Shanghai Surprise

Last weekend, AK was seized with the notion that we should check out the International Auto Show at the Washington Convention Center in D.C. Having never been to an auto show before, I was struck by two things: 1) The wonderfully toxic smell of hundreds of brand new cars hits you about twenty feet before you even enter the room and 2) Folks seemed content to just idle in, on, and around the cars chatting with their pals as if they actually own the vehicles that they’re absentmindedly fouling with their touch, breath, fiddling, and leaning.

Now, of course, you’re probably wondering: What kind of grub goes down good after an auto show? If you’re insane people like we are, then the answer is obvious. Shanghai soup dumplings, fool.

Thankfully, the Washington Convention Center is about a ten minute walk from D.C.’s ever-shrinking Chinatown. Apparently, the real D.C. area Chinatown has gradually shifted camp over the years to suburban Maryland. There are still a handful of restaurants in Chinatown whose offerings are not only exceptional, but also dare to cater to palates hankering for more than just beef with broccoli. We’ve enjoyed both Eat First and Full Kee, among others, but had never been to Chinatown Express.

If you’ve ever braved the seediness of Sixth Street, then you’ve probably noticed the divey restaurant with the showcase window featuring an absolutely enthralling noodle making performance. I observed the noodle chef practice his craft for about twenty minutes, and my puny brain still can’t quite fathom how he’s able to coax a dozen noodles into formation just by slinging a thick rope of dough around. The noodle chef is flanked by a roast meat holocaust of hanging ducks, chickens, and a giant roast pig, the latter of which was suffering the slow, but steady attrition of incoming orders.

Although, Chinatown Express offers an extensive menu of largely typical Chinese restaurant fare, they helpfully list their specialties on a separate page posted near each table.

We started off with the Steamed Pork Bun ($4.50), which is actually a steamer of eight Shanghai soup dumplings, pinched doughy purses hiding a ball of leek with pork and a sip of soup broth. The dumpling skin was as thick, fresh, and doughy as it appeared, and the pork inside was tasty. However, the soup broth was, at least in a majority of the dumplings, barely in evidence. We had previously tried soup dumplings in New York at Joe’s Shanghai, and we literally had to eat each dumpling in one bite to avoid broth run-off. But, this was hardly a problem at Chinatown Express. They were delicious nonetheless, and my favorite sweater probably benefited from not having to contend with hot broth flying all over the place. Incidentally, New York magazine offers the following explanation as to how soup dumpling purveyors get the soup inside the dumpling:

They thicken it with gelatin and put it in solid. Then, when the dumplings are steamed, voila: soup!

We also ordered the “Fresh Noodle Made on the Spot” fried with slices of beef ($4.95). Unfortunately, the beef was not all that appealing, and we realized that we should have simply ordered the noodles with vegetables. I imagine that some diners might pair a sampler plate of roast meats with the noodles instead. Still, it was easy enough to put the slices of beef aside and concentrate on the thick, doughy noodles mixed with bean sprouts and slivers of carrot. The best part about these house-made noodles is the inconsistency of noodle thickness- some noodles were relatively slender and dainty, while others were wonderfully malformed thick and bumpy at one end and thin at the other.

Of course, we had to have some vegetables, and the “Sauteed Green Leaf with Garlic” ($9.95) sated our jones for greens. Rather than deploying thin slivers of garlic, Chinatown Express has simply mashed whole cloves of garlic into halves and thirds and interspersed them amongst the greens. Be sure to pour the garlicky liquor from the greens over the rice.

And special mention must be made of the two house-made tableside condiments. One jar contains a fragrant oil and vinegary mince of ginger and scallions, which I practically ate in straight doses, while the other offered pickled slivers of garlic, which should be used sparingly.

Next time, I hope to try the “Pig’s Belly with Preserved Mustard Green Casserole” ($10.95), but I’m probably too timid to ever have a go at the “Eggplant with Salt Fish Casserole” ($11.95). -AC