Excelsior Jones, Ashfield

I'm a breakfast sort of person. You know what they say, it's the most important meal of the day. But there are days where you just don't want to get up and the meal quickly turns to brunch. I find myself in Ashfield one day and the newly opened Excelsior Jones grabs my attention for that very meal.

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New Shanghai, Ashfield

Always keen for a good xiao long bao, we went down Ashfield one lazy Sunday afternoon hopeful to find a shop who offers it. Haha please. When walking into Ashfield, you'll encounter a multitude of dumpling options to choose from down the strip of Hume Highway and be hard pressed not to find a shop which offers xiao long bao. Which is a good thing. 

The interior looks fancy and it was promising to see the kitchen so efficient and high tech with the stainless steel and black smooth brickwork interior.

New Shanghai steamed mini pork bun 6.8

Xiao Long Bao arrive perfectly formed, plump and juicy. It is well seasoned already so taste it first before adjusting the saltage with soy sauce.

New Shanghai pan fried pork bun 8.8

The shen jian bao here are bloody brilliant. It's missing more of that much desired soup and the dough's a bit much but the bottom... Oh crispy bottom exterior. There's nothing quite like it. It's just brilliant how insanely crispy ours were. 

Sliced fresh fish congee 7.8

A very unadorned congee is a very unappreciated thing; it comes missing the usual garnishes but the simplicity is pleasantly remarkable on our end. The chunks of fish were incredibly fresh with none of that fishy taste which was nice and only perfumed with thin hits of light ginger.

Beef in five special sauce noodle soup 8.8

Beef noodle arrives but it comes not quite the way we expect it. I think I'm too used to the large moreish chunks of slow cooked beef, deep, heady broth and thick ramen but this pleasantly surprises. The lighter, almost medicinal broth can be very much credited to the 5 spice along with the thin slices of beef which results in a pleasant finish to the evening.

As seems to be sadly accepted within most Chinese restaurants, service seems to be a bit irregular but I'm hardly there for the service. Still it does leave sort of a sour note. Chairs are placed within doorways and often you'll sit forgotten waiting to grab a waiters attention but on the bright side they are incredibly efficient. It's undeniably delicious food and the locals would certainly agree with me.


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Shanghai Night, Ashfield

Busy restaurateurs have been recently capitalizing on the recent craze over dumplinga, what with Din Tai Fung opening it's multiple franchises and the newly opened Mr Wong that's drawing in droves. For me, however, it's the forgotten street down Liverpool Road in Ashfield that needs the attention; all the Xiao Long Bao without the premium prices. Every third store (slight exaggeration) are Shanghainese Xiao Long Bao specialists. No foodie can possibly resist that treasure trove of goodness now there.

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