Food Porn Nation

Sweet & sour pork rib with dark vinegar sauce served cold

With the vote of confidence from some trusted fellow bloggers and co-workers alike. New Shanghai was rumoured to have really good dumplings on offer.

Crab meat with sweet corn soup

I personally found the crab meat with a sweet corn soup average. It had all the elements that made up your traditional Chinese soup but I found it was lacking in flavour, that the crab meat whilst decent in portion size was not as fresh as I would have liked it to be with a “kept in the freezer drawer” taste. I prefer the crab meat and sweet corn soup at Manly Phoenix. Simply out of this world!

Xiao long bao – Steamed mini pork bun

If you are a Din Tai Fung fan like everyone else on this planet, it is very difficult not to draw comparisons when you have been promised a delicious dumpling. If you notice the fine print at New Shanghai, they suggest how to eat a dumpling and recommend that you should pierce the top of the skin to allow the steam to escape and avoid burning your lips.

There is no question that the Xiao long bao was tasty enough but I found the dumpling skin chewy and tough like an aged leather handbag with only a sprinkling of the liquid filling.

I longed for the subtle texture of the dumpling wrapper, the pool of liquid stock that religiously burns you with that intense flavourful bite, the delicate skin that with one false move could cause you to loose all of that glorious liquid filling nuzzled inside a Din Tai Fung dumpling.

Pork & chive dumplings

I have to say I was disappointed with the Pork & chive dumplings, half of the dumplings were served cold. I debated on whether I should have complained and decided on taking them home anyway. We asked for the bill and requested for take home containers and noticed that on our bill there was a surchage with a 20 cents per take away container. I know it isn’t a lot it but in my humble opinion this was in poor taste. Wouldn’t it be more commerically savy to absorb this into the margin away from the eyes of the consumer? Or just include it for free?

Verdict

Overall the meal didn’t fair too well. The Xiao long bao dumplings were tasty but I have had better. There is no question about our disappointment  with the cold serving of the Pork and Chive dumplings. The price is relatively cheap but there are other places where you can get decent Chinese for a low price tag too.

Welcome to New Shanghai for delicious dumplings?

New Shanghai

Shop B-038, Chatswood Chase

Chatswood, NSW 2067

+61 2 9412 3358

http://www.newshanghai.com.au/index.php?q=menu
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