Fell so deeply in love with this pan-fried bun ever since I had it for the first time in Shanghai 6 years back. It's a snack that I would gladly forsake calories for. So I was really looking forward to trying Mr. Shengjian because it's so hard to find a good 生煎包 in Singapore. (Like the ones from Xiang Yuan Ji at Jalan Besar)

To spot a sheng jian done nicely:
1. Must definitely have a base pan-fried till crispy and golden brown while retaining a soft bao skin on top.

2. A substantial amount of minced pork wrapped inside with a flavourful, slightly sweet porky soup. The soup is usually made of pork lard, therefore quite oily. No smell of frozen pork.

3. Some chopped spring onion and sesame seeds for a fragrant nutty taste.

I have to say the classic flavour ones here do remind me of the authentic ones in Shanghai. Pleasantly surprised to see so much soup flowing as I took a bite off the bao skin. But the Kimchi with prawns was a miss; There was no soup in the bun and felt like it was a spicy chili flavour instead of a sour fermented taste. So I would recommend to stick to the classic flavour.
Also disappointed by the size of the buns too. Far cry from that of a normal sized bun even. I should start planning a trip to Shanghai soon!

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