Little northern Chinatown in Chatswood

I had no idea that Chatswood had become a little mini northern Chinatown. Almost any Chinese outlet one would find in the city's Chinatown are in Chatswood, plus more with somewhat of a northern bent too - fitting really.

Indeed, there are two New Shanghai Chinese Restaurants in Chatswood in fairly close proximity, which in itself seems a little odd. The fact that they are located in two polar opposites of shopping centres - the luxe Chatswood Chase and not-so-swish Lemon Grove Shopping Centre - is even more strange.

Crab xiao long bao from New Shanghai, Lemon Grove Shopping Centre,
Victoria Street, Chatswood

We find ourselves at the somewhat 'lesser' of the two outlets one hot afternoon for a late lunch. Seated right beside the glass windows to the dumpling kitchen, we have prime view of xiao long bao soup dumplings being filled and pleated, as well as shallot pancake dough being weighed fastidiously and then rollled flat, encasing chopped green shallots.

Service is brusque, even for a Chinese restaurant, but it's not long before food fills the table. The crab xiao long bao have a detectable seafood taste but aren't really so different to the standard pork ones. The dumpling skins hold well and are hard to fault, while the soup is still the best part of the experience.

Pan fried pork dumplings

While an open kitchen encourages clean work areas, which I'm all for, it also means little restaurant tricks that are perhaps best left out of diners' view are, unfortunately, in full view.

I had my fingers tightly crossed that the plate of pan fried dumplings that emerged from the microwave were not headed towards my table. No such luck, and I tried as best I could to eat them without prejudice.

It may well have been all in my head but I struggled with the tough outer skins while taste- and heat-wise they were acceptable. A healthy dousing with both vinegar sauce and chilli oil helped but the overall enjoyment of the dumplings had been marred from the start.

Sichuan style sauce stir fried with pork mince and served with dry noodle

I often find myself deferring to the usual orders at northern Chinese restaurants - it's so hard to resist certain dumplings and for others, Sichuan style noodles with a spicy bean sauce and minced pork. This serving was not too spicy despite its imposing hue, assisted by the refreshing juliennes of cucumber.

Sichuan spicy pork noodles mixed

It's not such a pretty sight when mixed through and messy to eat too, as most good things are. The sauce-coated, just-cooked noodles become extremely slippery and dangerous for any white tops. Indeed, after the meal we even found sauce splatters on the glass of the kitchen window beside us.

Stir fried spinach with garlic

I'm always a little baffled with the price of straight vegetable dishes at casual Chinese eateries. I understand that a plate of spinach could well be three bunches worth, but at about double the price of a plate of dumplings, something doesn't quite add up.

In this instance, there definitely could have been many dollars worth of garlic in the dish as it was absolutely loaded with diced garlic amongst the tender spinach leaves and stems. A good dish for colds and vampire repelling.

Post lunch, walking around probably with a garlic cloud above, it looked like northern Chinatown has integrated seamlessly with Chatswood. The crowds at Asian dessert house Zen Q were proof, nestled into the Westfield at street level and doing brisk trade on the hot afternoon.

Mango shaved ice with  fresh mango, mango jelly and mango ice cream from Zen Q,
Westfield Chatswood

The lengthy menu is abundant in options: ices, puddings, toppings, bread-oriented desserts and even something with tuna salad. The heat called for something cooling and the bowl of mango variations seemed to fit the bill.

The squishy eat-in seating, designed to fit as many bodies into the small space as possible, meant I was basically sitting on top of someone next to me as my mango dessert arrived. The sprinkles took me back to times of frozen party pies and sausage rolls, but at least the mango ice did its job in refreshing.

It wasn't overly sweet either while the mango ice cream was the most subtle of the lot. The small helping of fresh mango cubes was the best component while the slightly chewy mango jellies were fun but few and far between.

Fruit soup with ice cream

I have no idea what this is, let alone a name, but put nicely it looks like a mixed fruit soup. I have other, more graphic descriptions for what I think it looks like, but I've learnt that they're best left out. Fruit salad mixed with ice cream doesn't do it for me at the best of times, let alone in soup form.

We scoff and dash at Zen Q, but not before peering quzzically at couples and groups attacking loaves of bread dressed in everything from fruit to cream to more of those sprinkles. Bread with dessert is a fairly alien concept to me but being the the Chinatown of the north, perhaps next time I cross the Bridge I'll have to do as the Romans do.

The oldies but goodies at New Shanghai Chinese Restaurant

The main road through Ashfield is one of Sydney's suburban Chinatowns, with more of a Northern Chinese slant than the traditionally Cantonese Haymarket Chinatown. And as to be expected from a Chinatown, the street is lined with food outlets and restaurants, grocers, butcheries, fishmongers and fruit shops.

