We stopped in Pine Street Market after browsing around the Saturday Market a couple of blocks away just to check out the offerings. Shanghai's Best seemed like a good choice for a snack, given that they seemed to have legitimate 生煎馒头 based on other reviews. I'm not sure if the XLBs are handmade - I saw them on another customer's table and thought that the pleats looked a little too uniform. I didn't order it so I can't say for certain. I do know the bao and dumplings are hand made given they were rolling out dough and wrapping them in the back though, so that's what we ordered! Pan Fried Dumplings, 8pc ($15) - These take about 10 minutes to finish since they are fried to order. I thought these would be shengjianbao/mantou (SJB) given the name and picture, but these are a bit different. The dough is of the gelatinized variety, similar to bao, giving fluffiness and chewiness, but rolled until relatively thin. It's pan fried in oil, then steamed with water until cooked through. Due to the fry, the bottom has a light golden brown giving a crunchy texture, although for a better crust it could use another minute or two. Inside is a very clean tasting ball of pork, tender and aromatic with plenty of ginger and scallion. It tastes very light, like what would go into a typical dumpling and unlike the aspic rich, unctuously fatty meatball in a typical SJB. There's no soup inside (which is why they only serve this with chopsticks and no spoon). I'd say it's a very homestyle kind of pan fried dumpling. Plenty tasty and light enough to eat an entire 6 or 8 piece serving. They serve the dish with a small cup of chili oil and soy sauce - no black vinegar, but I suppose it's not that necessary since the dumplings aren't that rich and fatty. (4/5) The food served at Shanghai's best isn't bad at all. It's a good choice for more homestyle dumplings and wrapped goods at any rate! Per another review apparently they also serve Shanghai-style shao mai. That's not something that's found that commonly in the US, so I might have to revisit in the future to order some of those. Bathrooms - Shared with the other restaurants in the food hall. Larger rooms with multiple stalls, requires code to enter which is written on the wall before the hallway leading to the rooms. read more

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The food was decent. The dumplings were good, but I have had better. The orange chicken with rice was also okay. The chicken was nice and crispy, I just wish the sauce was more flavorful. The rice was a little dry as well. Overall it was a good meal. The owner was nice and brought the food out quickly. read more

Shanghai's Best - Chicken Soup Dumplings and Orange chicken w/ rice - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Homemade authentic dumplings, watched them roll them, fill them, seal them and fry them! Such a cool experience and then they tasted even better - the best dumplings in Portland! read more

Visiting with my family and we decided to try because they had all the Chinese classics! I had the soup dumplings and noticed a fruit fly stuck to my dumpling halfway thru eating them. Because of this, they told me I wouldn't be able to receive a full refund and received 8$ in cash. My little sister also had a fruit fly in her lo mein. Had no appetite after that. ‍ read more

I tried the $16 braised pork belly and rice. I thought it was quite bland and overly soupy. I would not order it again. Our table shared and order of pork soup dumplings. $15 for 10. I love soup dumplings and my expectations was high. I thought the first dumpling was ok (when it was the hottest) was ok, but lacked much flavor. The second dumpling was worse a few min later. I would not order it again. The counter staff was polite and helpful, so that was great. Overall though, the lack of flavor was a bummer. read more

I got a ice skin mooncake (mung bean) which is vegan and gluten free. It was amazing!!! The rest of their menu looked dank, I would try it next time I am in town. Everything is homemade and made to order. This is in Pine Street Market which has a variety of food and drink. read more

Shanghai's Best - Ice Skin Mooncake - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Located in the Pine Street Market downtown Portland, Shanghai's Best has some of the best vegan pan fried dumplings! They have a great menu full of other items but I have only tried their dumplings. Service is always quick, staff is friendly. If you've been looking for a plant based dumpling option, I highly recommend! Street parking - Food Cart read more

Shanghai's Best - Vegan Pan Fried Dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

It's not very often you see the Shanghai variety of shao mai! While I love the siu mai you get at dim sum, I personally love the Shanghai kind more because that's what I grew up eating. The Shanghai variety is made with a delicious sticky rice filling that is then wrapped and steamed. The ones at Shanghai's best are quite tasty but a little bit on the saltier side. I would still come back though because I don't know of any other restaurants in the area that sell this kind! I really enjoyed the chili oil that came on the side. You can get an order of 8 shao mai for $15, which I think is reasonable given it can serve as a full meal read more

