Post a photo of a bamboo basket full of plump little soup dumplings, or xiao long bao, and you’re sure to get more likes than usual, no problem. Drunken Dumpling’s XL Xiao Long Bao brings it to a whole new level — the lone, giant soup dumpling fills an entire steamer bowl.
The XL XLB, for short, features vegetable, pork and chicken bone broths and is stuffed with a mix of crab meat, scallops and shrimp. Along with chopsticks, the dish is served with a straw to help you get to the flavorful broth.
The 26-seat East Village spot has been drawing lines eager to try the novel dumpling, especially since only 25 are made per day and almost immediately sell out.
You can also find normal-sized soup dumplings at the eatery, which opened in mid-September, as well as buns and pot stickers, in case you miss out on the big kahuna.
And here’s a fun fact: Owner Yuan Lee didn’t have to look too far for the executive chef — the kitchen is run by his mother, Qihui Guan, formerly an executive chef at Joe’s Shanghai (a popular spot for, yep, soup dumplings).
XL Xiao Long Bao is $11.75; 137 First Ave., 212-982-8882, @drunkendumpling, drunkendumplingny.com
