Shanghai Plaza quickly became known as a destination spot for some of the best Asian food the city has to offer, and one of its newest eateries is no stranger to locals.

China Mama, one of the city’s most treasured restaurants, suffered extensive damage from a kitchen fire in March. Loyal diners were more than disappointed without their favorite authentic dishes like pan-fried pork buns, succulent crispy duck, spicy mapo tofu and fresh Szechuan wontons. Although the original location on Jones at Spring Mountain was closed for repair and renovation, owner Ivy Ma stepped up to quickly open a second location in Shanghai Plaza, simply named China Mama 2, and business there has been thriving since opening in June.

We couldn’t help but notice the absence of the one dish that put China Mama on every local foodie’s radar, the beloved xiao long bao. According to Ma, the absence of the savory soup dumplings is due to a Shanghai Plaza policy that halts neighboring restaurants within the shopping center from offering duplicate dishes. Not to worry—Ma reassures the soup dumplings will return when work is finished at the original restaurant, currently aiming for a reopening next summer.

Given the nonstop traffic, China Mama 2 meets all the hype of its predecessor and is worth checking out. With great food comes long wait times, so to lighten demand, there’s a third kitchen in Ma’s culinary portfolio, China Mama Express, a convenient takeout option on Rainbow just south of Flamingo. Both shops are leaving diners satisfied and eager to return for more.

CHINA MAMA 2 4266 Spring Mountain Road #106, 702-900-8802, chinamama2.com. Daily, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. & 4:30-10 p.m.