By Ms. Taste
Chatswood has long been a mecca of all things Chinese – a Chinatown of the ‘burbs if you will. There’s always plenty to see and do, whether it’s yum cha with the folks, horlicks breakfast at Cafe de Hong Kong or trawling the underground grocery stores for imports from a land afar. If you need it, you know you can find it in Chatswood. It is also a suburb that longs for new experiences, new eateries to try and new places to visit.
So it made absolute sense for New Shanghai to open shop in Chatswood. Nestled in the lesser known Lemon Grove shopping centre opposite Westfield, New Shanghai had no trouble spreading the word about its launch thanks to its booming sister store in Ashfield.
Xiao Long Bao - $6.80
We all have Din Tai Fung to thank for catapulting Shanghai cuisine into popular consciousness. Before it came around, our appetite for Shanghai’s ‘xiao chi’ (or ’small eats’) was nurtured by trips to Sydney’s Little Shanghai in Ashfield.
New Shanghai
Skilled dumpling makers
As you walk into New Shanghai, it’s hard to overlook the ‘xiao long bao’ being made right in front of your eyes. The skill and finesse that goes into each one is incredible. Perhaps it’s this command over the art of dumplings that makes the xiao long bao here taste so good. Once you bite into the skin, the filling seeps into your mouth with a burst of flavour. The soup is light, tasty and rolls off the tongue. It isn’t slimey and slippery like the ones you might find at cheaper imitations.
Here are some of my favourite dishes at New Shanghai:
Drunken Chicken
Jellyfish with Cucumber Salad
Shanghai Rice Cake
Pork and Crab Meat Xiao Long Bao
Dumplings
Pan-fried bottom
Vegetarian Wonton Soup
Crispy Skin Chicken
Marinated Beef Slices
Steamed dumplings
Pork with Vegetable Hand Made Noodles
The service and value-for-money at New Shanghai is top notch. Orders start filtering out from the moment you order, even when there’s a full house and a line at the door. The majority of dishes on the menu are under $15, with many just under $10. Just on that note, we did see signs up saying that the menus had ‘opening special’ pricing, which means the prices could go up in a few weeks.
New Shanghai
Shop 20
Lemon Grove Shopping Centre
427-441 Victoria Avenue
Chatswood
# 02 9415 3536
(Bookings are recommended!)
Open 7 days from 10am until 8pm.
