Joe’s Shanghai
“Ok, moving on 😉
Sure there are probably better "Soup Dumplings" or what they refer to as Xiao Long Bao (XLB's), in the world.”
“Try the scallion pancake as an appetizer and the Dried Shredded Sauteed Beef as an entree.”
“The ones at Ding Tai Fung almost taste like powder compared to this yet this is also fluffy enough of a meat filling that it's not tough.”
Joe’s Shanghai
Take-out: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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SO HAPPY we got the chance to try this place out. The first time we came to New York, we heard the wait for this place is ridiculous so we avoided it at all costs. This time around, we decided to give it a shot since we were in the area. We lucked out because we were seated in 10 minutes, tops. We were seated at a large round family table. Confused at first, since others were already seated, we realized they sit as many parties as they can at each table. Efficient.
Also to my surprise, Joes isn't a dumpling house. I expected the menu to be a variety of dumplings/dim sum but instead it was a typical Chinese restaurant menu: fried rice, chow mien, beef, etc. What you're looking for and what they're most famous for is an appetizers. Crab meat with pork meat steamed buns.
Now, you would think we knew how to eat the buns correctly since we've had Din Tai Fung back home… But idk if we were just hungry and not thinking straight but we both bit right into it and it was a huge mess!! LOL so my friends, make sure you bite the top off first, let it cool down a bit then add your soy sauce and/or hot sauce into the dumpling and devour!
We also ordered the scallion pancakes which were a HIT! Be sure to try.
CASH ONLY!! Thank goodness there was an ATM nearby or else we would've been washing dishes to pay for our meals.
Coming from LA (aka the land of the dumplings/soup dumplings), I was expecting Chinatown in NYC to get it down to a science. Sad to say, I was not impressed with the food here. Was it good? Yes. Was it spectacular that it needs to be set apart from the rest of the soup dumplings and pork fried dumplings? Absolutely not.
The waiters and waitresses working here are also not the nicest.
I will say that whatever chicken dish they have on their menu is actually cooked perfectly.
Came here based on a friend's friend's suggestion. The soup dumplings is what we had to try according to most people. We ended up getting 2 orders, one of pork and the other crab. Both were tender and full of protein, but both lacked flavor. It was basically stuffed dumplings with lots of liquid in them and no salt or other ingredients. You had to use the soy sauce to bring in flavor. Maybe this was the intention but for me personally, I would've liked to taste more with just the dumpling and the sauce be an enhancer. The prices were reasonable for New York. Each order had about 7 dumplings each.
Overall, flavors weren't greatest so I wouldn't personally recommend this to anyone. But while we were there, it was packed and filled with a very diverse group of customers. It was somewhere in between clean and dirty. It was definitely authentic Chinese, with servers, menus, decor and overall vibe. It was very much a get them in and out as quickly as possible. Everyone was rushing including hostess and waiters. They could work on the customer service portion of their business.
Also, CASH ONLY!
Don't order the general tso or tempura noodles. These things were just below average, and DEF not better then Wo Hop right down the street. So if you have to come here….. just get the dumplings and bounce. I'm not saying dash and dine, make sure to pay! 😉
Supposed to be the mecca of shanghai dumplings in NY. I just thought they were okay. The service wasn't anything special. Most dumplings broke when removing them from the steamer. Had to share a table with another set of people, it wasn't a big issue, just something to note.
The food came out fast, I just wasn't wowed. Apparently everyone else loves this place, so give it a try for yourself.
Overrated, overrated, overrated, did I mention overrated?
I was super excited to try Joe's Shanghai after all the amazing reviews of how great there food is. I went there on a Saturday night and it was super packed. You go inside, give you're name to the lady and they give you a ticket….then you wait outside.
Note: THERE IS A SIGN ON THE DOOR THAT THEY ARE CASH ONLY. BRING CASH.
When they sat us we were only two and I assume its "family dinning" so we sat with 6 other people on a large round table. At first it was very awkward, the two of us sitting with people we have never met but they were very kind and we enjoyed this "temporary large family."
We ordered scallion pancakes which were very good as well as the sesame chicken which I didn't see what was special about it. It was a standard sesame chicken. The rice they serve is really good, but the service was lacking. I felt myself needing to ask for everything from a cup of water, to a straw to napkins.
The entire experience was overall okay. People rave about the dumplings but the only option was pork and we don't eat pork so that was a no go.
Overall there was more hype surrounding the food than the actual taste. For the amount of men in the dinning room serving and walking around I would really expect service to be better.
The oranges they bring at the end with you're check was nice. I believe there must be better Chinese food/dim sum in Chinatown.
One of Chinatown's great attractions!
Last night the dude and I were restless and hungry and very happy to live near Chinatown so we hit up joes for some soup dumplings.
If you don't already know, they're awesome here. If you don't order anything else, get some of those.
Communal seating and classic Chinatown environment (don't expect to be waited on hand and foot but service is friendly and perfunctionary if a bit rushed-after all, there's always at least some wait here) reminded me of my visit to Hong Kong.
Definitely a NYC favorite of mine.
I've been here so many times and would take friends here all the time. The wait times aren't as bad when you go during off-times. However, this place has gotten so much busier than before. We waited 45 min at 3pm for 3 people. Go in small groups to get seated faster. They now also add the gratuity to the bill that they didn't do before. Still pretty cheap for some good soup dumplings. Other stuff on the menu are really good as well! I would recommend scallion pancakes and turnip cakes if you want to try something different!