Friday, July 18, 2008

New Shanghai - Ashfield

After having Din Tai Fung and Shanghai Nights dumplings one after another, it was only fair to compare the food with New Shanghai. Its been a while since I've been to New Shanghai as I always go next door to Shanghai Nights. This is mainly because I know the waitress there and I've always eaten there as a kid. I went a few times when New Shanghai renovated, but its been about a year since I've been.

Walking in, half of the restaurant was empty, yet we've been placed on the table right next to the fish tank where we had to squeeeeeeze right in. But it was a small price to pay for the food we were about to get.

Xiao Long Bao - Steamed mini pork dumplings

These were really flavoursome. Compared to Din Tai Fung, the dumpling skin was thicker and had a rougher texture, but was still thin enough for you to see the soup within. However, the pork filling was much tastier than the ones at Din Tai Fung. After eating a few of these, you get that lip smacking gelatinous porky goodness coating your lips.

Shanghai handmade noodles

This is one of my favourite stir fried noodles, so we had to order this as a benchmark. This was a lighter version compared to Shanghai Nights, but still delicious. I would probably go to Shanghai Nights if I'm after a richer noodle, and New Shanghai for a lighter version in summer.

Steamed pork and coriander dumplings

Unlike the steamed pork dumplings, these weren't filled with soup. This is a much more common type of dumplings you find in most shops. Infact, this is what we make at home. The filling was a combination of pork mince, coriander and finely minced ginger. Really nice when dipped in the black vinegar.

Pan fried pork buns

These...these were da bomb! New Shanghai has got to make the best pan fried pork buns in Sydney. The base was ultra ultra crispy, whilst the rest of the bun was super soft and fluffy. Most places either have a soggy base or a really hard base but making the rest of the buns a bit tougher. These were PERFECT. And I haven't gotten to the filling yet. Hidden inside these babies, is a huge spoonful of broth. Sometimes, the buns go soggy because all the soup is absorbed by the bun. These ones however, even when they've been sitting there for 10mins were full of a wonderful rich and porky soup. Infact, this was how much soup was in there:

MmMmM porky goodness!

Conclusion? New Shanghai for the best pan fried pork buns!

New Shanghai
273 Liverpool Rd
Ashfield, NSW, 2131
Ph: 9797 7284

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