Shanghai's Best - Shao mai - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Got some good dumplings at this place in Pine Street Market. It certainly is one of the better vendors to go to in there. Shanghai's Best has dumplings for meat eaters and vegetarians. Can get pricy but portions are pretty big. The menu is pretty small, but there's a good variety of fillings and flavors. Best place in the market in our opinion as well as many others who were asked. It's located on the first floor. They're one of the vendors with daily operation. Good so that makes it convenient. It's about $15 for dumplings. The Vegan Dumplings were the ones we got. Filled and filling. These had carrots, celery, mushrooms, and tofu. Have to say it's the best place to go in here. It's got an indoor seating area it shares with the other places. There's options for meat eaters as well as vegans and vegetarians. read more

Shanghai's Best - Vegan Dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Solid dumplings! It's probably my favorite stall in Pine Street. I appreciate the small menu, and everything, even the vegan dumplings I orderd on a whim, was solid. I only ordered the pan fried dumplings so I can't speak on the other menu items, but as a Vancouverite, my expectations for Chinese food is quite high. Perhaps if the filling was seasoned a bit better and served a bit hotter, I would have given it 5 stars. Always a big fan of these market food stalls, as the service is quick and the interior tends to be clean. Both were true in this case. read more

Shanghai's Best - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Best soup dumpling I've ever eaten. Truly amazing! We expected to do take out and were not allowed to do so because "dumplings must be eaten hot". He was so right. read more

The special sesame noodles were good, but not great. They needed a stronger sesame flavor on the sauce. Owner was a bit weird. Trying to deny me chopsticks. read more

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Came to try the steamed buns. They were a-okay. Really traditional flavor-wise, and clearly home made. They sort of lost some of their rise and could be warmer. I will come back some time to try the pan fried ones to see how they compare. read more

Shanghai's Best - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I've been eating this mom and pop shop's dumplings ever since I discovered them in Pine Street market. The dough is so fresh and you can feel it when you bite in. My favorite flavor is their vegetarian dumpling that has eggs chives and glass noodles. It reminds me of Taiwanese chive pockets in bite size dumplings. This place has kept their prices low and it's a quick affordable lunch between two people. Haven't tried their beef noodle soup yet but will next time! read more

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Certainly not Shanghai's best. This place was pricey for what you get. The Shao Mai lacked taste, even with the tasteless chili oil, and soy sauce can't help. The braised pork does have better flavor, maybe a tad too salty, I definitely had better. Also, the vegetable offering was just a couple bok choy leaves. Don't think I'll come back. read more

Shanghai's Best - Shao Mai (left), braised pork belly with rice (right) - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Sadly, after our burnt dumpling experience here... we will not be coming back which makes me sad because we always want to support local small businesses. The way they handled our questioning of their very burnt dumplings was not cool. No. Dumplings are not supposed to be like this, I don't know why they tried to tell us this. This food pod building is already sad and empty enough, why wouldn't you want to keep your customers happy so we make the journey and effort to keep coming back? We were really excited to try and then they were such a huge disappointment. read more

Shanghai's Best - We took these back and said ummm these look, smell, taste really burnt, and they said "they're supposed to be like that." Ummm no. - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The owner was really nice and I wasn't feeling great so some congee was really needed so this hit the spot! read more

Shanghai's Best - Chicken congee with thousand year old egg - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The dumplings and buns were lackluster and overpriced. You're better off trying one of the street vendors.

Mom & pop's handmade dim sum delights! Watch them handroll the wraps and fill in person. You can taste the freshness in their dough. Slightly thicker than your average wrap makes a nice chewy. Pairs well with a pint of local beer from the tap stand in the middle. Service was homely & friendly with smiley greetings! Hard working couple banging out the orders. The varietal choices at PSM are coming back. read more

Shanghai's Best - Shu Mai ;) - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The owner is so kind and soft spoken. You can see how hard he works to get all orders out. This place is always busy! If it doesn't have a line it's backed up with orders. Prepare for a little wait. Ours was 15-20 minutes. It's worth the wait!! The dumplings are so tender and juicy! They are known for their pork so opt into an order of them. This place is one of the best places to get dumplings in Portland. If you love dumplings then you need to check this place out. The space has multiple restaurants and a bar, there are tons of tables. Get drinks or check out another restaurant while you wait for your mouth watering dumplings! read more

Shanghai's Best - Pork Pan Fried Dumplings | Chicken Pan Fried Dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Not real Pork Pan Fried Dumplings, deep fried frozen small bun, very oily and over fried to dark brown color... I asked if they could give napkins, the lady yelled at me and said " it's all over on the desks". WOW~ disappointed food quality and rude attitute. Not recommend. read more

