Serious Eats: New York
Sugar Rush: Tangyuan, Part II at Sheng Wang
Tangyuan, or filled mochi dumplings, are available at most hand-pulled noodle shops in the city. But don't go searching for the word "tangyuan" on the menu. At Lam Zhou, they are marketed as "sweet rice dumplings," as Robyn pointed out last Friday, but at nearby Sheng Wang, they're sold as "broth buns."
Both translate to the same phrase in Chinese, but aside from sharing a common market rate of $3, the two tangyuan could not be more different. Lam Zhou's dumplings showcase a multi-colored, textured filling bound by sticky syrup. But Sheng Wang passes on syrup, instead opting for a dry interior composed of chopped and toasted peanuts tossed with sugar.
Also of note: the mochi skins are substantially more glutinous and chewy than at Lam Zhou. Is that good or bad? There's no right or wrong answer as far as tangyuan goes; everything depends on individual preferences.
Sheng Wang
27 Eldridge Street, New York NY 10002 (map)
212-925-0805