Beitou Xiaolongbao & Shaomai

Review

This small shop at No. 1 Gongguan Road, at the entrance to Beitou Market, has a sign that only says xiaolongbao, so people online usually call it Beitou Xiaolongbao and Shaomai. A blogger says it has traded at Beitou Market for more than fifty years, growing from a pushcart into a shopfront, and locals have eaten it since childhood; Supertaste also lists it among must-eats around the market.

There are only two main items, xiaolongbao and shaomai, which Supertaste recorded at NT$100 for a basket of ten each. The old-style shaomai is the favourite, with a filling of carrot, fish paste and pork that is savoury with a touch of sweetness, wrapped in a thin, springy skin and made livelier by the shop's homemade chili sauce. The xiaolongbao are the older bready type rather than soup dumplings, with a slightly thick, chewy skin and dense pork, and you can watch the aunties folding them by hand at the back.

Fans praise the low prices, generous portions and fast service, enjoy watching the dumplings being made while queueing, and call the chili sauce a highlight. Critics who expected soup dumplings were disappointed and found the skin thick; others note there is nowhere to sit, you wait on the pavement, peak times bring a short queue, and prices have been adjusted recently, with sources quoting different figures.

Hours differ by source, so check before you go: Supertaste says 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., another guide says 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Google shows 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., though all agree it is closed on Sundays. It is takeaway only, so eat around the market or at a nearby park. It is about a ten-minute walk from MRT Beitou or the Xinbeitou branch line.

Good for anyone browsing Beitou Market or wanting a cheap snack after a hot spring soak, and for taking back to a hotel as a late bite. Two people can share a basket each of xiaolongbao and shaomai, and remember to grab extra chili sauce. Expect about NT$100 to NT$200 per person.