When we ventured out to Flushing, Queens for tasty crepes at A-Crepe, we also had a nice early dinner before we headed back to Manhattan. There was one Dim Sum spot that was on my list for a while in the neighborhood, so we decided to go check it out. It is called Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao, and it had two igloo-style outdoor seating in front of their restaurant. I was always afraid of these type of seating, for some nurses call them the “petri dish.” However, they had the entrance to the igloo wide open, so we thought that gives enough airflow to make it safe.
They do have indoor seating as well, seemed nice and clean. Not too large of a space, but bright interior made it look a bit bigger and spacious. We decided to sit outdoor for the fun igloo experience.
One of our favorite items at authentic Chinese restaurants is Mapo Tofu. When we saw it on the menu, we could not resist. Ma Po Tofu ($13.95). It had a “thumb up” icon next to the menu, which means “popular” menu item. I thought that was interesting! Good to know what items are popular among their customers. It also had three red pepper icon, which means “very spicy” according to their menu. We were a bit concerned, but we decided to go for it. The staff asked if we wanted with or without meat, and we asked for the one with Minced Pork.
With their price tag of $13.95, we were hoping it would not be a tiny portion, and our wish was granted. It came in a large dish, quite big! The size made sense, as most people would go to Dim Sum spots with family and friends, and food are eating family style. So, most of their other offering outside of Dim Sum would be a shareable size as well. It had mountain of silky tofu, packed with flavor! It had a good amount of spicy-ness, not too crazy. Then again, I might’ve avoided the super hot pepper in the middle… It was really great though, we loved how Kung Fu Long Xiao Bao does their Ma Po Tofu!
As we were enjoying the Ma Po Tofu, the other two orders were delivered to our table. We ordered Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao ($7.95), and Braised Pork Belly with Quail Eggs ($16.95).
Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao ($7.95) comes with six pork soup dumplings. The wrap was nice and thin, smooth and doughy in a good way. Some place make the wrap too thick, but this place knows how to make a super thin wrap perfectly! The dumplings were pretty good size, not too big nor small. The pork filling was cooked just right, with earthy soup, packed with flavor. They were really good!
Last but not least, Braised Pork Belly with Quail Eggs ($16.95). We saw a photo of this item with buns, but it does NOT come with buns. We asked the staff to add the buns, and we got four buns on the side for additional $3. Again, the portion was shareable size.
The addition of buns were awesome. Totally worth the $3 for sure! Pork belly was cooked just right, so tender and moist, melt in your mouth. Quail egg added more substance and flavor. It had some mushroom also, which was really nice. Loved that earthy flavor, complimenting the pork. The tangy sauce that everyone was marinated in was tasty, but it had such strong flavor, you didn’t need too much of of it. We made our own pork bao buns, which was fun. Buns were fluffy and light, yet strong enough to hold all the goodness.
We had a really nice dinner here, the staffs were friendly and polite, he took a good care of us. We were very full and happy. I thought the price was very reasonable for the portion, and the quality was pretty darn good. Their menu is big, and there were so many other items we wanted to try… We just have to go back there again in the future to try other dishes! If you are looking for a tasty Dim Sum, give this spot a try! They are CASH ONLY, so make sure to bring some cash with you.
Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao – 59-16 Main Street, Flushing, NY 11355