Award-Winning Eatery Features Handmade Signature Soup Dumplings

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — An award-winning restaurant with roots in New York City will open this week in Maryland.

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, the Michelin-recommended New York restaurant celebrated for its handcrafted soup dumplings and authentic Shanghainese cuisine, will hold a grand opening Wednesday at its newest location in Prince George's County at 180 American Way, National Harbor.

Founded in Flushing, Queens, in 2006, Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao has earned recommendations from the Michelin Guide for nine consecutive years and attracts diners from around the world who flock to the eatery for its signature soup dumplings and regional Chinese specialties.

The National Harbor site will be the restaurant's second location in Maryland. The new 6,000-square-foot restaurant will seat 160 guests, including 136 indoor seats and 24 outdoor patio seats overlooking National Harbor.

"For nearly two decades, guests have traveled to Queens to experience our handcrafted soup dumplings and Shanghainese comfort food," said Eddie Zheng, chief executive officer of Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao. "Every new restaurant gives us the opportunity to introduce another community to the tradition of Xiao Long Bao and the joy of sharing a meal together. We’re excited to become part of the National Harbor community and welcome guests around our table with the same recipes, craftsmanship and hospitality that have defined Nan Xiang since 2006."

One feature of the National Harbor location that patrons will love is the open-kitchen design where guests can watch chefs prepare soup dumplings. Each Xiao Long Bao is mixed, rolled, filled and hand-pleated before being steamed to order.

Other menu items that have earned national recognition include the Lucky Six Soup Dumplings, a colorful assortment of the six signature soup dumplings featuring fillings such pork, crab and pork, chicken, pork and truffle, luffa shrimp and pork, and scallop and pork.

According to the restaurant, the chicken soup dumpling, with its yellow hue, has an all natural wrapped made by hand with freshly squeeze kabocha pumpkin juice and filled with organic pasture-raised chicken meat marinated in Chinese aromatics.

The scallop and pork soup dumpling, colored a peachy-orange, has a natural wrapper made by hand with cold-pressed organic carrot juice with a filling of dry-aged deep sea scallops mixed with premium minced pork shoulder.

The truffle and pork soup dumpling's all natural wrapper is made by hand with fresh squid ink and filled with responsibly-sourced black truffle and premium pork shoulder.

The luffa and shrimp soup dumpling's all natural wrapper's made by hand with cold-pressed organic spinach juice and filled with a mix of locally-sourced fresh luffa gourd and premium minced pork shoulder.

The crab meat and pork soup dumpling uses a natural hued wrapped with a crab yolk filling blended with pork shoulder mince in a housemade broth.

The signature pork soup dumpling also sports the hand-pleated natural wrapper filled with pork shoulder mince in a housemade broth.

The heart of the menu focuses on family-style dining, and includes noodle dishes and wok-fired stir-fries to crispy pan-fried pork buns, scallion pancakes, dim sum favorites, vegetarian offerings and house-made fruit teas.

There also will be traditional breakfast specialties served throughout the day, including fried dough sticks paired with warm soybean milk, Northern-style pastries and other dishes that celebrate the flavors and traditions of Chinese cuisine.

The restaurant's website also provides step-by-step instructions on how to eat its award-winning dumplings.