Critic Rating: 6/10 ⭐️

For any frequenter of One Fulton Square just off Flushing, Main Street, you will know about the popular xiaolongbao or soup dumpling spot of Nan Xing Xiao Long Bao. This hole-in-the-wall shack turned dumpling conglomerate has been on every “Best Xiao Long Bao in NYC” list for the last decade, and for obvious reasons– it’s good. If you mistakenly ordered only one serving, it won’t be long before you’re quickly looking for another. 

Nan Xing has had their flagship location in Flushing for years now, and so it was pleasantly surprising when a big sign went up proclaiming that an “express” takeout location was appearing in Forest Hills, convenient for all the Harrisites who live south of Flushing Meadows Park. So I decided to have a visit after it opened a couple weeks ago. 

Scallion Pancake with Beef 

Hard pass on this one. 

Now, I think it’s worthwhile to preface this with the fact that it’s extremely hard to find good scallion pancakes at restaurants. Good scallion pancakes are supposed to be thin, crispy, chewy, and made with laminated layered dough almost akin to a croissant. It has to be salted well and not too oily. 

It is not supposed to look like it’s suffering from severe eczema.

The scallion pancake with beef just wasn’t appetizing. It was really thick, oily, didn’t have the right layering, and it was not enjoyable. There was way too much hoisin sauce and I could barely taste the beef. The pancake broke into pieces the moment I took a bite. If you are looking for a good scallion pancake, turn away.

Pork Xiao Long Bao

Honestly, for takeout Xiao Long Bao, these weren’t too bad. The biggest reason I was skeptical of the all takeout concept was the fact that the dish doesn’t travel well. The skin used on these dumplings are really thin, and the reason they are served in bamboo steamers are since it allows the steam to dissipate and stops the cooking process. When the steamed bun is placed in an airtight container, all that steam is trapped, and the skin keeps cooking, destroying the chewiness of the dumpling . 

However, these weren’t actually that bad. The top skin of the dumpling was a little mushy, but the bottom mostly retained its texture. The soup and meat inside was hearty and flavorful, definitely satisfying any craving for Xiao Long Baos. The meal also comes with a side of black vinegar with ginger, which was well appreciated.

The packaging was also really nice, including a soup spoon to put the Xiao Long Bao on, as well as a fork and chopsticks. 

Overall, I walked out with mixed reactions. The soup dumplings were decent and satisfied my craving. The scallion pancake wasn’t good, but there were very low expectations to begin with. I would definitely return if I was craving soup dumplings that were easily accessible, and definitely would try some of their other menu items, like the beef rice cake or tripe in chili oil. Operation Tomatometer Host Wren Walston wasn’t too jazzed by the pan fried pork buns, but Townsend Harris junior Kiera Chan gave a positive word on the Wontons in Chili Oil and Peanut sauce. So if you’re craving Nan Xing in a pinch, consider stopping by. But if you can, it’s worth the trip to Flushing to go and dine-in at the main location.