I stopped by Shau May in Monterey Park because I heard they did a great version of one of my favorites, the Shangahineses bun, shen jian bao. The place is an impressive looking set up with a huge menu divided into northern, eastern and southern Chinese sections as well as a Taiwanese section. You order at the counter where they have a large display of Chinese charcuterie as well as a dessert bar filled with various porridges and boba accompaniments. But I was there for the shen jian bao.
These were good bao. Perfectly cooked, soft with a nice crisp bottom and topped with the traditional scallions and black sesame seeds. They explode with jucie when you bite in, like the bun equivalent of XLB, but the flavor was what excited me. Most shen jian bao I've had have a basic, seasoned pork filling, but these were different. It was like biting into a ham or bacon dumpling. The juice and the meat had a distinctively cured taste. Different and delicious.
I didn't try anything else at Shau May because, well, I'd just eaten, but I'll be back to sample the menu and have another order of shen jian bao.
Shau May (aka Kang Kang Food Court)
104 N. Garfield Ave.
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 571-2727
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