Wu's Soup Dumplings

Review

Wu's Soup Dumplings is at No. 93 Wenhua 7th Road in Guishan, near the residential and factory areas around Linkou Chang Gung. Its biggest hallmark is the schedule: it opens at 4 a.m. Yam Travel's Guishan roundup describes it as a Chinese breakfast shop that starts selling before dawn, often with a queue before the sky lightens, and another Guishan guide says it is a breakfast fixture for nearby factory workers and residents before work.

The star is xiaolongbao made by hand every day and steamed to order. Write-ups describe the skin as fairly thick and chewy, with plenty of juice inside: a filling breakfast-style dumpling rather than the delicate thin-skinned restaurant kind. The shop provides its own chive soy sauce, and dipping with chili sauce adds more aroma. Besides dumplings, the menu covers traditional breakfast items such as egg crêpes, turnip cake, steamed buns and mushroom-sauce noodles, so you can round out a full meal.

Praise focuses on the juicy dumplings, piping-hot freshness, affordable prices and friendly staff, and many consider it the shop most worth waking early for in the area. Complaints include long queues and popular items selling out early, so latecomers may find fewer choices; some also find the skin thick, which may not suit fans of thin-skinned dumplings.

Most sources list opening from Wednesday to Sunday, from 4 a.m. until around 12:30 to 1 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays, but closing times differ between sources, so check before you go. To get the full range, arrive before 8 a.m.; weekends are busier. The shop sits on an ordinary residential road, so look for nearby parking; indoor seats are limited and takeaway is common.

It suits early risers, nearby workers and anyone keen to try local breakfast culture. First-timers can order a basket of xiaolongbao with an egg crêpe or turnip cake, dipping in the chive soy sauce with a touch of chili. When it is crowded, take it away with a cup of soy milk, and avoid the pre-work rush for a calmer visit.