With so much on offer, it's a wonder that I keep returning for just one or two things; namely, xiao long bao pork soup dumplings and their cousins, the Shanghai pan fried pork buns.

Xiao long bap from New Shanghai Chinese Restaurant, Liverpool Road, Ashfield

They don't mess around here, and food hits the table fairly fast and in no particular order. The xiao long bao excite the table as a quasi-appetiser, though still not everyone knows how to eat them without soup squirts or leaks.

These are great, with full-flavoured soup inside the slightly-thicker-than-DTF dumpling skins. I always think I could eat a few baskets full of these, though I'm yet to have the pleasure of that challenge.

Zha jiang noodles

Another favourite dish is the zha jiang noodles; slippery, thick, white noodles beneath an appetising topping of minced pork and spicy bean paste, among potentially hundreds of other ingredients. Alongside, a handful of julienned cucumber combats the slight but increasing heat of the sauce.

Zha jiang noodles, mixed through

The noodles aren't as pretty when mixed through, but it's the only way to eat them properly. While I normally prefer egg noodles over rice noodles in most instances, this is one exception to the case.

Spicy combination wonton noodle hot pot

We hadn't expected the hot pot to be quite such a giant bowl full of chilli red broth, topped with wonton dumplings, beef strips, Chinese greens and black fungus.

Definitely a serving to be shared, this was a meal within a meal that never seemed to end - meat, vegies, dumplings, noodles - we were fishing for food right to the very bottom of the bowl.

Pan fried pork buns

Often the last to arrive are the pan fried pork buns, presumably as they're cooked to order a need a good 10 minutes' cooking, at least, in oil and water in the pan.

Fluffy dough encases a similar pork filling as the xiao long bao although without the soupy delight. These are seriously filling, especially at the end of the meal, so also ideal for sharing.

So, three of the same dishes I usually order when I'm round Ashfield way; four completely satiated bodies and some takeaway; and another satisfying visit to New Shanghai Chinese Restaurant.

Three days left for oodles of Thai

The Noodle Markets in Hyde Park, Sydney

It’s that time again when the increasingly precarious Sydney spring weather wreaks havoc with outdoor festivals – namely the Crave Sydney International Food Festival Noodle Markets. I think in its first week, the Noodle Markets have endured, or been threatened with, rain on four out of five nights, and we still had to contend with muddy grounds on the non rainy Thursday I went.

Fingers crossed that the weather is blue-sky beautiful for the 20th anniversary of the Sydney Food & Wine Fair – one of my favourite annual events.

Seating in Hyde Park

I’m impressed with the organisers’ ability to expand the Noodle Markets so significantly – stalls are spaced over a larger area of Hyde Park North and there are tables and chairs sprouting all over the grass – although that doesn’t mean that you won’t have to rush for empty tables and share too. But it’s all a part of the Noodle Markets atmosphere. It’s busy and quickly gets packed as we arrive, with growing queues at almost every stall.

Dim sum at the East Ocean stall

I’m still not one for the yum cha style dumplings for dinner, but the vibrant yellow salt & pepper squid at East Ocean was very tempting, especially seeing person after person with generously sized trays of it.

Jackie M Malaysian had ever-long queues waiting for satay chicken skewers, otak otak and other Malaysian fare, while the prices at Turkish Gozleme King were a little eyebrow-raising, though stall rental probably isn’t cheap. There’s the first of many Thai stores and also a dumpling stand that I recognised from other festivals.

The Coopers sustainable beer garden

As in prior years, Bungalow 8 and Sugar Mill (both of the Keystone Hospitality Group) have bar setups with minimal queuing – bottles of wine appeared popular. The Coopers sustainable beer garden is quite the rustically pretty sight, eco-friendly and supposedly representing the average Aussie backyard, providing plenty of seating for imbibers of Coopers beer.

The Coopers beer garden

Queues at the stalls

We hit off to first base at Iron Chef Chinese Restaurant, all the way from Cabramatta to the CBD, and positioned next to the flowing Din Tai Fung queue. I don’t think it is humanly possible to pass on Peking duck. And with a variety of combo packs for value seekers, we got a good taste of everything with Combo C.

Peking duck pancake from Iron Chef Chinese Restaurant

The two serves of Peking duck were freshly wrapped in their pancake skins, with juices flowing out as I bit into it. The duck was warm and fatty, sweetened with a touch of hoisin sauce with the stick of cucumber and spring onion providing some crunch and contrast. Simply delectable, I imagine I could eat 10 of these as a meal in itself.

With so many Peking duck wraps flying out of the stall, I wonder what would become of the leftover duck meat – and what the pile of roast duck carcasses would look like. A great deal of duck stock, perhaps.

