Mr Taste and I were recently invited to take part in New Shanghai’s first ever Wine & Dumpling dinner, which also coincided with the launch of their brand new wine menu designed and compiled by Treasury Wines.

The new wine menu features aromatic whites with dry lean characteristics and robust reds that are full bodied in finish. The wines are designed to both complement and contrast New Shanghai’s menu, not only to cleanse the palate but also balance out the rich flavours.

I was particularly impressed with the selection of whites, which included a Leo Buring Clare Valley Riesling 2011 with subtle pear and apple notes and the Angel Cove Marlborough Savignon Blanc 2010, which had a refreshing cut grass and fresh capsicum quality. Sadly, both wines are restaurant exclusives, so do give them a shot if you spot them.

To ease down the wine, we were served six courses of New Shanghai’s signature dishes, including their famous panfried pork buns and xiao long bao – which need no introduction at all!

Pan fried pork bun and pan fried pork dumpling

Steamed soup dumpling, mini crab meat and pork bun, steamed vegetarian dumpling

We began with a cold platter, including pickled cucumber, kelp and drunken chicken. All three are considered ‘drinking snacks’ in Chinese, so it was a great way to start the dinner.

Shredded kelp in spice and vinegar, chopped cucumber with fresh garlic and drunken chicken, soaked in Chinese wine

I was a big fan of New Shanghai’s shepherds purse dumplings, which sat in a nutty sesame butter emulsion. The topping of grated cucumber added some subtlety and crunch to the dish.

Shepherd

The main course of crispy chicken and sticky pork belly was also a standout. The pork worked perfectly with the Penfolds Koonunga Hill 76 Shiraz Cabernet 2010 which I found too overpowering sipped alone. But together, the wine brought out a lovely plummy caramel quality in the pork belly. All hallmarks of a great pairing!

Braised pork belly and deep fried chicken in special garlic and chilli sauce

The dessert of slow cooked fungus was a bit of a wildcard. As it was slow cooked, the fungus was quite ‘slimey’ and made it a difficult flavor and texture to grasp for the uninitiated. I didn’t mind it so much, as it was a welcome sweet respite at end of the meal.

Slow cooked white fungus with papaya soup

New Shanghai will be holding a series of Wine & Dumplings dinners this summer, with the next one scheduled for the Charlestown store in November For full details, please visit www.newshanghai.com.au.

New Shanghai
Chatswood Chase
Victoria Avenue
Chatswood NSW
# 02 9415 3536
www.newshanghai.com.au

But boy, has this paid off for LL Wine & Dine.

Maybe it’s the recent culinary research trip to Shanghai or perhaps the gifted hands of chef Jin Kung, LL’s dumplings are pretty darn impressive. The skin, skillfully thin, envelops a hearty prawn and scallop filling with lobster broth. Though it’s closer to the yum cha breed, the dumpling is full of flavour and without the nasty sticky MSG after taste.

Steamed lobster bisque soup dumplings filled with prawn and scallop

Another dish LL does well is Peking duck – well, a more contemporary ‘jazzed’ up version that features shredded confit duck breast that’s far tastier than it’s Chinatown equivalent. While the homemade pancakes are a little eggy for my liking, I’m impressed with the taro chips which add a nice crunch. 

Confit crispy duck breast with five spices served with homemade pancakes

The standout dish for me is the sashimi nachos – which is actually a rather misleading label because they’re not really nachos at all. It’s a tricky dish to manoevur – trying to balance fish, corn salsa and sour cream is a challenge especially after a few cocktails – but the effort is rewarded with a scrumptious mouthful. There was something distinctly ‘Cantonese’ about the dish and it took me several nachos later to realise it was the drizzle of ginger and shallot oil on the bread. Genius!

