Prepare to slurp your way through the streets of New York.
A special new street food fair will land in Manhattan for one day only this fall. Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao’s First Soup Dumpling Festival will pop up on Sixth Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets on Sunday, October 6.
From 10.a.m. – 6 p.m., the block will be open to pedestrians who want to taste their way through Southern Chinese cuisine, gorge on soup dumplings, and even enroll in a class to learn how to make Michelin-guide recommended Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao’s signature dim sum. The restaurant currently has three locations across the city: In Flushing, in Koreatown, and in the East Village.
All ages can enroll in intimate sessions with a dumpling master to learn to make Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao’s soup dumplings from scratch, starting with the homemade dough and moving on to the filling and then the assembly and folding techniques. The class will also discuss important Chinese dumpling history and culture, and of course, conclude with a tasting and recipes to take home. A $68 ticket per person includes a branded apron and to-go box. Sessions are offered at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Cooks preparing dumplings in Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao’s kitchen
Those who want a more casual day of soup dumpling immersion can also hang out on the block to taste soup dumplings and more. A $20 set menu includes six of the signature Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings, plus, crispy dough and soy milk to chase it all down.
An ample ala carte menu will include a variety of soup dumplings including Pork Soup Dumplings, Crab Meat and Pork Soup Dumplings, Chicken Soup Dumplings, Scallop and Pork Soup Dumplings, Black Truffle and Pork Soup Dumpling, and Shrimp and Pork Soup Dumplings. Vegetarians can enjoy steamed vegetable dumplings or fried vegetable spring rolls.
Additional dishes such as cucumber salad with garlic, savory pressed tofu with Chinese celery, pan fried pork buns, noodles with scallion sauce, and more, will be offered at the festival.
An overhead view of a basket of Chinese steam soup dumpling also known as Xiao Long Bao – 小笼包
To drink, a variety of soymilk-based beverages, including red date soy milk, plus fruit tea, are offered.
Like any street fair, admission is free, but expect lines to order food, particularly during peak meal times.
The event is an extension of Dragon Fest, which will take place on Sixth Avenue simultaneously, extending up to 32nd Street. Known as New York’s largest outdoor Asian food fair, the pop-up event offers a wide breadth of Asian street food, including JianBing, Tang Hu Lu, dragon beard candy, Chinese barbecue and much more. The final Dragon Fest of 2024 will take place the following weekend, on Sunday, October 13th on the Upper West Side, on Broadway between 80th and 82nd Streets.