When I arrived in Hong Kong in was raining cats and dogs, so before taking the train to the city, I stopped by Crystal Jade in the airport for some Dan-Dan La Mian (Chinese noodles in peanut broth) and xiao long bao (soup dumplings). In Hong Kong Airport, Crystal Jade is located right after the baggage claim exit, so it is impossible to miss, and after a long flight, there’s nothing better than indulging in a comforting bowl of la mian.
The Singaporean restaurant chain has different restaurant concepts in its portfolio, but the La Mian Xiao Long Bao restaurants are what most people mean, when they are talking about Crystal Jade. As the name suggests, the La Mian Xiao Long Bao restaurants focuse on la mian (Chinese ramen) and xiao long bao (soup dumplings).
I always get the Dan-Dan La Mian which are the most perfect bouncy noodles in a rich peanut broth. The xiao long bao at Crystal Jade are also really good, and some might say that they’re even better than the ones at Din Tai Fung. I wouldn’t be able to pick one over the other, because both are nice in their own way. The xiao long bao at Crystal Jade are somewhat bigger and more clumsy-looking than the ones at Din Tai Fung, but bigger means more soup inside, which is always a good thing:)