“Xiaolongbao” means “little basket bun” in Chinese, but the bites are better known as soup dumplings in the U.S. Xiaolongbao are a dim sum staple. They’re also delicious. These delicate, addictive pouches contain a sweet or savory filling suspended in soup and wrapped in a thin dumpling dough.
Until recently, the popular Chinese bite was a rare find in Charleston. Chef Emely Yan, the owner of Chef Loong Dim Sum in West Ashley, changed all that, bringing her love of xiaolongbao to the city.
The restaurant opened late last fall at 1662 Savannah Highway.
“We lived in Philadelphia for a couple of years and then we moved to Charleston, and we have [always been] really interested in Cantonese dim sum. We would go to a dim sum place probably every two weeks,” said Yan, who explained that her family owns a restaurant in the Xi’an region of China, an area famous for its hand-pulled Xi’an noodles. “That’s why we wanted to bring these two together, the dim sum with soup dumplings and noodles.
“We sell like 600 dumplings a day — that’s a whole lot of dumplings,” continued Yan, who oversees the kitchen and makes most of the dumplings. “Our soup dumplings are handmade. We went to different places to study how to make them, [learning from] different chefs and different people. Then we came up with the recipes that we [currently] offer. We make everything ourselves, like our own chili oil and different kinds of peppers to make our own spices.”
Aside from traditional fillings such as pork or chicken, Yan said she wants to offer new concepts that might be more approachable for a first time dim sum diner.
“[It’s a] gateway because soup dumplings are so good,” the chef said, “and I feel like not a lot of people are familiar with them. We even made a tomato flavor. I don’t think anyone else in the United States is making [tomato soup dumplings].”
Offering something for everyone is what Yan aims to do at Chef Loong.
“China is a huge country just like America. It has north, south, east, west. We thought, why don’t we bring some signature dishes from other places?”
Alongside Yan’s main offerings, the soup dumplings and hand-pulled Xi’an noodles, she features other Chinese classics, such as Peking duck, five-spice chicken and entrees with Sichuan chili heat.
“We want people to have something they’re familiar with, too,” Yan said.
Above all, Yan said she is excited to bring a delicious and culturally rich piece of China to the area.
“Charleston is one of the most historic cities in the United States, and I think the soup dumpling is a perfect fit for this city … since it has a long history, too, [which dates] back to the Qing Dynasty. Charleston has a lot of potential for more authentic Chinese food.”
Chef Loong is open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Sunday and lunch on Mondays.
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