Check out this ginormous soup dumpling from XLB Dumpling Bar!
If you tend to find yourself still hungry after eating a few dumplings, the people over at XLB Dumpling Bar have a seven-pound solution for your big appetite.
In Chinese xiao long means basket, and bao is a type of dumpling – so essentially xiao long bao means dumpling in a basket which is one of the more modest names for this colossus dish. XLB Dumpling Bar created their seven-pound soup dumpling after being inspired by a mega-food-challenge eating YouTuber named Raina.
The massive xiao long bao is equivalent to too 100 regular xiao long baos, making it 100 times bigger than its traditional size. If you’re interested in taking up the challenge of finishing the enormous soup dumpling, you can literally watch the cooks prepare through a glass window showcasing the kitchen.
First, a large sheet of homemade dough is rolled out and made sure to be big enough to contain seven pounds of food inside. Then, fatty chicken broth that has been cooled and solidified enough to be mixed with ground pork is shaped into something a hill of delicious filling. The contents are then transferred to the dough and then folded into a perfect dumpling. Folding the dumpling is a skill that takes years to master, especially one of this caliber! Finally, the dumpling is cooked to perfection; softening the dough, heating the meat, and melting the bits of solidified chicken broth.
If this article didn’t scare you off, good luck trying to tackle this bad boy! Be sure to tag us on Instagram at @SecretLosAngeles! You have to preorder the extra large soup dumplings, so be sure to call before your visit.
Location: 18732 Amar Rd, Walnut, CA 91789. See it on Google maps.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Also published on Medium.