Sashimi nachos of kingfish and ocean trout served with a spicy lime, capsicum and corn salsa, avocado, sour cream and black caviar

These gems, along with a handful of other dishes, feature on LL’s new winter menu. Don’t be fooled by LL’s swanky exterior, you’ll find some seriously bold flavours here. Just take the mint jelly that complements the lamb cutlets or the jumbo prawns in the Singaporean curry, LL’s chefs aren’t messing around.

Roasted lamb cutlet crusted with Massaman curry and lime leaf served with cucumber and mint jelly

Singaporean jumbo king prawn curry

I’m a little ashamed it’s taken me so long to visit LL, it’s a beautiful space to be in. It’s hard to believe this used to be a sex shop – though the retro porn collage on the wall is an amusing reminder.

LL Wine & Dine
42 Llankelly Place
Potts Point 2011
# 02 9356 8393
www.llwineanddine.com.au

Thanks to Chris and the team at LL for the intro, I’m hanging for another Chee Chee Mule!

Fat Noodle consulting chef, Luke Nguyen

Star City has been undergoing major renovations in the last year with the aim of transforming into a world class dining and entertainment complex – in other words, more like the Crown Casino in Melbourne. The launch of the open plan Fat Noodle brings Star City one step closer to realising this dream.

Fat Noodle

This open plan noodle bar is effortlessly inviting and sits right next to the Baccarat tables and 1c poker machines. There’s something very Vegas about the new setup and if this is where Star City is headed, then I am looking forward to the final reveal.

The very glamorous 'Fat Noodle' hostesses

The launch of Fat Noodle was a star studded affair, spruiking the likes of Sarah Wilson, Sean Connolly, Mikey Robbins and Tony Squires to name a few. It wasn’t until Matt Preston’s fashionably late arrival that got us food bloggers excited. Sporting a brown blazer, suede boots and a pink-and-white cravat, Matt was a vision of style and elegance. Chowing into Luke Nguyen’s signature ‘fat pho’ noodle cups, he said, “Luke, what’s with the tiny portions!”

Matt Preston with Luke Nguyen

The food was flavourful and there was plenty of it – a handful of waistaff worked the room holding tasting platters filled with pork neck skewers, prawn and pork dumplings, crisp parcels, rice paper rolls, salt and pepper tofu, ‘fat’ pho and slow braised wagyu. The stand-out for me were the dumplings (beautiful skin with lots of bite) and the slow braised wagyu (tender pull apart beef in a rich aromatic broth).

Crisp parcels with pork

Grilled Byron Bay organic pork neck skewers

Roast duck Vietnamese rice paper rolls

Roast duck with vermicelli noodles

Handmade pork and prawn wontons

Slow braised wagyu beef brisket and tendon with noodles

Salt and Pepper silken tofu

Great food is always complemented by great drinks and a real highlight for me on the night was the cocktails, which included tamarind and palm sugar martinis and lychee margaritas.

Bar staff prepping the tamarind and palm sugar cocktails

Perhaps the thing that appeals to me most about Fat Noodle is its late opening hours – 2:30am on school nights and 6:30am on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s the perfect spot for a late night Vietnamese hit!

Fat Noodle
Star City Casino
80 Pyrmont Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009
# 1800 700 700
www.starcity.com.au

Open from 11.30am to 2.30am on Sundays through to Thursdays and 11.30am to 6am on Fridays and Saturdays.

We had already spent the day eating non stop, walking up and down every street and making pointless stops at shops we weren’t interested in. Sitting on a bench, watching office workers giving themselves early marks and heading home, kids flocking out of trams and into fast food restaurants, Ms. Taste hits her iPhone to find some things to do.

“We’ve still got time left on our ticket, lets go ride the 96 tram, we haven’t done that route yet”, I suggest. Ms. Taste shakes her head and lets out an exasperated sigh, “What is your obsession with trams?”

Then she remembers that No Reservations episode where Tony visits Melbourne and with a few more minutes of googlising, we are walking again with a purpose, towards Chinatown in search of Dainty Sichuan.

