New Shanghai, Sydney
Saturday, November 12, 2016
New to me is New Shanghai's CBD branch tucked away in the basement level of Westfield Sydney. I've frequently walked past this place when doing my rounds of retail therapy yet have only admired it from afar. The restaurant looks absolutely spacious and amazing with its oriental themed dining space that is beautifully decorated from the inside to out. It is eye-catching as one peer into the entrance...
… instantly transports you to the vibrant, classy and bustling dining houses of Shanghai.
The entire floor is paved yet the 'stone', 'wooden' and 'brick' walls are actually all wallpaper (we touched it). The wooden tables are spread out neatly throughout the restaurant. Lucky red lanterns hang from the ceiling and create a very intimate and oriental vibe. To the left of the entrance is dedicated bar space with high stools and tables, where I also presume all the drinks are made.
And directly to the front is the open kitchen hub with glass windows so you have a look inside at all the meals being freshly prepared.
Spot my friends!!!
I absolutely adore the indicate and ornate decorations that create this beautiful dining space and experience. The bowls on each table are also so pretty. There are accompanying Chinese spoons, sauce bowls, disposable wooden chopsticks, condiments of soy sauce and vinegar, and laminated menu's which a lot of people just end up using as placemats.
I'm here today with Francis, James and Yinyin after we had an eventful afternoon at UNSW thanks to the girls over at UNSW FABSOC as they hosted a meet and greet with popular Youtube star, Wengie! Click here to read all about it on my other blog.
James and Yinnie have been here before unlike Fran or I so we let those two decide on the orders for the group. And because we all have mom's waiting at home about to feed us dinner, our choices today are all just dumplings hehe. However I think the prices on the menu are all middle range and quite affordable as the cuisine is very much a modern take on traditional Shanghai dishes. If I was actually dining here for a full meal, I'd be tempted to order a lot and try it all!
Our drinks arrived first and to be honest I felt it took kind of long. Yin's milkshake took the longest as I made everybody not touch the drinks until they all arrived hahaha
L to R: Kumquat & fresh lemon juice ($5.60), Coke ($4.50), Lemon, lime & bitters ($5.60), Strawberry ice blended milkshake ($7.90)
My drink was the first one; the kumquat and fresh lemon juice. Very refreshing and just perfect for a hot day! It smells very citrusy and fragrant yet unfortunately I could barely taste any kumquat and it was pretty much all lemonade. Although, freshly squeezed lemonade and still great!
The other two drinks seem pretty standard but Fran said the coke was actually very watered down and lacked the gassy carbonated soda-ness. It could be old cola, a cheap brand of cola, or a case of too much syrup and not enough gas. All disappointing tbh.
Dumplings were also a bit of a wait but at least thats pretty standard and a good indicator they are somewhat freshly prepared:
The boiled dumplings arrived first. On matching pale blue plates!
Pork and Chive Dumplings, 10pc for $11.50
The dumpling skins on both of these types of boiled dumplings are pretty thick and chewy. Positive is at least there are no disasters when they are stuck together on the plate and the fillings are well encased, ensuring they won't just rip open or fall apart. The pork and chive filling is so delicious although I wish there was a bit more flavour and chives!
Prawn Dumplings, 10pc for $16
This was ordered for Francis and I because Yin & James don't like eating the seafood options. Thanks so much guys!! We loved this as the prawn inside was juicy, sweet and tender.
Enter the pan fried buns and steamed dumplings!
Pan Fried Pork Bun, 8pc for $12.50
Shout out to aspiring hand-model, James HAHA.
I love pan fried buns because it combines 3 things which I very much love: crispy fried dumpling bottoms, hot soup inside, and doughy soft white buns. These were fantastic and piping hot but considerably oily on the fried undersides. And I mean the oil would seep out and create a small puddle in my bowl when I left it there to cool.
Xiao Long Bao - Steamed Pork Dumplings, 8pc for $9
These skins were also on the thicker side yet overall these xiao long bao were amazing! A problem I have with some of these types of dumplings is they are very sticky and rip apart when you transfer it with your chopstick to your spoons. These didn't have that problem and the soup and pork inside was very tasty.
Thank you for reading! xx
TL;DR:
Price: In the middle range, but the dumplings are a great price for the quantity
Quality: Pretty good because suited all our tastes overall
Service: Professional and efficient
Ambience: Oriental Chinese themed in spacious and pretty dining restaurant
New Shanghai
Westfield Sydney
1017-1020/188 Pitt St,
Sydney NSW 2000
Open 7 days a week
11AM - 9PM
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