New Shanghai @ Ashfield

"What's for the dinner?" This question kept on popping up in our minds while hubby and I were driving back from Canberra after the Floriade!

By the time we come back to Sydney, it would be around 7:30, 8pm... so we didn't want to go anywhere that was too out of the way. Hurstville, Beveley Hills, Strathfield, Ashfield.... ASHFIELD.... how about some Shanghainese food?!??!?! OK... deal!

Hubby drove all the way to Canberra and all the way back, so he deserved some rewards! Pan Fried Pork Buns.... his favourite!

When we go to Ashfield, basically there are only two Shanghainese restaurants that we go to, either New Shanghai or Shanghai Night, they are just side by side to each other. These two eateries are probably the only 2 places that are always full! I feel sorry for the other nearby Shanghainese restaurants which are usually empty or with only 2-3 tables of customers! I guess this explains the quality of food in New Shanghai and Shanghai Night!

We walked into New Shanghai, and it was packed with people, there was a table just about to leave, so we were lucky! We sat down and had a look at the menu, one plate was already set - pan fried pork buns, and for the second dish we picked Drunken Chicken.

This place is similar to the Chatswood outlet in the sense that it has a glass room which enables people to see their dumpling making process. However, it doesn't have the overall up market decor as the Chastwood one! I guess their target market is quite different!

Drunken Chicken

The drunken chicken arrived at the table pretty quickly. The chicken meat was velvety smooth, and the texture was soft and tender. The amount of alcohol taste was just right, not too powerful that it becomes bitter like some I've tasted before. This dish was beautiful!

While we were waiting for our Pan Fried Pork Buns, we saw so many plate of this walked pass us! Every time we saw one came out of the kitchen, we would guess... 'is this ours? is this ours?' We were hoping that it came faster because both of us were very excited about it. We very rarely order this dish because there are 10 buns in one dish, and that's a bit much for just the two of us! Since this was a reward for hubby's driving effort, so this was a treat for him!

Pan Fried Pork Buns

Finally our plate arrived, 10 identical buns sat nicely and steadily on the plate waiting for us to pick on them! What was so nice about this dish was it has a pan fried crispy bottom, but a soft fluffy top, when you bite into it, it has a pool of pork soup that is full of flavour, and a ball of juicy meat inside!!! What I usually do is.... bite the top off, then suck the soup out of the bun, then pour some black vinegar inside and then eat the rest of it! Yummmm.... But be careful of the soup, it's boiling hot! I always ended up having a sandpaper like tongue afterwards from sucking the hot soup! =P

One thing that I would say about these pork buns is they could have pan fried them a little longer to get them just a bit more crispier!!!!

New Shanghai Chinese Restaurant

273 Liverpool Road,

Ashfield