On the rare occasion mother dearest and I both have a day off we always manage to eat our weight in food. Today is no different as we head out to Ashfield for for some Chinese goodies (she was craving spring onion pancake). Out of the many restaurants on offer on Liverpool St, mother prefers Taste of Shanghai. Who am I to argue Chinese food to a Chinese person. Whilst it isn't the most authentic, still catering for Western taste buds, it is far from bad.
Poached Pork & Chive Dumplings $8.80
Started off with some poached dumplings, perfect with a little bit of vinegar and chilli sauce. Chives isn't everyone's cup of tea, but they also offer a pork and coriander variation. Lots of filling and good servings size.
Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (8 pcs) $8.80
And how could we go to any Shanghai restaurant and not order xiao long bao. If you don't want the soup to burst on your tongue, try sucking it out from the top first. Looks a bit rude (mind out of the gutter, guys!) but makes for easier eating and less tongues burnt. Delicious soup, thin silky pastry, good ratio of meat. Win.
Grilled Onion Pancakes $6.80
Nice and crispy with a subtle onion flavour, would make a great snack food with beer! This is mother's fav, and while it's nice it is not something I would order.
Deep Fried Chinese Milk Dough (6 pcs) $6.80
The best "Sorry, I'm not sorry (diet)" food. Deep fried carbs dipped in condensed milk. So bad, yet so good. Crispy deep fried Chinese man tou buns that are soft and fluffy in the middle. Eat fresh to enjoy it at its best.
Pan-Fry Pork Buns w Sesame (8 pcs) $9.80
The pan-fry pork buns at New Shanghai turned me off, but mother dear urged me to try them. "They're different, you'll like them," she said. So who was I to refuse mum. These were fried so nicely! crispy and crunchy, a bit soupy, and good bun to filling ratio. The New Shanghai ones was more bun and was very oily, and while they're still not something I would order there are worst things one could order.
As with any Chinese/Asian restaurant, don't expect super friendly service. The service is quick and efficient, much more like a dine and go place. At lunch hour on a weekday the restaurant was packed with a line slowly forming outside. However, you really can't argue for that price and deliciousness of food.
Revisit: 3.5/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Interior: 3.5/5
Labels: food