Ah Wen’s Juicy Meat Bun

For those who intend to embark on a shopping frenzy at the Silk Market, you can rest assured that there's some good food just around the corner. No need to worry about getting home in time for lunch (impossible!) or dinner because you can stop for a quick break at Ah WenÂ’s dumpling restaurant just across the street.

Situated inside the little alley just beside Yonghe Dawang, the tangbao or xiao long bao here is almost on par with some of the famous Shanghainese restaurants in Beijing, such as Ding Tai Fung. Each serving of Ah Wen's tangbao has about 8 dumplings. There are prawn dumplings and pork dumplings for less than 20 RMB. But the best is still the special pork dumpling with crab roe (28RMB).

The skin is thin, yet it manages to seal the soup inside the dumpling without bursting upon the touch of one's chopstick. The juicy meat and flavorsome soup is retained inside the dumpling and the crab roe brings out the natural sweetness of the meat. MmmmÂ…a must try! You don't have to go to pricey Ding Tai Fung for dumplings anymoreÂ…and IÂ’m happy I don't have to cut my shopping trips short just because my stomach is grumbling.