You’ve seen the bags in your freezer aisle or plastered across your TikTok feed. It’s that distinctive teal packaging. MǐLà (formerly XCJ) has basically become the poster child for the "restaurant-quality at home" movement, but their collaboration with the Pho King himself, Brian Howard, created something that shouldn’t really work on paper. MǐLà pho soup dumplings are a weird, beautiful collision of two very different culinary heavyweights: the Chinese Xiao Long Bao (XLB) and Vietnamese Phở.
People get touchy about fusion. It’s understandable.
When you take a traditional Shanghainese staple—a delicate, pleated dumpling filled with pork and gelatinized broth—and try to shove the soul of a 12-hour simmered Vietnamese beef noodle soup inside it, you’re playing with fire. If the spices are too loud, it tastes like a candle. If the beef is too lean, the dumpling is dry. Honestly, most "fusion" food ends up being a diluted version of two great things. But MǐLà actually pulled this off by obsessing over the aromatics. They didn't just add "pho flavor"; they rebuilt the broth from the ground up to survive the freezing and steaming process.
The Science of the Soup: Why Beef Broth is Harder Than Pork
Most traditional soup dumplings rely on pork skin and trotters. Why? Collagen. When you boil pork skin, it releases gelatin. That gelatin cools into a solid "aspic," which can be cubed and folded into the dumpling wrapper. When you steam the dumpling, that solid melts back into soup. It’s a genius bit of culinary engineering that’s been around for centuries.
Beef is a different beast entirely.
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To get that same rich, lip-smacking mouthfeel in the MǐLà pho soup dumplings, they couldn't just use standard beef stock. Beef bone marrow behaves differently than pork fat. The team had to dial in a specific ratio of beef bone broth to ensure the "soup" part of the dumpling didn't just evaporate or turn into a greasy mess. If you look at the ingredients, you’ll see the heavy hitters: star anise, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and charred onions. These are the "Big Five" of any respectable pho.
The trick is that these spices are incredibly volatile. In a giant pot of soup at a restaurant, they mellow out over hours. In a tiny, sealed dough pouch, they can become overwhelming. MǐLà worked with Chef Brian Howard—the guy behind Vegas’s famous Sparrow + Wolf—to ensure the clove didn't punch you in the throat. It’s subtle. It’s balanced. It’s actually kind of impressive for something that comes out of a freezer bag.
Don't Ruin Your Dumplings: The Steaming Reality Check
Look, I’ve seen people try to microwave these. Please don't.
If you microwave a soup dumpling, you are essentially gambling with the structural integrity of the dough. The heat distribution is uneven, meaning you’ll get one side that’s a gummy paste and another that’s a literal rock. And the soup? It’ll probably leak out before you even grab a spoon.
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- The Liner Matters: Use the perforated parchment paper circles that usually come with the bags. If you don't have them, lightly oil your steamer basket or lay down a bed of cabbage leaves. If that dough sticks and tears? Game over. The soup is gone.
- The Water Level: You want about an inch of water. Not enough to touch the dumplings, but enough to last for the full 8-11 minute steam time.
- The "Jiggle" Test: When they’re done, the wrappers will look slightly translucent and the bottom of the dumpling will sag. That sag is the liquid gold waiting for you.
One thing people consistently miss is the rest time. When you pull the steamer lid off, the steam is at a literal boiling point. If you pop a MǐLà pho soup dumpling in your mouth immediately, you’re going to have a bad time. Give them exactly one minute. This let’s the wrapper "set" so it doesn't tear when you pick it up with your chopsticks.
Is It Authentic? The Wrong Question to Ask
"Authenticity" is a trap. Is it an authentic Xiao Long Bao? No, because it’s filled with Vietnamese beef broth. Is it authentic Pho? No, because there are no rice noodles and it’s wrapped in wheat dough.
It’s an evolution.
What makes this product work is that it respects the techniques of both cultures. The pleating on the MǐLà dumplings—usually 18 to 22 folds—is a nod to the craftsmanship of traditional Din Tai Fung-style XLB. Meanwhile, the broth profile is a love letter to the Northern Vietnamese style of pho, which is more focused on the purity of the beef and the char of the aromatics rather than the sweetness found in Southern styles.
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Comparing the MǐLà Beef Pho to the Original Pork
If you’re a purist, you’re probably wondering if the beef version holds up to the OG pork version.
The pork dumplings are "crasher"—they have that heavy, savory, fatty hit that most people associate with soup dumplings. The beef pho version is lighter but more aromatic. It’s "herbal." If you’re dipping these, skip the traditional black vinegar and ginger for a second. Instead, try a tiny bit of hoisin and sriracha on the side, or even a squeeze of fresh lime. It sounds sacrilegious for a dumpling, but it completes the pho experience.
The Logistics: Shipping and Storage
MǐLà ships these with dry ice, and they aren't cheap. You’re paying for the R&D and the cold-chain logistics. One thing to watch out for: freezer burn. Because the wrappers are so thin, they are susceptible to drying out if the bag isn't sealed tightly. If you see white, chalky patches on the dough, that’s freezer burn. It won't kill you, but the dough will be tough and may crack during steaming, leading to the dreaded "deflated dumpling" syndrome.
Practical Steps for the Perfect Meal
To actually enjoy these the way they were intended, stop treating them like a side dish and make them the event.
- Step 1: Prep the Aromatics. While the dumplings steam, chop some fresh cilantro and Thai basil. Thinly slice some jalapeños.
- Step 2: The Sauce. Mix 2 parts hoisin to 1 part sriracha. This mimics the classic pho dipping sauce.
- Step 3: The Spoon. Use a wide Chinese soup spoon. Place the dumpling on the spoon, poke a small hole in the side to let the steam escape, and sip the broth first.
- Step 4: The Garnish. Add a tiny sliver of basil or a drop of lime juice onto the dumpling before eating the rest of it in one bite.
If you’re looking to stock up, check their official site for "bundle" deals. Buying a single bag usually hurts on shipping costs, but grabbing a three-pack (pork, shrimp/pork, and beef pho) makes the unit price much more manageable. They’ve also started popping up in select Costco locations and high-end grocery stores like Whole Foods, which saves you the shipping headache entirely. Keep the bag at the very back of your freezer where the temperature is most stable to preserve that delicate wrapper.