After walking all the way to Little Bourke St, we find that Dainty Sichuan has moved and in it’s place, serving the same Sichuan delights with the same kitchen and wait staff is Sichuan House. It’s only 4:30 in the afternoon but there’s already two tables full of loud students tucking into their plates of chilli.

These tables weren't empty for long

Cumin Lamb Ribs

Ms. Taste orders the Cumin Lamb Ribs because Tony did it No Reservations, despite her dislike for cumin. There had to have been a jar of cumin in this dish (and a similar amount of garlic and sichuan pepper). It was an assault on the senses, with the aroma of all the strong spices, the crisp deep-fried outside and soft meat inside, and the lingering burning of the lips after each bite always itching for the next.

Fish Sour Stew with Pickled Vegetables

The stewed fish with pickled vegetables is a favourite of ours. However, each restaurant seems to have their own spin on the dish. The version at Sichuan House has plenty of bean sprouts to soak up the sour soup and that subtle, unassuming kick from all the chillis hiding under and in between all the ingredients.

My kind of ribs and beer

Sichuan House

Sichuan House was just the hit we needed before our flight home. And as we sat on the runway waiting for our plane to take off, we could still feel the tingle of Sichuan House on our tongues and took comfort in the thought that there couldn’t have been a better way to end our trip.

Sichuan House
22-26 Corrs Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000
# 03 9650 8589

Pan Asian

During my recent trip to Melbourne, Ziba from Harvey Publicity invited us to dine at Pan Asian, an asian fusion restaurant located on the Chapel Street precinct. Feeling adventurous, I put my skepticism aside and kindly agreed.

Pan Asian

Walking into Pan Asian is like steppingback in time onto an old Chinese movie set. There’s an eclectic mix of antique dark wood chests, woven bamboo chairs and grand floor-to-ceiling carved wooden screens. The manga-style mural on the kitchen wall is a little over the top, but no doubt adds to the atmosphere of the place.

Pan Asian

Once seated, we were greeted with dinner and drink menus. Pan Asian has quite a refined menu offering with an interesting mix of dishes – some more bold (or should I say, ‘fusion’) than others – such as the stir fried shark or blue cheese and leek gyoza.

We start with drink orders, and the lychee infused black tea catches my eye. As does the mojito on the cocktail list, which our waitress reveals to be the most popular cocktail on the menu. I can’t say I’m usually a fan of mojito, but the Pan Asian version, I can certainly warm to.

Lychee infused black tea

Pan Asian Mojito

As we wait for our dishes, we are brought two shots of the housemade soy mushroom broth.

Soy mushroom broth

The first dish to arrive is the beef tataki. The slices are thin but tender and come accompanied with Japanese mayo, black sesame seeds and shoots.

Beef tataki with Japanese mayo, sesame and shoots

Our next order is the char grilled cuttlefish and green papaya salad. Papaya or paw paw salad is a personal favourite of ours and although we’ve had quite a few variations, this dish lacks the depth of flavour and spiciness we’ve come to expect. That said, it is quite light on the palate and the supple cuttlefish curls are a nice addition.

Char grilled cuttlefish and papaya salad

Char grilled cuttlefish and papaya salad

The tea smoked duck breasts was a real stand-out for me. Although the duck alone was a winner in its own right, it was the pickled watermelon rind and toasted pistachios that brought all the flavours together in one intoxicating mouthful. I’ve never seen or tasted anything like the pickled watermelon rind – it was both sweet and sour and resembled the texture of a firm pear. I couldn’t get enough of it!

Tea smoked duck breast with pickled watermelon rind and pistachios

Tea smoked duck breast with pickled watermelon rind and pistachios

The last main to arrive on the night was Chinese style pork belly. We were both surprised by the generous serving of pork belly, it was probably the most generous we’ve ever seen in any restaurant. The strips of pork belly arrived doused in a blood orange sauce and tossed with celery and radish. While I didn’t eat as much of this dish as I would’ve liked (Mr. Taste and I were both loosening notches on our belts by this stage), I thought it was an interesting, if not clever combination.

