Lailai Xiaolong is also a small shop that is popular with Shanghainese, it opened on Tianjin Road, a food street, very close to People's Square, but it has not put down its body to do tourist business, but has maintained a high standard. In business for more than 20 years, with a good reputation, the influence has exceeded the surrounding area, and many first-time tourists will come to Shanghai.
The store is small, unremarkable, and easy to miss. But when you enter the store, you will find a different scene, the small shop is cleaned and tidy, and the tables are shiny, not as oily as most private shops. The kitchen is right in front of you, separated by transparent glass windows, and the whole process of making the small cage can be seen. The chef inside wears a hood and moves skillfully.
Crab roe dumplings are the main product of Lailai dumplings, which are not big, but the taste is a must. Each koong has more than a dozen pleats with small holes at the top for diners to pour vinegar. The crab roe is light and thin, and you can easily see the yellow soup through the skin. Use chopsticks to pick up the small cage, the skin will not break, and it is full of toughness. When you bite into it, the soup is full of juice, golden in color, with a strong crab roe flavor and a hint of sweetness. The meat filling is very firm, and the crab roe is embedded in the meat, which is tender and springy, and the taste is fresh and salty. Diners who are sensitive to crab can order a plate of ginger vinegar for only one yuan, and it is another flavor to match. Although Lailai xiaolong is not freshly steamed like some shops, the owner said that each xiaolong is wrapped within an hour before entering the mouth, and the flavor is not lost. Lailai uses 200 catties of live crabs every day, which shows that the business is booming.
The crab roe wonton is another good meal, it is served in a casserole, it is not small, the meat filling is plentiful, and the wonton skin is very smooth.
It should be noted that there will be a lunch break in the middle of the day, so it is best to go after 2 o'clock in the afternoon to avoid a miss.
