10 Best Xiao Long Bao in Singapore
From Din Tai Fung and Paradise Dynasty to Shanghainese kitchens, hawker stalls and 24-hour supper spots, here are 10 of the best xiao long bao in Singapore.
- Edited by
- Amir Wahab
- Published
- Reading time
- 4 min read
AI image by LocalRankFew dishes reward a steady hand like the soup dumpling, and the choice of xiao long bao in Singapore runs from polished Taiwanese-style chains to heritage Shanghainese kitchens, affordable hawker stalls and 24-hour supper spots. This guide gathers ten real, currently-operating restaurants known for their XLB, each checked against its own website or well-established presence. Treat it as a shortlist to match to your craving, not a strict ranking.
1. Din Tai Fung
Din Tai Fung is the Taiwanese institution that turned the xiao long bao into a global benchmark, and its steamed pork soup dumplings are the signature across its outlets in Singapore malls. The kitchen is known for a thin, finely pleated skin holding a mouthful of hot broth and minced pork, best dipped in slivered ginger and black vinegar. It also runs novelty versions, including a chocolate xiao long bao its site lists as a permanent menu item.
2. Paradise Dynasty
Paradise Dynasty, from the homegrown Paradise Group, built its name on the Signature Eight Flavours xiao long bao, a steamer of colour-coded soup dumplings in flavours such as crab roe, cheese, garlic, foie gras, black truffle and Szechuan alongside the classic original. The brand suggests eating from the palest to the boldest so the plain original is not overpowered. Beyond the novelty it serves a wider northern and southern Chinese menu across several Singapore outlets.
3. Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao is the casual dumpling-and-noodle format of the homegrown Crystal Jade group, pairing steamed xiao long bao with hand-pulled la mian. The soup dumplings arrive in bamboo steamers with a thin skin and a pork-and-broth filling, meant for dipping in black vinegar and ginger. With outlets in malls across the island, it is one of the more accessible sit-down options for a quick XLB fix.
4. Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine
Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine is the group's upmarket Shanghainese restaurant, where the xiao long bao are hand-folded and lean towards the classic Shanghai style. It is known for fine, hand-rolled skins that seal a hot pork broth, served alongside a spread of traditional Shanghainese dishes. This is the refined, sit-down end of the XLB spectrum rather than a quick-bite stall.
5. Jing Hua Xiao Chi
Jing Hua Xiao Chi is a family-run Chinatown institution on Neil Road, opened by the Han family in 1989 and built around a short menu of handmade dumplings. Its site says the shop turns out around a thousand xiao long bao a day, prizing the balance of skin, soup and pork the family spent years refining. Regulars also come for the pan-fried guo tie and other small bites rather than a sprawling dim sum list.
Chinatown
Visit website ↗View on map ↗
6. Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant
Swee Choon is a Jalan Besar supper institution dating back to 1962, famous for handmade dim sum served deep into the night. Among its long list of Shanghai and Hong Kong style items are xiao long bao, making it a reliable late-night stop for soup dumplings when most kitchens have closed. Expect a queue and a communal, no-frills atmosphere rather than a hushed dining room.
Jalan Besar
Visit website ↗WhatsApp ↗View on map ↗
7. 126 Dim Sum Wen Dao Shi
126 Dim Sum Wen Dao Shi is a 24-hour Hong Kong style dim sum house in Geylang, a long-time favourite of supper and after-hours crowds. Its large made-to-order menu includes its own take on xiao long bao among more than a hundred items. Come for the round-the-clock convenience and variety rather than a specialist, single-minded soup dumpling.
Geylang
Visit website ↗View on map ↗
8. Shanghai Ren Jia
Shanghai Ren Jia is an unassuming Ang Mo Kio restaurant run by a Shanghainese couple cooking the home-style dishes of their native city. Its xiao long bao and pan-fried sheng jian bao are made in-house, and it is equally known for cong you mian, hand-pulled noodles tossed in shallot oil. It is a neighbourhood spot for authentic Shanghainese cooking rather than a polished chain.
Ang Mo Kio
View on map ↗
9. Zhang Ji Shanghai La Mian Xiao Long Bao
Zhang Ji Shanghai La Mian Xiao Long Bao is a hawker stall at Alexandra Village Food Centre run by a husband-and-wife team from Nanjing, who make their dumplings and noodles fresh to order. The draw is affordable, handmade xiao long bao and pan-fried guo tie alongside la mian, at hawker prices rather than restaurant ones. It is popular at mealtimes and often draws a queue, so timing helps.
Alexandra
View on map ↗
10. Hong Peng La Mian Xiao Long Bao
Hong Peng La Mian Xiao Long Bao is a long-running stall at People's Park Complex Food Centre in Chinatown, serving handmade xiao long bao and hand-pulled la mian at hawker prices. The soup dumplings are made on the spot in the Shanghai style, alongside fried dumplings and noodle bowls. It is a no-frills, queue-and-go kind of place rather than a sit-down restaurant.
Chinatown
View on map ↗
How to choose
- Judge the skin and the seal. A good xiao long bao has a thin but sturdy wrapper, a neat twist of pleats on top and enough hot soup inside that it holds its shape when lifted; overly thick or doughy skins are the usual sign of a weaker version.
- Decide what style you want. Taiwanese-style chains such as Din Tai Fung aim for a refined, delicate dumpling, classic Shanghainese kitchens lean richer and porkier, and novelty spots offer flavoured or coloured skins, so choose by mood rather than assuming one is the only 'best'.
- Eat them the right way. Let the steamer rest for a moment off the heat, lift each dumpling gently by its top, and consider nibbling a small hole to sip the soup before adding black vinegar and shredded ginger; rushing a piping-hot XLB is how you burst it or burn your mouth.
- Look for made-to-order and freshly steamed. Xiao long bao are best minutes out of the steamer, so places that fold or steam to order usually beat anything pre-made and reheated, and a short wait is often a good sign rather than a nuisance.
- Match the setting to the occasion. Malls and sit-down Shanghainese restaurants suit a relaxed meal, hawker stalls are best for a cheap and quick fix, and 24-hour or late-night dim sum spots are the ones to remember when the craving hits after midnight.
. No changes recorded since.
Founder and Editor
Amir Wahab is the founder and editor of LocalRank, an independent Singapore rankings and local guides publication.
Read next
11 Best Peking Duck in Singapore (2026)
Where to find the best Peking duck in Singapore: 11 Chinese restaurants roasting whole ducks for crisp, lacquered skin, carved and wrapped in thin pancakes.
By Amir Wahab6 min read
10 Best Dumplings in Singapore (2026)
From heritage jiaozi stalls to guo tie potstickers, Dongbei dumpling houses and Japanese gyoza bars, here are the best dumplings in Singapore to try now.
By Amir Wahab5 min read
10 Best Beef Noodles in Singapore (2026)
Discover 10 of the best beef noodles in Singapore, from Hainanese beef kway teow and herbal-gravy bowls to Taiwanese braised soup and Lanzhou hand-pulled la mian.
By Amir Wahab5 min read
12 Best Roast Meats in Singapore (2026)
A guide to 12 spots for the best roast meats in Singapore - char siew, crispy sio bak, roast duck and soy sauce chicken, from hawker stalls to restaurants.
By Amir Wahab6 min read