Famously no-frills xiaolongbao counter beloved by locals — line up, point, sit, devour.
At a glance
- What it is
- Food
- Also known as
- 佳家汤包 (Jiā Jiā Tāng Bāo)
- Opening hours
- 7 AM – 2 PM
- Time needed
- 30-45 minutes
- Best time to visit
- 11:00 AM or 2:30 PM (off-peak)
- Getting there
- Metro to the door
- English
- Little to no English
- Cards accepted
- Cash only
- Entry
- Walk-in — no booking
- Wi-Fi
- No public Wi-Fi
- Address
- 90 Huanghe Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai · 黄浦区黄河路90号
A no-frills 1986 family operation on Huanghe Road near People's Square, Jia Jia is the antithesis of Din Tai Fung. Plastic stools, fluorescent lights, no English signage. But the soup dumplings — especially the famous crab roe variety — are arguably better than the polished chains. A basket of 12 runs about 35-60 RMB. Queue at the counter, point at the picture board, pay first, find a seat. No reservations, no card payments — cash, WeChat, or Alipay only. Best at 11 AM before the lunch rush. A second branch on Liyuan Road has shorter waits.
Highlights
- Crab Roe Soup Dumplings (蟹粉汤包)Signature dish; order at counter from picture board
- Cash or WeChat/Alipay OnlyNo card payments; bring cash or mobile payment
- Best at 11 AM Before Lunch RushArrive early to avoid long queues
- Basket of 12 for 35-60 RMBAffordable; pay first, then find a seat
What Chinese travelers actually do here
Distilled from Chinese-language travel notes — the practical tips most English guides miss.
- ▸There's no English signage, so screenshot the picture board beforehand and just point at what you want at the counter.
- ▸Pay first at the register, then carry your ticket to a seat; the order-then-sit flow trips up newcomers who queue twice.
- ▸Bring cash as backup even though WeChat Pay and Alipay work, since mobile networks stall here during the lunch crush.
- ▸Come at 11am as the lunch window opens or around 2:30pm; the queue forms fast and predictably once noon hits.
- ▸Order the crab-roe (xiefen) baskets only in autumn when they're seasonal and at their peak, not year-round.
- ▸The Liyuan Road branch makes the identical recipe with more seats and shorter waits if Huanghe Road is mobbed.
- ▸Skip mall lookalikes using the Jia Jia name; only the two original branches deliver the thin skin locals come for.
Photos
What travelers say (3 reviews)
Watch creators visit Jia Jia Tang Bao
Each clip is timestamped to the moment the creator arrives at this stop.
First Time in CHINA'S MEGACITY: SHANGHAI 🇨🇳
Jan and AnnStarts at 1:54
Named at 1:54 as Jaai Tang Bao, eating segment
First Time In Shanghai China - Not What We Expected!
Ordinary AdventuresStarts at 2:55
Jia Jia Tang Bao
Videos
Frequently asked questions about Jia Jia Tang Bao
- What makes Jia Jia Tang Bao famous?
- It's the no-frills counter that local Shanghainese have rated the city's best xiaolongbao for over two decades — consistently winning blind tastings and Lonely Planet eater's picks. The shop is small (~20 seats), cash-and-app payments only, no English signage, no decor, no marketing. The dumplings are wrapped to order in 18-fold pleats and steamed in 6-piece bamboo baskets. The crab-roe variant (蟹粉) in autumn is the specialty most travelers fly in for.
- How is it different from Din Tai Fung or Nanxiang Mantou Dian?
- Din Tai Fung is a polished international chain — consistent, English menus, ¥40-60 per basket. Nanxiang at Yu Garden is the famous tourist destination — long lines, mediocre by Shanghainese standards. Jia Jia is the everyday local choice — no frills, no English, ¥35 for a basket of 12, ten-times-better skin than the chains. If you only have one xiaolongbao meal in Shanghai, locals send you to Jia Jia.
- Is it cash only?
- WeChat Pay and Alipay are accepted, but credit cards (including international Visa and Mastercard) are NOT. Bring at least ¥80-150 in cash as backup — the staff occasionally have mobile-payment network issues during lunch rush. Average bill per person is ¥40-70 depending on whether you order plain pork or the crab-roe seasonal special. Tipping is not expected and isn't built into the menu pricing.
- How crowded is it and when should I go?
- Peak is 12:00-13:30 on weekdays and all day on weekends. Arrive at 11:00 right at the lunch-window opening (before the queue forms) or 14:30 for the post-lunch lull. Average wait is 15-30 minutes at peak; the line moves predictably because everyone orders the same one or two baskets. The shop closes around 19:30 — there is no late-dinner service in the traditional sense.
- Are there multiple Jia Jia Tang Bao locations?
- Yes — the famous original branch is on Huanghe Road (黄河路店) near People's Square. There is also a Liyuan Road (丽园路总店) branch with slightly more seating and noticeably shorter waits. Both make dumplings to the same recipe. Avoid newer Jia Jia lookalikes in shopping malls — they use the same name but consistently underperform the two original branches in skin thickness and broth quality.
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