Shanghai's Best - Not real Pork Pan Fried Dumplings, deep fried frozen small bun, very oily. Bad service and attitute - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We stumbled into Shanghai's Best by accident, and let's just say, it was one of the best accidents ever. If you're looking for some home-cooked, delicious and fresh pan fried dumplings, this is the place. We got the Chicken and we had zero to no regrets. You can taste the tender, care and love in each bite. Are these going to be the best pan fried dumplings ever? No. But if you're looking for something to satisfy an itch or craving, and are yearning for that home-style cooking, Shanghai's Best will definitely deliver. We were also super huge fans of the staff. Super kind. Super patient. Just plain 'ol awesome. This place also had a steady flow of clients too were obviously locals and repeats, which should speak volumes about this establishment. We'll definitely be stopping by here again! read more

Shanghai's Best - Pan Fried Dumplings & Steamed Buns - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Definitely not Shanghai's best Pine street used to be very bustling and lively it's just sad and depressing now. So is the food. The pork bun was so flavorless The meat questionable at best, the dumplings were just a wet version of the same thing Very disappointing! read more

Shanghai's Best - Pork Pan Fried Dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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It's been a couple hours since we left, and I still regret sharing an order of the dumpling of the week with my family. We stopped at two other places before coming here to try dumplings. The other two were good, and we were hoping that this place would be just as good. We called ahead to order; they sounded really busy. They are tucked away in a little inside food stall area. They were the only place open. And it was packed. We still waited a bit for our order, but it wasn't too long. We grabbed our order and sat down. You get 7 dumplings for $12. Before digging in, I told my kids and husband they could have the other extra ones just to be nice. Why did I do that???!?!? These were so incredibly tasty. And they aren't small. They are at least a two-biter, if not three. And they're juicy. The sauces they come with are an excellent addition too. Though they are too small to dip, so you kinda have to bite first and make a hole before you pour some on. I must go back before dumpling is over! And I want to try their other dumplings too. Some of the best dumplings I've had in the Portland area. And friendly service too. read more

Shanghai's Best - Dumpling week! - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

It's spendy, and you can't order like Pork Belly with a couple dumplings. But if you're splurging, the pork belly is amazing, the dumplings are to die for, but you gotta dump those little sauces over them. It's all done super fast, so it's a great lunch option. I'd probably eat hear everday if there was a combo option that included the dumplings and the pork belly with rice, and the plates were more like $12 and less like $20. read more

The location is so cute. It is in a warehouse type galleria with a few other restaurants. I loved the set up. I ordered the steamed buns, and they just weren't my favorite steamed buns. The tops were a bit dry and the inside was a bit overpowering with seasoning. Location cute, order came out fast, just not very tasty. read more

Shanghai's Best - Steamed buns - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

YUM. We thought 1 order of dumplings would be enough "just to try". Silly us. We had to get more because they were so flavorful and delicious!!! Will definitely be back read more

Shanghai's Best - Dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Unfortunately, I won't be reviewing your food. Why? I'd been very much wanting to try your stuff, and had a window today. Was planning to order online to make things simpler, but something at the last minute said DON'T. Glad I listened. I just drove down to Pine Street Market from way up in NW. Had to circle the block twice to find parking. Also had to pay for parking. Walked into the space at 4:00 and initially couldn't even find you (no sign). Asked someone at another stand and they pointed to a stand with zero identifying element.... other than "We'll be back at 4:30. Break time." I suddenly understood that little voice in my head which said don't order online. I didn't really want to wait, but I'd already driven cross-town. Sat down in front of your sign. At 4:30.... no one. 4:40 (when my parking meter was up).... no one. I asked the neighbor stand, and the guy just threw his hands up in the air. So congratulations: you just lost an enthusiastic new patron.... no less a major dumpling aficionado. Serious pity. read more

Across the board the food at all of the locations within Pine Street Market were just alright. Edible but nothing special. Same for Shanghai's Best. Noodles and rice were super bland with essentially no flavor. Pan fried dumpling the best of the 3. Still on the hunt for the best Chinese in Portland. For now we go to Seattle for the nearest good Chinese. We do love the ambiance of the food hall with the reprieve from rain and twinkle lights. Staff was friendly. read more

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The restaurants name is not incorrect. These are in fact the best dumplings! The 12 piece pork dumplings are more than enough to share. The meatball inside the dumpling is perfectly fitted and perfectly spiced. My favorite is the vegetarian. Holy wow this is good. Egg, chives, and bean noodles create the best flavor combination. The new location inside Pine St Market has plentiful seating and a bar to have a beer at while waiting for takeout. How perfect! read more

