There was a 20 minute wait when we got here midday on a Thursday in June and it did seem like it flew by pretty fast. We came strictly for the dumplings and for the most part they were pretty good, but didn't change my life. Perhaps all the instagram reels built it up way too much. The vegetable spring rolls were pretty basic but were served hot and crispy. The only dumplings I didn't particularly care for were the tiny fried pork buns. It was just really doughy for me but the meat inside was seasoned nicely. The shrimp dumplings were an example of something really simple being really ethereal and delicious. Take a bite of those and drop in some of their soy ginger sauce inside and enjoy! But the real game changer was the Szechuan wontons. Pretty spicy but epically delicious. Big flavors and super punchy! You have to order this! That's all I got. Hope you like it!

Solid food. Go a little before or after lunch hour to get seated fast. Their lunch specials are a great value for money. Their vegan dumplings are great as well. If I go with a carnivore, this is the place. If I go with fellow vegans I prefer Bodhi.

Walked in. No reservations. 20-25 min wait time. Fast service. Nice employees. Clean bathrooms. Chairs not too comfy. Ordered Coke (only in cans), sesame chicken, hot and sour soup, scallion pancakes, and Dry Sauteed Shredded Beef. Food was amazing. Very large portions. Does not come with white rice to eat with entree. Must order separately.

I came here with a group of friends for lunch. It was quite busy, and the space was a little tight, but we were seated in booth seating fairly quickly. My table decided to order family style. We shared Scallion Pancake, Crispy Fish in sweet and sour sauce, Pan Fried Noodles with shrimp and beef, as well as Crab Meat and Pork Soup Dumplings. Scallion Pancake was delightfully crispy and light, not too oily, with strong scallion taste. The Crispy Fish had pineapple, corn, peas, along with red and green peppers in the sauce. Traditionally, this dish would include roasted pine nuts and no pineapple. The fish was satisfyingly crunchy, flaky, and the sauce was well seasoned with a nice balance of sweet and savory. I also enjoyed the Pan Fried Noodles, which came a generous helping of beef, shrimp, chicken, as well as bok choy, mushroom, and baby corn. The noodles were cooked perfectly and the bottom of them were wonderfully crisp. Shrimp was succulent and juicy, while the beef and chicken were tender and flavorful. The veggies were fresh and everything was covered in a yummy brown sauce. Soup dumplings were not the best. There was barely any soup inside and the skin was way too thick. There was a decent amount of filling though and the combination of crab and pork was at least appetizing. For dessert, I had the Sesame Rice Ball in wine soup. In Chinese, this is known as Tang Yuan and it's one of my favorite sweet treats. The rice ball has a sticky exterior with black sesame inside. This was made well and oozed with delicious black sesame paste, making for mouthwatering bites. Service was pretty good. Our waitress was efficient and everything came out in a timely manner. Overall, everyone seemed to like the food and we had a lovely meal here. Also, the pricing was very reasonable and the portions were large. I would be open to returning to try the Crispy Duck, Shrimp entree, and Rice Cake.

We met up with a friend who wanted to explore Manhattan's Chinatown. She picked Shanghai 21. She ordered and she ordered quite the spread. 2 orders of soup dumplings, 2 orders of shumai, squid in oyster sauce, I think, garlic snow peas, a fish, pork fried rice, a noodle dish, and a beef noodle soup. There was 5 of us! Lol, but I love that she ordered things that we wouldn't normally order with just the 4 of us like the snow peas. Soup dumplings were average. Shumai was average. I liked the squid. First time having snow peas like that. I loved them, although they were kinda sweet. I was thinking more of a oyster sauce and garlic deal like on chinese broccoli. The pork fried rice was so good. My favorite on the whole table besides the snow peas. The spicy beef noodle soup was good. Got it for my son, cuz he loves Taiwanese Beef Noodle soup, but I forgot we weren't at a Taiwanese restaurant. I just saw Beef noodle soup and my mind went there. Whoops. Anyway, I'm not sure if I would be back, but it was a decent place.

