In Northeast Philadelphia, stopping by Boom Buns is a must. From the outside, the restaurant’s small front and large neon red sign might catch your attention, but that wouldn’t say much about how amazing the food is inside. The most prized item on this menu is the pure pork soup dumplings. Additional hot tip: Order the pan-fried pork and shrimp buns while you’re at it. You’ll be in for a monochromatic surprise.

Most of the time, soup dumplings are a pure carnivorous experience which means vegetarians have to sit out of the fun. Unit Su Vege makes it a point to say that Chinese vegetarian food definitely exists and is welcome in Philly. Unit Su Vege has veggie-filled soup dumplings alongside a vast menu of small-plates.

Before making its way to Philadelphia in 2015, Nom Wah put down roots in New York City in 1920. Nom Wah honed its long history of classic style dim sum over many generations, and its dishes are classically Cantonese with a bit of Chinese-American twist. But don’t let that stop you from adding some of their Shanghainese soup dumplings to your to-go order.

If you want variety and affordability, Shang Hai 1 is the place to go. Not only does Shang Hai 1 have the staples of pork, crab, and pan-fried soup dumplings for cheap, but Shang Hai 1 also offers its specialty: the Wuxi-style soup dumpling made of pork and shrimp. Plus, if you’re looking for a dessert fix, this is the place to be — don’t miss the green tea Swiss roll.

This last place is less of a restaurant to go-to and more of an experience to gain. Prior to the pandemic, owner Yin Yang offered workshops on making a variety of dumplings (including soup dumplings) that reflected the historic Philly Chinatown community. At the moment the workshops are on pause but the Dumpling Academy still offers catering, if you’re looking to feed a lot of people. A little birdie said recently that Dumpling Academy’s workshops might start back up again later this year, so keep an eye out if you want to learn to make your own pillows of happiness someday soon.

OG soup dumplings are made from minced pork but sometimes restaurants will offer a crab and pork dumpling for variety. Dim Sum Factory also offers a chicken soup-based dumpling that will be especially pleasant if you’re in need of some chicken soup comfort. Both the Horsham and Walnut Street locations offer takeout options, but if you happen to be vaccinated, the Horsham site is also open for indoor dining. Oh, and they have so many dumplings to choose from, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one.