Dumplings with Coffee! A viral hit in People's Square — the 'returnee' girl says: 'it's tailor-made for me!'

Pushing open the glass doors of Nanxi · NX258, a row of shops, each with its own vibe, comes into view. Unlike the typical mall’s “9-to-5,” this is a 24-hour commercial space. Stepping away from the bustle outside, those who enter NX258 usually find something that speaks to them.

If you happen to crave a bowl of hot dumplings and a cup of coffee at the same time, then Boiled Moon on the 4th floor is definitely your kind of place.

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“Boiled Moon—what exactly are you boiling?” Most people hearing the name for the first time smile: can you actually eat the moon?

Only by stepping inside do you learn—the moon is not edible, but dumplings with coffee perfectly catch a city worker’s post-shift fatigue, anxiety, and that unspoken bit of romance.

From producer to “the one who boils the moon”

Yaxi, the founder of Boiled Moon, was originally a TV producer; the nature of the job kept her constantly on edge. So finding something that “delivers immediate feedback” became a long-held wish of hers.

At first Yaxi had her eye on light meals, but after a dumpling dinner with a friend she changed her mind—”Dumplings have carbs, meat, and protein; the nutrition is relatively complete, so why not sell dumplings?” As a Wenzhou native, it suddenly clicked. But selling dumplings alone felt too plain; what do young people reach for after lunch to fight the drowsiness? Coffee!

And so the “dumplings + coffee” pairing was born. The name is even more clever—”Boiled Moon,” at once concrete and romantic. What truly gave the name its soul was a girl who rushed in just before closing one day: she had come precisely because of the name. Yaxi struck up a conversation, and the customer asked whether it was inspired by The Moon and Sixpence. In that moment Yaxi’s inspiration ignited: life in one hand, ideals in the other; make a living, but don’t forget to live.

Thus was born the in-store slogan:

Sixpence matters, but the moon must always be there too.

Meant to heal others, she was healed instead

In Yaxi’s eyes, every customer is an angel. A girl who came across Boiled Moon on a foreign social platform waited three months to return home, and the moment she landed in Shanghai went straight to the shop: “I love coffee and I love dumplings; my mom is Chinese, so this place feels tailor-made for me.” After finishing her meal she told Yaxi on the spot: your food is exquisite and delicious, you can really tell it’s made with care—I’ll wildly recommend it to my friends: “when you’re in Shanghai, go to Boiled Moon.”

Another girl, from Suzhou, had assumed before coming that Boiled Moon was just another internet-famous spot. That night, however, she cleaned her whole plate and wrote on social media: “This is the most complete meal I’ve had in three months. The world needs healing brands like Boiled Moon.”

Yaxi had meant to heal others, but ended up being healed herself. An American friend who works as an editor in Shanghai also stopped by: after the dumplings and coffee, he said, “I hope China and the U.S. stay friendly forever, and that shops like Boiled Moon can open right in his neighborhood.”

When a reporter asked Yaxi why she would open a Chinese-Western fusion dumpling-and-coffee shop in a city as cutthroat as Shanghai’s dining scene, she said food is merely the vessel—emotional connection is the core. Boiled Moon boils dumplings and serves coffee, and it also echoes that line from The Moon and Sixpence—”don’t only look at the sixpence”—”I hope city people can sit down here and have a proper, peaceful meal.”

By the window, some bow their heads to eat, some look up at the moon

On why Boiled Moon chose Nanxi · NX258, Yaxi said she loves the big floor-to-ceiling windows here, and even more the urban atmosphere of People’s Square. She had always pictured people sitting by the window, watching the traffic flow along Nanjing West Road, biting into a hot dumpling and sipping a pour-over—that sense of calm found amid the noise.

Friends had warned her: “People who eat dumplings don’t drink coffee, and coffee drinkers don’t eat dumplings.” Yet since opening last June, the little shop quickly went viral on social media. Her method is simple—listen. During the day she asks customers and jots down what could be improved; at night she writes rectification notes; the next day she adjusts. Setting off first and tweaking along the way matters more than waiting for perfection.

Yaxi says that in the future she doesn’t want to run “just a shop,” but to become a symbol of this era—a warm food brand that resonates with today’s young people and offers comfort to others.

Traffic flows, lights shimmer. By the window, some bow their heads to eat, some look up at the moon. That, right there, is the answer Boiled Moon most wants to brew.

Boiled Moon
Address: 4th Floor, 258 Nanjing West Road

Reporter / Zhang Yi, Wang Dengxuan
Editor / Fan Lujia
Photos / Wang Dengxuan, Zhang Yi
Video / Wang Dengxuan, Zhang Yi

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