Stumbled upon this place while exploring China town. The hot and sour soup hit the spot since it was so cold outside, it had plenty of bamboo shoots, mushrooms and tofu. It was delicious! The soup dumplings had lots of pork and crab meat and were very filling. The wrapper was on the harder side and the skin still ripped easily so you have to be very careful when picking it up. Service was very quick and the inside of the restaurant was clean and it was nice to sit and eat.

Not sure how or why I haven't left this place a review. I've been going here for years, even before their now name of Shanghai 21. I've always had a good experience while here, with the staff being great consistently and enjoying what we have ordered off the menu. It's gotten busier and busier, solely based on my last few visits to this establishment. If you come in during a prime eating hour, definitely expect to wait for at least a little but. They serve water on the table, and you're ready to roll once you're sat at the table. Take a look at the menu, and there are plenty of options to choose from. Over the years, I've tried quote a few items and can't remember having a poor experience. I'll continue to keep coming here in the future. Unless the quality goes completely downhill, I'll continue to patronize their business. Do note: there is now a service charge automatically put on the bill.

I came to this place on a whim to find some good dumplings on a cold night. We were seated quickly, and the staff was pretty attentive in filling our waters and making sure we knew what we were ordering. The restaurant itself is quite cozy, with only 12-15 tables. There may be a small wait, but there is a small seated waiting area so you don't have to wait outside. We ordered the xiao long baos and the szechuan dumplings. Both were great, but I definitely preferred the szechuan dumplings. The sauce was perfect -- spicy but also slightly sweet and umami. The dumpling filling was also really rich and savory. The ratio of filling to dumpling wrap was also really good (I feel like some places skimp on the filling). I believe you get a small discount when paying cash (and the price is quite reasonable), so make sure to bring some cash when you come here.

I legit love this place. There is ALWAYS a wait when we go, but it's honestly so worth it. (Not if you have to wait over 3 hours though)- No matter how good this place is, I would not wait over 3 hour for ANY place. LOL. I only mention this because on Lunar New Years, their wait was 4 - 6 hours. I was SOO sad. We went here the day after LNY and the wait was only 45 minutes during lunch hours. The wait isnt a problem for me when I'm waiting for this restaurant because it's in the center of Chinatown; WHICH MEANS, while I'm waiting, I can just shop at nearby places or grab a quick bite of fried dumplings down the street. When I'm here, I order the same 2 - 3 items. SOUP DUMPLINGS. Yup, every single time. Crab & Pork Dumplings, Pork Dumplings, Truffle Dumplings. 9 out of 10 times that I'm in New York, we'll eat at 21 Shanghai. I can not express my love for this restaurant. ALSO FYI, this restaurant is CASH ONLY.

Shanghai 21 is my go-to chinese restaurant in NYC. I don't usually eat out Chinese food since "we have chinese food at home", but this place has 100% the best soup dumplings in the city. Came here in the early afternoon for a snack and here's what we got: -Soup dumplings with crab meat and pork (5/5): delicious. I was craving these since it was a bit cold, and these soup dumplings have a thin skin and are filled with savory warm soup and delicious meats. my absolute favorite, and I come back again and again for these -Chicken and corn soup (4.5/5): was craving soup since it was a cold day. This soup was nostalgic from my childhood and had a nice consistency, filled with corn, egg, and small bits of chicken. Perfect for sharing, great portion size -Sesame chicken over rice (4.5/5): The sesame chicken is so delicious! comes out piping hot, perfectly crisp with tender chicken, and the sauce from the chicken goes sooo well with the delicious rice. Rice was cooked perfectly for this dish. Service is so fast and the interior gives old school chinese restaurant vibes. Usually there is a long wait, but if you come after the lunch rush then the wait should be under 30 minutes.