Nutella soup dumplings were temporarily unavailable in Manhattan early last year when they were removed from the menu at popular St. Mark’s restaurant, The Bao. However, in the fall of 2018 the sweet xiao long bao menu item was brought back—making the amazing, chocolatey soup dumplings accessible in both Queens and Manhattan once again.
Located on Main Street in Flushing, Queens, Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao was there long before its spinoff The Bao found its home on St. Mark’s. Although both places serve this sweet dish, the Queens outpost was the original and some argue it’s still better than The Bao (but we highly recommend making your own decision on that…after all, they’re both run by the same owner).
The delicious dumplings are filled with pieces of banana along with a sizable serving of melted Nutella! Although not technically filled with soup, the melted Nutella takes on a “soup” consistency when melted.
Regardless of where in NYC you live, these special dumplings are well worth the trip—as are all their other soup dumplings which have been praised by critics as some of the best.
However, the popular space on Saint Marks Place, The Bao, is just as tasty. Also known for their soup dumplings, the Nutella XLB were temporarily taken off the menu due to quality concerns. Owner Hong Bao was concerned the dumplings weren’t being made with the same care as the Flushing location, so she took them off the menu until she felt they could properly resurface; and we’re glad they have!
What: The Bao; Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao
Where: 13 St. Marks Place; 59-16 Main Street (Flushing, NY)
Featured image source: Instagram / @cynfuleats