Chinese style roasted pork belly with blood orange, celery and radish

Chinese style roasted pork belly with blood orange, celery and radish

Of course, we couldn’t leave without having dessert.

Our order of pandan panna cotta, blood orange sago and mandarin shortbread was absolutely amazing. This was the perfect fusion of flavours for me and I couldn’t have been happier to end the dinner any other way. The panna cotta was velvety smooth, with just the right amount of pandan. The blood orange soup was a little unusual but a treat with the sago pearls. And finally, the mandarin shortbread was delightful end to the meal.

Pandan panna cotta with blood orange soup and mandarin shortbread

Blood orange soup with sago

Mandarin shortbread

Pan Asian
267 Chapel Street
Prahran, Melbourne
# 03 9533 7022
www.panasian.com.au

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00-3:30pm and from 5:30pm to late.

Crab Claw - Large

Cabramatta’s Vinh Phat is one of these places. It also happens to be our favourite place for yum cha in Sydney.

Vinh Phat

Vinh Phat has been around since I was a kid. The great thing about this place is the incredible consistency. The same shopfront, the same decor, the same 15-20 tables in the same layout, the same long wait, the same unique dishes, the same waitstaff.

The same folding partition in front of the toilets...

During our latest visit, we arrive on a Saturday at 9:30 in the morning. Any later and we’d have to face the long lines and ridiculous parking situation at Cabramatta. When we enter the restaurant, we’re a little disappointed to see the tables have already been filled. Then out of nowhere, a family of 6 sitting at a table for four stands up and is ushered onto an larger table. The mother and kids carry their teapot and bowls still half full with food across the restaurant. We are gestured to move into the newly vacated four seater table.

Chai Tow Kway - Extra Large

As soon as we sit down, Ms Taste gestures for the Chai Tow Kway and it teasingly sits there in front of us before we have even gotten our chopsticks and yum cha card. Many Cantonese yum chas don’t have this dish so it’s a ‘must order’ whenever we come here. The steaming hot mixture of soft but firm, slightly burnt flour cubes with the sweet soy and the egg and the radish means that this is polished off very quickly.

Crab Claw - Large

The minced crab claws also get a lot of love. You only get three, so if you’ve got an even party, you might need to barter for the rights to one for yourself. Or you could just order another serving of them!

Seafood Spring Roll - Large

The seafood spring rolls here are a favourite from my childhood. My mum and I would come here when I was little just and get a serve of these each for ourselves. The soft, crunchy skin covered in a sweet and sour sauce and the always hot filling of minced prawns and water chestnuts are a winning combination. I don’t think I’ve ever seen these anywhere else.

Seafoody goodness

Seafood Dim Sim - Medium

When I see those yellowskins, my tastebuds have been programmed to expect a nice mouthful of pork with specks of tiny prawn bits but these dim sims are filled with a juicy minced prawn mixture.

Prawn Rice Noodle - Large

Steamed rice noodle dishes would have to have the shortest yum cha shelf life. If not eaten fresh from the steamer, the taste and texture can drop from a perfect 10 down to a 1. Another advantage of a small restaurant, these get gobbled up by every table as soon as they leave the kitchen so they’re as fresh as you can get.

Prawn Dumpling - Medium

These prawn dumplings always come with bright bits of bamboo shoots in the filling. Other places do this dish a lot better but these are pretty satisfactory.

Chicken Feet - Medium

Ms. Taste cleans up the Chicken Feet any time we have yum cha. I would have one and she would eat the remaining three or four. Again like the prawn rice noodles – the quality of the dish decreases exponentially with time.

Iced Coffee

Total damage for the 7 dishes and a drink? $35. Is there any other Yum Cha in Sydney where you can get such excellent bang for your buck as Vinh Phat? Feel free to prove me wrong but I don’t think that there is.