Rose wine pork ribs and vegetarian fried noodles from
Iron Chef Chinese Restaurant

The rose wine pork spare ribs are heavily deep fried, small pieces of rib interleafed with layers of fat: not at all healthy but tasty in its marinade and salt & pepper coating. They were just a little chewy and had small bones, and so turned into a savoury, finger-licking exercise.

The vegetarian fried noodles were indeed vegetarian, but had sparse few vegetables aside from a bit of cabbage. The thick, soy covered noodles were a little starchy in its thickened sauce, but were helped along with chilli sauce.

Noodle Markets seating and stalls

Further along, Mizuya was doing kushiyaki that little resembled proper yakitori, Zilver also had the vivid yellow salt & pepper squid, and there were another couple of Thai stalls. The next section had more dim sum and Thai, Japanese okonomiyaki, an Indian food stall and Chinatown’s St.Honore Cake Shop.

And so it goes on with poffertjes, seafood, Himalayan and another Thai, while yet another section had Efendy, doing smoky lamb kofte wraps and baklava. The added Middle Eastern theme to the Noodle Markets was really just a couple of gozleme stalls and Efendy – nothing to get too excited about.

Lanterns in the trees at Hyde Park

Serendipity ice cream was a dessert option, but the crowds were lining up at the dedicated Chat Thai desserts stall. This was in probably the most interesting section of stalls, along with a Chat Thai stall proper, New Shanghai, something called SpanThai, gozleme, Malaysian and another Thai. Rather than fusion as the name might suggest, SpanThai had a giant paella pan each of saffron chicken rice (paella?) and char kway teow – downright odd if you ask me.

Fish ball skewers from Chat Thai

We decided to get some Chat Thai nibblies and then consume them while waiting in line for New Shanghai. The perfectly spherical fish balls on skewers are a popular sight, drowning in a red sweet chilli sauce. A golden batter forms the impossibly perfect outer layers; thin and not maintaining much crispness beneath the particularly spicy chilli sauce. The white fish balls within have a nice, firm texture with subtle flavour that’s rather mute against the chilli sauce.

New Shanghai dumpling makers at work

The New Shanghai queue moves at a reasonable pace with those at the front of the line able to watch dumplings being made there and then. The pungent smell of the vinegar sauce encircles all those waiting and the nearby DJ does good with his bare setup, with pause for the lion dancers and associated noise.

Lion dancers entertain the crowds

After the fish balls and intentions for dessert, we decide to have just one order at New Shanghai – the pan fried buns, rather than the xiao long bao. I’d had the buns only four days earlier, which I think proves my inability to tire of dumplings and their relatives.

Pan fried pork buns from New Shanghai

These guys arrive stunningly hot, even after a few minutes of seat searching and table sharing. They’re pretty much fraught with danger, especially as not everyone has yet mastered the art of eating soup filled buns and dumplings. If squirting or leaking juices don’t get you, the burning hot soup probably will.

The buns are half golden with their pan fried skirts, not quite making the soft fluffy dough crispy but not far off either. The soup in these buns is full of flavour and completely scrummy, with a ratio of dough to pork mince filling that don’t have me bloated with carbs. They disappear in moments; the only evidence of their presence being leftover black vinegar sauce and some sticky, soupy fingers.

Sticky rice and mago from Chat Thai

Dessert was cleverly acquired with our earlier Chat Thai purchase so we needn’t lose our seats again. The sticky rice with mango presented a tropical sight and an even for tropical flavour. I don’t know where Chat Thai get these mangoes from but I want more. The mango was quite oddly perfect, if not a little pale in colour, with soft but not mushy texture and just ripe flavour.

Paired with just slightly sweetened glutinous rice, coconut cream and a sprinkle of crispy rice puffs, this was quite simply divine and the epitome of great Asian desserts: subtle but fragrant with the capacity to eat large serves of it.

The Sydney International Food Festival Noodle Markets run until Friday, 22 October at Hyde Park North - three days left to try as much as you can from 40 stalls.

Hyde Park North - all decked out

Fragile delicacies and tongues

I find it ironic that when there's the realisation that life is fragile and delicate, the natural instinct is to go and do all the crazy, wild things that really stretch life to the limit. Like being told a fine cashmere sweater has its limits and then taking it into a contact sports game. Is it testing the theory of the realisation? Or succumbing to and accepting its inevitability and just making the most of the situation regardless?

Passing through Ashfield was the perfect excuse to indulge in fragile and delicate dumplings as the abundance of northern Chinese eating establishments proffered more than enough to satisfy any dumpling diner. The problem is that there are so many places it's difficult to know where to go. Judging a restaurant by its facade is one way to go but like its literary relation, can be a shallow and partial approach.

At some point on the main road two decidedly Shanghainese eateries sit side by side. Both have the word 'Shanghai' in their names, both are filled with diners at a late lunch hour, and strangely enough they both seem to have used the same sign maker as well. Well, the typeface and style is similar anyway.

