(I'm pretty sure I've got the right place, 'cause there are a few here that look kind of similar, but...) go for the xiao long bao, the best in Sydney.
To the reviewer below, you're not waiting 20 minutes because they're frozen, you're waiting more like 10 minutes because they're made from scratch. I take my Shanghai-born girlfriend here whenever she is homesick. We've tried some of the rest of the menu and it's not bad but it's the xiao long bao that it's famous for. And it smells of black vinegar because that's the best accompaniment.
Forget Taiwanese Din Tai Fung. Get the real deal here.
Tried this place on a busy Saturday night. Things were chaotic, but the staff managed well. Friendly service. Drinks and food came fast, and the food was very tasty. Highly recommend the vegetarian dumplings and shallot pancake, as well as the spicy chicken. This seems to be one of the better Chinese places in Ashfield, good reviews on Eatability and no black marks from the Food Authority.
My partner and I, for the sake of science, or, perhaps, deliciousness, have eaten at The New Shanghai on many, many, many occasions. We have been constantly amazed at the quality and value of the food on offer, and would like to share our observations with you.
The atmosphere is pretty intense, with the fluorescent lights and almost cafeteria-style seating, but when we go, we like to focus on the flavours, anyway. As far as I'm concerned, we've had amazing service. On our anniversary, we arrived just as there was a blackout. Apart from a small delay, the food still tasted amazing. Smiling and being nice, as in most settings, will go far.
The New Shanghai's famous dumplings are well worth a visit. The usual westernised Chinese food is also a cut above the rest (with large portions and good pricing!), and our more adventurous forays in the menu have been worth it, too. The garlic prawns almost started a blood feud over who got the last one, and the pork and veggie noodles could not be more delicious if they tried.
In all our visits, my partner and I were astonished to find that, no matter how much we ordered (and I have an obsession with having left overs), our bill never seemed much higher than $60 - and that is enough to feed approximately three people. So, normal people in a group could go here and spend just over $20 a head.
In summary: The New Shanghai is delicious and I look forward to spending too many nights out there in the future.
Frequent this place for the tasty food at a very reasonable price. Their specialty is steam xiao long bao which takes about 15-20 minutes as it is steamed from frozen state. The pan fried dumplings are my partner's favourite. Their prawn and pork soup dumplings are flavoursome with a meat stock&msg broth. Tried the drunken chicken once and it was mediocre in taste and flakey in texture. I suggest not veering from their specialty dishes of dumplings and xiao long bao.
They also do a nice sour and spicy soup for those who like such flavours. The rice noodle with XO sauce is not bad too, although the shop across the street has better rice noodles, so soft and chewy. There is not much of a drink selection, I usually go with cold soy milk. I recently read about the hygiene issues on the news and have visited the restaurant less often.
The senior staff there is rather mean to staff and on one of our visits made a dumpling maker cry. These dumpling makers stand behind the glass and make dumplings like a robot all day and I doubt they get paid very much. The ambience is poor and the furnishings are cheap. As my partner says, "the whole place smells like vinegar".
Nice food but horrible and unfriendly service. The staff got aggro when we asked for a soup spoon. Sometimes we are left waiting for up to 16 minutes while staff chat. We do over look the bad service and keep coming back for the great food though.
I turn a blind eye against the all the negative publicity New Shanghai has received in the past. This restaurant produces some really fine dumplings, and that is enough to keep me coming back. I can barely vouch for many other items on the menu, because I find myself ordering the same thing over and over again. That is, the pork dumplings (plain steamed and pan-fried), the shallot pancakes and the new year rice noodles with XO sauce.
Fundamentally, those dishes are very similar, but they are unique and tasty in their own way. The flavour can be enhanced by making use of the vinegar provided on each table. The only health hazard I have experienced so far is the near-boiling soup that you may encounter if you're not careful with the pan-fried variety of the pork dumplings.
This restaurant is frequented by those who enjoy authentic Shanghainese food at very affordable prices. Don't expect to be treated like royalty, and don't expect the waitresses to understand you fully unless you speak Chinese or point at the menu. Come to think of it, if the service was any better, it wouldn’t be authentic.
Great food! The service was alright, they forgot our tea but the food came up real fast. Food was really nice! the taste of traditional shanghainese cuisine. We really enjoyed it!