Tables for Two · #4 · 小籠包の最高峰
莱莱小笼 · 乔艾 (Lai Lai Xiao Long)
上海の蟹味噌小籠包における不動のベンチマーク。黄金色のスープが詰まった薄皮小籠包と上海風ポークカツレツの黄金コンビ。
On Tianjin Road, a narrow lane two blocks off the pedestrian clamor of East Nanjing Road, bamboo steamers at Lai Lai stack to the ceiling. Korean, English, French, and Shanghainese overlap in the dining room for one reason: the crab roe is hand-picked daily, yielding a golden, intensely savory broth inside a gossamer wrapper.
Always add the crispy Shanghai pork chop splashed with spicy-sour Taikang Worcestershire sauce. Note the strict 2:00–3:00 P.M. afternoon break when the kitchen pauses to fold the evening batch.