. There were also many customers coming in for takeout.

The soup is delicious, but the skin is thick and a little lacking in thickness.

A restaurant specializing in dim sum and smoked snacks opened around the end of last year (2020). During this time, they seem to mainly focus on delivery, as the indoor dining option is not their target, especially with the current state of emergency. I had to opt for takeout, even though I would have preferred to dine in and enjoy the freshly made dishes. The menu is fully available for takeout. Despite a mix-up with my order (I received black vinegar and wood ear mushrooms instead of the requested pig ear dish), I was impressed by the quality of the dim sum. I ordered corn and pickled mustard green buns, Shanghai soup dumplings, and plain dumplings. The dumplings were priced at 750 yen for a set of 10. The buns were reasonably priced as well. The corn-filled buns were delicious, with a unique filling made with pickled mustard greens. Unfortunately, I ate them too quickly to take a picture. I was amazed by the Shanghai soup dumplings when I ate them in the car. Despite their flat appearance, they did not break, and the soup was still intact inside the thin skin. The staff, two women, told me they were from Xi'an. Xi'an is known for being a culinary hub, especially for dim sum. It's likely that they are dim sum masters themselves. Their exceptional skills and expertise allow them to target the Chinese community that remains in the area during this challenging time. I definitely plan to revisit this restaurant once things settle down and dine in to fully experience their culinary expertise.