If I had to rank food from different Chinese provinces, then Shanghai cuisine would definitely be one of the top on that list. It is food that is familiar to me, it comforts me and reminds me of my roots. Every so often, there would be nothing I crave more than a good 'Shang' meal.
There are two branches of New Shanghai in Chatswood: in Lemon Grove and in Chatwood Chase. The Chase branch definitely has a more appealing atmosphere with dim lighting and Asian 1930's theme decor. But if you're not entertaining, and you're with family for just a good honest meal - we always head to the Lemon Grove branch. My father swears the food here is cheaper and tastes better - that, I am unsure of.
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| Spicy Chicken Salad |
Everytime we come here, we order the same dishes. Literally. And the spicy chicken salad is no exception. Although everytime I find it too salty for my liking, and lacking the 'umami' element you would get from a similar Szechuan version, we keep ordering it none the less?
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| New Shanghai Xiao Long Bao - Steamed mini pork bun $7.80 |
The XLB is what I really come here for. Arguably my favourite XLB in Sydney. The skin is the perfect thickness - thin enough to be slightly translucent but thick enough to absorb the taste of the meat juices. The meat itself is also seasoned well and the quality is consistent every visit. We prefer the normal pork as opposed to the crab version.
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| Aunt T's top 10 favourite things to eat |
A spoonful of XLB juice in each one! XLB juice is typically a mix of collagen/fat mixed with the pork juices as it cooks inside the little dumpling parcel. The result (if done well) is a concentrated meaty soup inside which you can either slurp out or (as Aunt T likes to do) pour out, into a spoon to examine it first before sucking it down. Here at New Shanghai, it's done perfectly to my liking!
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| Deep fried crispy skin chicken with special garlic & chilli sauce on noodle soup $13.80 |
Our next 'go to' dish is the Shan Dong chicken (that's what the Chinese text on the menu calls this). The three elements that make this dish a winner is firstly the crispiness of the chicken skin as it arrives on your table. There is a definite crunch every time. Secondly, the chicken is moist and succulent every time. Finally the sauce is sweet, tangy, fragrant and just salty enough that you can let your chicken swim in it a bit.
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| The noodles that came with the chicken above |
The Shan Dong chicken you can get alone or with noodles. We always get it with noodles as the serving size is better for 2 and we enjoy a warm soupy dish to wash the meal down. The noodles are pretty plain (as you can see) but deceivingly tasty and satisfying.
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| Pan fried pork dumpling $9.90 |
We always get the pan fried pork buns too. It has the same filling and soup as the XLB but wrapped in a thicker raised dough with a crispy base. Uncle G and I can never finish everything but I like to take these home and eat them for breakfast the next day. So you're thinking:
"Who eats pork buns for breakfast? Weirdo". Actually something like half of China does - this is the breakfast food of champions.
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| Shanghai noodle stir fried with shredded pork & vegetable $9.90 |
On this occasion we ordered the Shanghai chow mein, which is a deviation from our routine. It was ok, rather ordinary. It was no surprise we couldn't finish it, so I also had to take this home too.
As for service quality etc, bare in mind this isn't anything fancy. The service is nothing offensive but this is just honest authentic Chinese food to feed locals, and the pricing and restaurant ambiance reflects that. We always come here so I have no hesitation recommending this place and will be returning again.
So dear readers, what brings nostalgia to your dining table?
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