Don't Confuse These With Soup Dumplings
QXY’s hand-folded jiaozi carry all the hot broth people expect from xiaolongbao, in a crescent all their own.
The first thing to know about QXY Dumplings is what they aren’t. These aren’t xiaolongbao. The confusion is understandable. Bite into one of the meat dumplings and hot broth floods out, just like the Shanghai soup dumplings people already know. But QXY makes jiaozi: crescent-shaped dumplings with wheat wrappers and substantial fillings, folded closed instead of gathered into a pouch at the top. Xiaolongbao are steamed. Jiaozi can be boiled, steamed or pan-fried, and here you get to pick.
Everything is made by hand. The fillings are mixed at 6 a.m. every morning, and the dumplings are folded to order. You can taste it. Nothing on the plate tastes like it’s been waiting around.
I go steamed almost every time. Steaming gives the wrapper the best texture: real chew, sturdy without being heavy, and strong enough to hold the juice inside the meat dumplings until you’re ready for it. Pan-fried is the move if you want a crisper bite. Boiled is there if you want the most traditional version.
A warning. These dumplings hold broth at roughly the temperature of magma. Don’t pop one in whole. Set it on a spoon, bite a small hole, let the juice out and give it a second. Otherwise it will explode with the heat of a thousand suns and you will die. Nobody wants that at lunch.
The menu is straightforward but deep, with a long list of fillings. Most can be ordered in whichever cooking method you like, though not all of them, so check before you commit. My two favorites are the wagyu beef and onion and the pork with pickled Chinese cabbage. But this is a place built for a group. Bring people, order a lot and taste your way across the menu. The big tables make it easy.
Don’t come expecting dim sum. QXY does one style of dumpling and does it well. Beyond the dumplings, the kitchen grills skewers, both meat and bread. The grilled bread is the sleeper of the menu, dense in a way that makes you keep tearing off another piece.
The space is a new build-out, minimal, modern and good-looking, with plenty of seating that still fills up fast. Service is friendly and attentive. The staff is well trained and quick with answers, which helps when you’re deciding between boiled and steamed for the first time.
Solid fits. QXY does one thing, does it by hand and does it fresh every morning. Order them steamed, start with the wagyu, and mind the magma.
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