Shanghai's Best - The menu! - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Came in during Portland dumpling week after being lured in for their pan fried dumplings of the week. The business is nested comfortably in the back center of a new food hall. You can grab a drink or app from another vendor then get in line to order one of many treats whether that's moon cake coming in with a half dozen flavors or dumplings of four varieties. The couple working were incredibly kind and churning out dumplings from scratch with every order. Although the line + process took some time-- They did not disappoint! The dumplings and their paired vinegar and oil were delectable. Hoping to come in again when it's not dumpling week to try some other items on their menu. read more

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Super surprised with the good reviews. It's located in a food court but honestly... so so oily with a super thick, dense dough. There's many more options. The Shao mai not Sui Mai-- everyone is getting confused. Shao mai apparently is made with a ton of mochi rice. You get soy sauce and some oil that's a chilly oil but not spicy. Every bite, oil just juices out -- I had to put a napkin down to catch all the oil. Honestly, I started this as a 3 stars but it's more like 2. It's a never would recommend and absolutely would not return under any circumstances. The pork pan fried dumplings were my fav minus half of the dough if you wanna try one. read more

Shanghai's Best - Look at all the oil and leftover dough. - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

A not so busy Chinese Dumpling in joint that serves up some of your typical dumpling fair. Nestled in a very fun looking food hall, I ordered a few orders of pan fried dumplings to share. The dough was good, however the filling was just OK, the chicken dumplings were somewhat salty, while the pork dumplings almost had an Italian sausage taste to them. Chili oil was delicious. The two folks running the shop were really nice and very attentive. A food stall that wasn't very busy, but I was entertained once they fired up the wok while I was waiting for my order. Since it's in a food court, I am basing my ambiance review from that, still a good experience, I think I'll try them again when I can have the food fresh and not while I was in a rush to get food and go. read more

Shanghai's Best - Menu - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Ordered the pan fried dumplings. Came out burnt on bottom. Asked for money back, wouldn't give it to me. Asked for a knife. They didn't have any, but gave me another fork. Should have asked them to redo, but was on a time crunch. Won't be back read more

Came here for dumpling week. We got the pork/chicken pan-fried dumplings, and it was so juicy on the inside, like XLB. The dumplings were pretty big. It was served piping hot. We also got their chicken curry bao, it was delicious. read more

Shanghai's Best - Dumpling - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I wasn't a fan. The dough was good, it seemed pretty fresh. I didn't love the meat though. I'm not sure if this is how it is supposed to be or not, but it was kind of underdone, like if ground meat could be medium rare. It was also quite oily and salty. I was hoping for some sort of acidic dipping sauce to balance that out like that black vinegar and ginger stuff but it instead came with soy sauce, some sort of sweet thing that didn't have much taste and then a chili oil. read more

Freshly made and hot. Not as crispy or filled as much as I remember when I came here previously. Really nice flavor though. Pine Street Market is a great place to eat as there are many options and it has a nice atmosphere. read more

Shanghai's Best - Chicken Pan Fried Dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Located in the Pine Street Market near Portlands Saturday Market is a food hall with a variety of things to try. Shanghai's Best had a mini line on Saturday but they have a variety of dumplings to choose from whether you want the with pork or chicken, steamed or pan fried. We ordered 1 order of pan fried pork dumplings which came with 7 for$12. Crispy bottom and juicy filling but skin was a little thick. read more

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Shanghai could do better. The food was okay, but the service and attitude were severely lacking. She left mid order to check her phone and wasn't really interested in being present for our order or experience. I know, it's such a short interaction, but it's so important. It just made the lack luster of the food feel like it wasn't made with any care. I'd give the food 3 stars tops. read more

I was craving dumplings so I thought I'd give this place a shot. I ordered the pan fried chicken dumplings and a couple things off the specials menu. The shao mai (pork and glutenous rice dumplings) and a dessert I can't recall the name of. I wanna say it was advertised as a moon rice dumpling or something to that effect. The pan fried dumplings were legit. I could eat those all day! There were nice and juicy and really flavorful. I got everything to go so I could bring them home and make my dumpling dipping sauce (black vinegar, soy sauce, and chili infused sesame oil). The sauce makes everything taste good but these dumplings were fantastic. The shao mai were pretty meh. I didn't see any pork in them, and I investigated pretty thoroughly (see pics). It was pretty much just sticky rice and soy sauce wrapped up in an open top dumpling. The dessert was ok. The filling appeared to be a chocolate flavored red bean paste. I don't mind red bean paste but I guess I was just expecting something else. The outer part of the dumpling was like mochi but much stickier and not as chewy. Overall, I would definitely go back for the dumplings. But that's about it. I don't know if I'd try the bao, they're usually too much bun and not enough filling for me, so I generally don't order them. read more

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