Our decision is strongly swayed by the ability to get seating for our entire group at New Shanghai Chinese Restaurant, although the closely positioned tables make me feel a little like I'm sitting with a different group. But never fear, I'm all that much closer to the viewing window where a lady effortlessly creates balls of pleated, thin pastry-wrapped mince, delicately placing them into bamboo steamers. For me! And a large majority of the other diners too.

Window into the kichen at New Shanghai Chinese Restaurant,
Liverpool Road, Ashfield

Her finger movements are mesmerising and she's almost robotic if not for the laughing and interacting with other staff. I know I want a basket of these steamed beauties but the menu presents me with page after page of other mouthwatering options, from hot snacks, fried noodles, soup noodles and other Shanghainese delicacies.

Our decision making and the service takes a little while, but our orders slowly make their way out of the kitchen in no particular order, dumped somewhat unceremoniously at the edge of the table. All of a sudden we decide it's going to be a communal shared meal and help ourselves to cutlery and napkins.

Prawn and pork wonton soup

First to arrive in a steaming bowl was the prawn and pork wonton soup. Small packages filled with tasty minced pork ethereally float the way only wonton pastry does in a light soup. Topped with shallots and strips of dried seaweed, the wonton were delicate on the palate; its filling springy with a whisper of ginger flavour and seemingly missing prawns. Perhaps I just picked an unlucky dumpling?

Fried hand-made noodles with pork and vegetables

The first noodle dish arrives next to a now hungry audience. It's very difficult to snap a picture when there are four other hungry people snapping their chopsticks at you and the dish - and especially so when you're sort of sitting on the next table.

The hand-made noodles are thick and covered in a soy based sauce - sprightly but closer to soft than chewy, which is my preference but not everyone else's. The dish overall is a bit on the greasy side but the pork strips and baby bok choy are tender and feel sustaining.

Vegetable noodles in soup

The requisite vegetarian dish is another noodle option - this time thinner white noodles in a flavoursome soup with a fantastic array of vegetarian toppings. The choy, carrot, mushrooms, black fungus, broccoli, baby corn and lightly fried tofu have been cooked in a separate sauce then scattered atop the large bowl of slippery noodles. It's a relatively healthy dish and tastes accordingly.

Pork and shallot pancake?

And then the bizarre and unexpected dish of the day - five golden fried, sesame seed covered balls rattling about on a large white plate. I look confused and ask the waitress what these are and if they belong to our table. She checks and yes, apparently I have ordered these. What I misunderstood to be a pork and chive flat pancake turns out to be these, or maybe I just pointed to the wrong menu item. Rather than sending things back and waiting for the new order, we just shrug and grab a crunchy spherical parcel each and chow down.

The outer casing is shatteringly crisp, concealing a thick inner layer of starchiness - potato or taro-like. Inside this is a minute portion of savoury pork mince filling with shallots. So perhaps this is what I ordered, I thought as I crunched and munched through it. Not too bad for an accident.

Xiao long bao (steamed little pork buns)

I sight a bamboo steamer basket emerge from the kitchen and it's heading for us! It's our xiao long bao and as you can see I wasn't as quick as others on the table to reach the basket. They're not quite as uniformly perfectly-shaped as other versions but it's more than a little anticipation as I pick up my first dumpling and wait patiently for it to cool a little to avoid burning my tongue.

Not quite patient enough it seems, although my tastebuds have resiliently recovered less than 24 hours post injury. The pastry is slightly thicker than the above mentioned other and I think there's about a one second pause from piercing the skin to boiling hot soup rushing out and encompassing my mouth. The soup flavour is intensely good and I savour it all despite the burning. The filling is a fine mince packed with fantastic flavours that leaves you wanting more.

Last but not least, a good 10 minutes or so after we've finished all our other dishes, the long-awaited pan fried Shanghai pork buns turn up. They look like joyous little bundles and seemingly worth the wait.

Pan fried Shanghai pork buns

In what could be likened to a xiao long bao on steroids with a burnt bottom, these little puffballs are fluffy and chewy at the top part where the pleats come together and thin and crunchy on the bottom. There's a similar tongue-burning experience to be had with the hot soup contents and filling is not too dissimilar to their skinnier, steamed counterparts. Comparatively, there's a much higher dough to filling ratio in these, hence my preference for the xiao long bao but for a filling snack high in taste value, these pan fried versions are the go.

Who would have thought such fragile and delicate foods could make you so crazily and wildly full for less than $10 per head? The value for money is mind-boggling and justification enough for the west-ward trek. On the bloated bellied-stumble back to the car we pass by more mind-boggling value and 'delicacies' in a butchery. Such is the fragility of life.

Pig's tongue next to chicken feet

Pig's ear (left) and pig's stomach (right)

I hear ya - pig's what?!
I think it's intestines