Mother: Have you tried this place before?

Isaac: Nope, but I’ve heard it’s very good.

Mother: You don’t know that; let’s just go have yum cha instead.

That’s the biggest difference between my mother and me. Even though I’m a stickler for pho, I love trying new things and travelling to places I’ve never been before. My mother’s very conservative and dislikes trying anything that doesn’t involve chopsticks.

Today is her birthday and I decided to take her somewhere she’s never been before. She’s had Shanghai cuisine before and I recruited my less conservative aunt (who doubles as my mother’s best friend) to go for a little lunch. Well I use the term little very loosely as we ended up ordering enough food for a circus.

Yeah, my diet isn’t going very well. That’s because Taste of Shanghai in Ashfield kept my mouth open and my chopsticks at the ready.

My mother and aunt are accustomed to eating in large groups. They started combing through the menu and ordering anything that caught their eye with absolute no regard to whether or not we’d be able to finish everything. I thoroughly enjoy this mindset and think that this is the best way to gauge how many great dishes a single restaurant can offer. Unfortunately, I usually review places on my lonesome and ordering enough for a royal banquet isn’t being very considerate to my poor wallet.

The first dish to arrive was the solitary item I ordered myself: Pan fried pork buns with sesame:

I let me mother sample one first ’cause it was her birthday and all. She took a tiny nibble and her brow immediately furrowed in concentration. Her next bite came with the soup that lived within the bun and she was hooked.

Isaac: Hey Ma, do you remember when you wanted to go have yum cha instead?

Mother: What are you talking about?

My mother noted how well the bottoms of the bun were fried. A lot of places often have soggy bottoms due to the liquid that accompanied the pork filling. Taste of Shanghais’ buns was akin to Miranda Kerr’s: Absolutely perfect. Warning; the centre is extremely hot and there is a tactical way of eating it. Eating it incorrectly will result in stained clothing and burnt tongues. Don’t say the boy didn’t tell you.

Next up:

Aunt: I think we may have ordered too much.

She was right but still. These were good but far from the best xiao long bao I’ve ever had. The filling was a little plain but the soup within was very rich and tasty. I wonder if the crab filled xiao long bao would’ve been a better decision. My aunt didn’t share my sentiments and had five out of the eight on offer. My aunt is awesome.

Following these soup filled delights was a family favourite:

Today I learnt that chive filled dumplings were a family favourite. I guess I never noticed because I was too busy eating everything else whenever I went to yum cha with the family. I was already on the verge of toppling over due to the amount of pork buns I had consumed but I couldn’t deny the power of these chive filled balls of joy. I’m not a huge fan of chives but something about the environment (and my aunt’s insistence that I eat more and bulk up) led to me quite enjoying them. Pro tip: they taste a lot better with the help of vinegar.

We weren’t even close to wrapping up:

For those concerned about the absurd amount of pork, do not fret. Taste of Shanghai offers chicken/beef/vegetarian variations of all the above dishes. My aunt and mother just really enjoy pork. These dumplings were my second favourite offering after the buns that opened our meal. I actually make dumplings on occasion and mine pale in comparison. Once again, the key is the broth that each dumpling contains and frying the bottoms to perfection. My own dumplings just can’t compare which is why this blog will never evolve into a recipe site.

I think that’s enough about my inadequacy, how about some non-pork dishes?

I know, right? Don’t these look absolutely amazing?

My aunt had ceased talking at this point and my mother was sweating profusely. I’m allowed to type these things because neither of them knows a lick of English. All three of us had eaten way too much but I refused to give up. These croissants were completely unique as I had never had a savoury variation prior to today. The exterior was crisp and felt freshly baked whilst the centre was warm and inviting. It was the food equivalent to being tucked in whilst wearing an onesie in winter.

We ordered one more thing and it was completely different from what’s already been revealed.

Ready?

You’re not ready but let’s unveil it anyway:

I gasped slightly when this was placed on our table. The fish looked so intimidating and yet it was bathed in sweet and sour sauce. It reminded me of the scene in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when Neville imagined Professor Snape in his grandmother’s clothing. I’ll LINK the scene in case anyone needs their memory jogged. On to the fish, it was very crisp even though it was covered in sauce. My mother made a note about the fish being steamed really well within the fried batter. I apologise for not having much of an opinion on this dish as I was already halfway towards a food coma.

Here’s the TL; DR for everyone that just scrolled through the photos:

– Pan fried pork buns are compulsory. I’ll fail you if you don’t order them.

– The pork xiao long bao were a little plain, I’ll try the crab variation next time and report back.

– My aunt orders a lot of food.

– The dumplings were way better than the ones I make at home.

– Great take on croissants

– The fish was really crisp and soft on the inside.

– I need a nap

Taste of Shanghai, Ashfield (There are also stores in Hurstville, Eastwood and the CBD)

264 Liverpool Road, Ashfield

Open seven days: 10:00 to 10:00

Note: Lunch and dinner menus vary

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