Shanghainese Restaurant Coming To Columbia Mall

COLUMBIA, MD — The Mall in Columbia will be welcoming a Shanghainese eatery later this year.

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, the Michelin-recommended New York restaurant celebrated for its handcrafted soup dumplings and authentic Shanghainese cuisine, will occupy the spot previously used by Chicken + Whiskey at the mall, which is located at 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway. The eatery will be in unit 3035, according to its website.

This summer, Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao announced its grand opening at its second Maryland location in National Harbor, Patch reported previously.

Founded in 2006 in Flushing, Queens, Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao has earned recommendations from the Michelin Guide for nine consecutive years, attracting diners from around the world who flock to the eatery for its signature soup dumplings and regional Chinese specialties.

"For nearly two decades, guests have traveled to Queens to experience our handcrafted soup dumplings and Shanghainese comfort food," Eddie Zheng, chief executive officer of Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, told Patch. "Every new restaurant gives us the opportunity to introduce another community to the tradition of Xiao Long Bao and the joy of sharing a meal together."

One feature of the restaurant's design that patrons will love is the open-kitchen design where guests can watch chefs prepare soup dumplings. Each Xiao Long Bao is mixed, rolled, filled and hand-pleated before being steamed to order.

Other menu items that have earned national recognition include the Lucky Six Soup Dumplings.

The restaurant said the six hand-crafted soup dumplings are assembled with naturally colored wrappers made from kabocha pumpkin, carrot and spinach juices, squid ink and crab yolk. The varieties include chicken; scallop and pork; truffle and pork; luffa gourd and shrimp; crab meat and pork; and the restaurant's signature pork soup dumpling, all served in housemade broth with premium ingredients.

The heart of the menu focuses on family-style dining, and includes noodle dishes and wok-fired stir-fries to crispy pan-fried pork buns, scallion pancakes, dim sum favorites, vegetarian offerings and house-made fruit teas.

There also will be traditional breakfast specialties served throughout the day, including fried dough sticks paired with warm soybean milk, Northern-style pastries and other dishes that celebrate the flavors and traditions of Chinese cuisine.

The restaurant's website also provides step-by-step instructions on how to eat its award-winning dumplings.