Best of Boston

2014 Best Chinese Restaurant

Taiwan Café

The brothy xiao long bao (or soup dumpling) has long been the darling of the food world. We get it, sure, but we’d also like to turn your attention to the Taiwanese pan-fried dumpling: a tubular, crisp-bottomed parcel with a fragrant ground-pork filling and open ends designed for maximum dipping-sauce absorption. Find our favorite rendition at this Chinatown mainstay, and round out the meal with other Taiwanese standards, like wok-charred eggplant with basil and chewy coin-shaped rice cakes sautéed with ground pork.

34 Oxford St., Boston, 617-426-8181, taiwancafeboston.com