what do you think of when you think of Shanghai? Maybe you think of a massive city with skyscrapers (like a normal person), but if you’re a foodie like me, you think of Shanghainese food! Yummy dumplings, cold dishes and hardy stir-fry dishes. Let me take you to some of my favourite spots for Shanghai food in Sydney.
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YANG'S DUMPLINGS
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Express takeaway: 3c/127 Burwood Rd, Burwood
Restaurant: Shop 9, 11/15 Deane Street Burwood
Yang’s Dumplings offer an array of options, but if you’re going to visit then you must try their pan-fried dumplings. Crispy bottoms with fresh and juicy meat fillings inside. Great with vinegar!
Find fresh whole shrimp in their pork and shrimp pan-fried dumplings. Pair it with some vinegar and chili oil for the perfect grab-and-go snack. Remember to eat them hot and fresh from the pan for the best experience.
SHANGHAI NIGHT
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275 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield NSW 2131
I use to visit Shanghai Night regularly growing up to get my Shanghai food fix and it’s still as good as I remember it.
Here’s a few of my go-to items I think you should try:
Xiao Long Baos are a must order. Made fresh in-house everyday so you get the perfectly thin wrappers filled with a porky soup meat filling. You know your Xiao Long Bao is good when your dumpling wobbles like a water sack without breaking. Don’t forget the vinegar!
A flavour bomb of a pork chop with egg noodles and a rich broth. The pork chop has a good bite to it, not too tough that it takes away from the flavour.
Another Shanghai food signature dish like the Xiao Long Bao. Every chewy noodle is coated evenly with sauce. Served with thin strips of pork and veg.
257 HOME KITCHEN
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257 Rowe St, Eastwood NSW 2122
This is a place I go to often if I’m eating with others with dishes more suited for sharing. Here’s a few my family and I like to order:
Drunken Chicken is a Shanghainese cold dish. Chicken is cooked and then chilled before letting it soak in rice wine and chicken stock. What you get is tender chicken meat with a fragrant taste of alcohol and umami flavours.
A high protein vegetarian cold dish with a bunch of different fungi and tofu products. The whole dish is soaked in this savoury sauce, but the spongey bran makes every bite full of flavour. A fun dish full of different textures.
Shanghai style rice cakes are similar to Korean style rice cakes except they’re denser and chewier. You find Shanghai rice cakes sliced thinly for stir-frying with many different flavours. This time we went for a savour veggy sauce.
This dramatically displayed Yellow Croaker is something my family normally orders when we have guests visiting from out of town or for big festival days like Chinese New Year.
The fish is butterflied and then scored before being battered and deep fried. And then finally poured in sweet and sour sauce. The scoring of the meat makes convenient nuggets of fish meat you can break off with a spoon. An appetising dish you need to pair with a bowl of rice.