Vinh Phat
40 Park Rd
Cabramatta
NSW 2166
# 02 9726 2720

Open daily for lunch and dinner

Darlinghurst’s trendy Vietnamese eatery, Phamish is unique in that I’ve heard both extremes – while some adore it, others wouldn’t dream of going back. It wasn’t until my first visit there that I realised why.

Papaya and Beef Salad - $16.50

I have a pet hate for restaurants that don’t take bookings. Phamish is one of these restaurants. The first time I visited Phamish, my girlfriends and I arrived 15 minutes after opening and missed the first sitting – which meant that we had to wait an hour before getting a table. The second time, Mr. Taste and I made sure we were there 6pm on the dot. We figured it was worth killing ourselves to get there on time than face the agonising wait.

Front Counter

Both times I’ve visited, the service was unfriendly. I’ve also heard horror stories of customers getting screamed at for missing their spot in the queue. The staff don’t take orders, so you have to line up at the counter to place your order (on most nights, the line is as long as the restaurant itself). While the food does come out quite fast, you’re also expected to vacate your table just as quickly. Dishes are cleared almost as soon as you take the last bite.

Duck and Prawn Pancake - $14

Bad service or not, the food is definitely worth coming for. Some say Phamish is a mix of Vietnamese and Thai, but I think it’s more Chinamese fusion in that it takes a fresh approach to Chinese and Vietnamese cooking. The duck and prawn rice paper rolls here are sensational. These jumbo sized rolls combine duck pancake, banh xeo and rice paper roll all in one fascinating mix. They are definitely one of the first dishes to be taken off the menu on a busy night, so make sure you order these early!

Blue Swimmer Crab Dumplings (with dipping sauce) - $12

The Blue Swimmer Crab Dumplings are just as popular. These crispy wontons are stuffed with a crab meat filling with shitake mushrooms and corn. A word of warning, the dumpings are prepared fresh from the deep fryer, so be careful not to burn your tongue!

Papaya and Beef Salad - $16.50

The papaya salad is quiet mild in comparison to the ones Mr Taste’s aunts make. It’s still plenty tasty though, especially with the pan-fried beef slices.

Other signature dishes include the salt and pepper squid, lamb curry and the banana blossom salad.

Phamish

And one last thing….. For those of you who’ve been, what is up with the chairs? While I love the look, they’re awfully uncomfortable to sit on. After two hours on these seats, I’m in need a good back rub.

Phamish

Phamish
Shop 109, 50 Burton St,
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
# 02 9357 2688

This is the whole premise behind Ruby L’otel‘s weekend ‘Feed the Family Yum Cha Menu’. The stylish new bar in Rozelle takes yum cha to a whole new level with its outdoor garden restaurant which serves up an impressive variety of dim sum served the Aussie way.

Chicken Broth Hot Pot - $4 per person

Ruby L'otel

But don’t come here expecting your prawn dumplings to be like the ones at East Ocean. What you will get is dim sum served to suit the aussie palate – salt and pepper squid with tangy lemon dipping sauce, fried prawn won tons and ‘do it yourself short soup’. While I can’t really see my parents wanting to come here for yum cha, I know several friends who will. Ruby is also family friendly (I know! A family friendly bar!), kids love new experiences – especially when there’s face painting and balloon animals thrown into the mix.

Yum cha table setting with menu

Yum cha here doesn’t come on rickety trolleys, it is cooked fresh to order. The prices aren’t cheap though – a trio of dumplings will set you back at least $7 or $8, which is probably on par with the top notch yum cha joints. For two people, it’s just a tad too expensive to come as a regular but nice for a catch up with friends – especially if you want to avoid the hassles of getting a park in the city.

Black tea

Four sauces - soy with ginger, chilli, Nobu style miso and xo sauce

What I liked best at Ruby was the chicken broth hot pot. While the broth is very light in flavour (no MSG by the taste of it), it springs to life when the vegies, dumplings and soy are added. It’s all a matter of personal taste and having the freedom to make your own short soup is pretty special.

