I grew up in Kakaako, where we had a manapua man, usually a Chinese person. That is because he sold dim sum, especially char siu bao, pork hash and ricee. Never Shanghai Soup Dumplings.
Manapua man (MM) walked, carrying at the ends of a strong stick, containers of manapua. Then, technology stepped-in and something like vans were used. Later came styrofoam for the chow fun and other fried noodles. They are still around, although local Chinese restaurants from around half a century ago began to specialize in them and manapua became dim sum. Here is Hawaii magazine's "best" eight," with one being Fook Lam, the site of my favorite Shanghai Soup Dumplings (SSD), known in China as Xialongbao (X).
The origin is the Jiangnan region, which encompasses Shanghai and Hong Kong. You would think they would have been around from the early days of Chinese emperors. However, Wan Hua Tea House in Changzou, some time in the 1820-1850 period, sold the first type of X. The specific soupy version originated in Nanxiang, a suburb of Shanghai, next to Guyi Garden. The two most famous restaurants today are Yu Garden (formerly known as Nanxiang Bun Shop in English) and Gulong, at the original Guyi Garden site. While hamburgerized pork is the standard fill, X can also come with seafood and vegetarian variations, in a flour-based skin.
Ironically, the most popular chain selling SSD comes from Taiwan, Din Tai Fung, which actually has one Michelin star in Hong Kong. As this outfit always shows what it does, the best place to observe is in the basement of Taipei 101, where you can watch a team of a dozen chefs go through the 18 delicate creation motions for each dumpling. Here is a top ten from that country. You can now find DTFs in places like Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, the UAE and the USA.
There are more than a dozen Din Tai Fungs in California, Oregon and Washington. The first came to Arcadia (left). Not that senior's community in Honolulu. Hawaii does not have a DTF. However, we do have Fook Lam, and here is the way I prepare this dish there. But some ceremony first.
In the Chinatown Cultural Plaza of Honolulu is this tiny liquor store. Here is where I can purchase a can of Rolling Rock beer for $1, plus tax. I usually bring my own small bottle of cognac or scotch.
Always, my blue-bar pigeon points out to me the location of Fook Lam, along River Street.
Five SSDs come in a steaming bamboo basket. One negative here is that there is no chinese cabbage bottom layer. That red sauce is chili and the other small dish has vinegar and sliced ginger.
An important detail is to place the dumpling on to the spoon with the bottom facing up. That is because the top is tough and bottom soft.
Put a hole at the bottom and add the chili and vinegar/ginger. I really don't like this chinese chili sauce. Next time I'll bring my own hot sauce.
Then carefully pour in a small amount of scotch or cognac. Bring the spoon to your mouth and bite off part of the SSD. Timing is important. Your first dumpling will invariably be too hot, for the soup stays warm for a short period. So be careful. Later, you can eat the whole thing However, consume all five within ten minutes or so, because food temperature is paramount. In the final prep, lift the plate and find a way to carefully pour the liquid remains on to the dumpling, for there is no way you can avoid overflow.
I still had a fair amount of scotch left, so I ordered a plate of custard tarts. You can, of course, just eat the tarts, as almost everyone does. However, one variation is to pour the rest of the alcohol onto those tarts, which quickly absorb the liquid.
If you go to Fook Lam, try to get a window seat, for the action outside is worthy of a show. Old Oriental men play cards and other games. However, at some point a young Caucasian individual shows up to sell contraband.
Even in close-up I couldn't quite observe what was being bartered, although it could have been cell phones.
Thus, my latest Shanghai Soup Dumpling meal had all the elements: relative cheapness (especially beer), epicurean treat, and adventure. Well, all that activity outside. Plus, getting into and out of Chinatown is not anymore a triviality. With all the deviant homeless walking around, you're never quite sure.
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