Salt and Pepper Squid with White Pepper and Lemon Sauce $12

Asian Greens with Tamari and Lemon $12

Mr. Taste and I are very big on steamed dim sum. While we enjoyed the Crab and Spinach Siu Mai, the Prawn and Scallop Dumplings were a little disappointing. The skin was quite thick and the filling wasn’t as saucey as we would like. I did enjoy the Pork Soup Dumplings though – it can’t compare to Din Tai Fung but the flavour is wonderfully balanced and not too salty.

Crab and Spinach Siu Mai $10

Steamed Prawn Dumplings $7

Steamed Scallop Dumplings $7.50

Pork Soup Dumplings $7

Although I was slightly surprised to find that there wasn’t much of a dessert selection, my favourite Mango Pudding was on there. It was slightly gooey but beautifully fresh and very different to the ones I’ve had at yum cha. I’m not sure it’s worth the $7 price tag though – my dad makes me feel guilty enough when I pay $4 for this little treat at yum cha (why order dessert when you can order another dumpling!).

Mango Pudding $7

If you’re looking for a relaxed way to enjoy yum cha without the hour-long wait – then do give Ruby a try. It’s not the best yum cha in town, but it sure inspires us to experience new ways of enjoying the popular weekend ritual.

Ruby L'otel Garden Restaurant

Note: Ruby L’otel’s ‘Feed the Family Yum Cha Menu’ is available from 11 am through to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Ruby L’otel
68 Victoria Road
Rozelle 2039 NSW
# 02 9555 1900
www.rubylotel.com.au

Open Sunday to Tuesday from 11 am to 10.30 pm and Wednesday to Saturday from 10 am – 12 midnight

Thanks to Katie at Magnum PR for organising our tasting at Ruby.

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.

One of our favourite Sichuan restaurants is Red Chilli Sichuan, which offers two branches in Chinatown and one in Burwood. We visited the upstairs Chinatown branch once for all-you-can-eat hotpot and we are yet to visit the new downstairs branch down the street. However, we come to Burwood branch quite regularly to appease our sichuan pepper cravings.

Stewed Sliced Fish with Sichuan Chilli and Pickled Vegetables $28.80

Bits of white fish, chinese cabbage and sour pickled cabbage floating in an extremely flavourful stew filled with garlic, tiny green chillies, tiny red chillies and plenty of sichuan peppers (and probably a jar of MSG). The soup is incredibly addictive, each mouthful delivers an assortment of different flavours.

Boiled Pork Slices in Garlic and Chilli Oil $9.80

Boiled Pork Slices in Garlic and Chilli Oil is a cold dish and has only 2 chilli icons on the menu. There’s no confusion here, thin slices of fatty pork belly drenched in a deliciously unique garlic chilli oil and the ever present sichuan peppers, topped with sesame seeds. Totally addictive and totally delicious. Once I’m finished with the pork, I cover my rice with the delicious oil to prolong the flavour with each further mouthful.

Other favourites here include the Dan Dan Noodles $7.80 and the Spicy Soup in both lamb, fish and chicken varieties $22.80.

The restaurant is quite tiny. There are only 6-7 tightly packed tables downstairs, while upstairs has a few extra circular tables. Expect to wait outside in the freezing cold with international students in their under-dressed outfits and cigarette smoke.

As with most Chinese restaurants nowadays, any special requests or assistance with the menu items are totally lost in translation (want no nuts? Ok, here’s extra nuts for you). I saw a gentleman walk in and ask for the takeaway menu a few times, only to be met with blank stares before being ushered out.

That said, the service here is very prompt and the tables are turned around very quickly – and that’s all that really matters doesn’t it?

Rice $2 per person
Tea $1 per person

Red Chilli Sichuan
35C Burwood Road Burwood
# 02 9745 2258
http://www.redchillirestaurant.com.au/