You know the food is bomb when queues are long..

I’ve been meaning to try this place for soo long but every time I make my way to chatswood, i’m always left sighing at the long line of people waiting to get in and i’m left feeling flustered from holding my shopping bags with tired feet from endlessly shopping like a crazy woman.

While being seated, it really makes me feel as though I am dining in china. The interior being decked out in Chinese furnishings and the atmosphere and voices of various Chinese dialects sends me a great vibe. With its beautiful teapots and lovely surroundings, the bowls and plates being oddly shaped are the only things that bring me back to reality of dining in a westernised country.

When staring at very populated menu, I am mesmerised by how different this cuisine is in comparison to the very familiar Cantonese cuisine i’m am indeed used to. Consider me a newbie in terms of this kind of this type of chinese cuisine, which I think is a bonus for those who really want to try something absolutely delicious, great value in terms of pocket savings, and of course who want to experience something completely new.!!!!

In comparison to Din Tai Fung, New Shanghai’s portion towers over DTF. If your dining with the total number of two people, keep in mind dumplings will fill you up that even I had to take the rest home in a container.

203. New shanghai pan fired pork buns (8 pieces) – Definite must have!!
Small fluffy puffs of gold. They’re soo cute and made so perfectly that i can imagine the pork bun pleading me not to eat it.

The bun has a slight noticeable sweetness to it that it makes you moan and melt in heaven. Soft and fluffy bun on the top and underneath is crunchy pan fried bottom.

Eating one of these is like unwrapping a present with total facial happiness! Inside consists of a hidden treasure of delicious pork mince that when bursting the pork bun open, tasty broth is seeps out of the buns which makes the experience pleasurable thanks to the pork being extremely tasty. *licks lips*

Love at first sight and love by first taste..
I LOVE U PORKY GOODNESS!

205. Panfried pork dumpling
Similar to the Xiao long bao but  is slightly thicker in texture. Dumplings are freshly made with a pan fried bottom and served piping hot. Inside is embedded with tasty pork mince with hot steamy broth which gushes out of these little gems!

Xiao long bao – steamed mini pork bun (dumplings) – definite must have
I’ve always been in love with xiao long bao. Every time I order these i get super excited that I forget its steaming hot. Parcels are soft and paper thin and inside again has flavoursome broth and tasty pork filling . Some like to eat this plain where as I enjoy this with chinese vinegar and slices of raw ginger.

Cong You being – Shallot Pancake
Shallot pancake is crunchy in the outside and fairly soft / firm in the middle. Great balance of shallot perfect if your up for something crunchy and delicious. Personally I thought these were much better than Shanghai Night in Ashfield.

Blue swimmer crab – deep fried and coated with salted egg
When the crab came rolling out, everyone started to stare and follow the dish out of the kitchen right to our table (thanks to the beautiful bright orange crab). At first I was thinking “OMG this is huge” but when it came down to eating it, we polished it off.

Crab was soft and a pleasure to eat. The shell was really soft that a crab cracker was not even needed. As for the crab meat, it melted in your mouth and was incredibly soft that you could suck the meat out easily.

The salted egg coating was delicious as it brought back memories of being a child where my dad would make home made salted egg to embed them in the center of sticky rice. Very much loved and all polished up and eaten!

Shepherd’s purse prawn and tofu soup
I had the cold earlier on in the week and I was in desperate need of something soupy. Looking around the room, everyone seemed to be ordering this dish which signaled to me that it was be god damn good.. and god damn good it was! I ate two – three bowls of this. Very comforting soup with bits of prawn. Definitely a soup to have this winter.

Nian gao – stir fried Chinese rice cake with shepherds purse and shredded pork
I’ve never been a fan of rice cake but I just had to try it thinking its traditional when coming to a Shanghai restaurant. If you’ve never had chinese rice cake before, its  a glutinous savoury meal which substitutes rice.

It’s slippery and chewy in texture and acts as a base like rice does. Personally, I think its heavier / more filling than rice. Having said this, its  simple, fresh and tasty with thin pieces of pork.

New Shanghai is great if your coming here with friends or family. Their round tables make it much more family and conversation friendly. Portion sizes I find are bigger and the prices are very reasonable. Definitely great comforting meal and definitely a different style of Asian cuisine that everyone should try!!!!! You’ll be surprised.

*pigged-out dined as a guest.

New Shanghai Chinese Restaurant
Lower Ground Level,
Chatswood Chase Food Court
P: (02) 9412 3358

Mon-Wed: 11.00am-9.00pm
Thurs: 11.00am-9.30pm
Fri: 11.00am-9.00pm
Sat: 11.00am-9.30pm
Sun: 11.00am-9.00pm

brasserie food with a modern french twist!

Bistro style food is increasingly becoming popular due to the quality of food that has significantly improved and become a trend over the past couple of years. Bistro food isn’t just about schnitzels and steak, but has also ventured out into other cultural cuisines. Bistro food isn’t like what it used to be (cheap cuts of meat for a bargain price). These days consumers are pickier and food has become a sociable trend where food and drinks seem to matter most when entertaining a group of people. Food was great which is why I returned for a second time introducing mates with their surprisingly good food.

Helm bar is another hidden treasure (even I didn’t know about its modern french influence). With its new look, great menu and amazing new French Chef - Frederic Booms, food here is great value for money with two menus which consist of dishes for those penny saving pockets and the other menu for those who wouldn’t mind spending a bit more for something amazing.

If your wondering how Helm Bar compares with other brasserie bars.. my personal opinion the food here is definitely one of a kind thanks to its mouth watering fancier standards with generous portions that are delicious thanks to Federic’s expertise.

Vegetarian tart – roasted vegetables, tomatoes, olives and port reduction
Brilliant vegetarian dish with so much flavour. Base is buttery puff pastry and roasted vegetables such as eggplant, tomato, mushrooms, onion. Taste of roasted vegetables is what made this vegetarian delight delicious. The smokey grilled sensation from the eggplant (or what tasted like eggplant) won us over. My companion (B) ate all 80% of it because of how much he thoroughly enjoyed it.

300g black angus scotch fillet char-grilled with fries and green peppercorn sauce with the side of shoe-string fries
Generous 300g portion of beef especially for the bargain price! Lean cut of Angus beef which was cooked to perfection leaving the flesh soft and tender. Definately a winner for the blokes!

Helm lamb & veal shanks pie with peas, potato mash and jus
Eyeing (J)’s choice across the table, I almost offered to swap meals LOL! Damn pie! why did you have to be so god damn good looking??Pastry was to die for thanks to the buttery tasty pastry. The pie had a mushroom and gravy filling with big chunks of Lamb / veal shanks which were extremely tender. Definitely must try try this winter!

Thai mussels made with coriander, ginger, chilli, lemongrass and coconut milk with a side of shoestring fries

Another must have for this winter! Mussels are back in this year and Helm bar have all you can eat mussels for $19.95 during the weekday so check it out! Mussels came in huge a black pot which I thought I was never going to finish. Being overwhelmed by the shells it was actually a piece of cake to finish! Mussels were Thai infused with delicious coconut milk and coriander and ginger. Coconut milk was quite delicious that I saw a number of people sipping the coconut soup at the bottom ^_^

Black angus beef sausages with mash potatoes, onion jam and jus
(B) made a plan to try the sausages. After our first visit he was torn between the steak and bangers. Sausages were lean meaning a sign of good quality and the mash potato was smooth and creamy.

Beer battered fish and chips with tartare sauce and shoestring fries
If im sitting near water, I have a thing about ordering seafood. I felt like fish and chips considering i hadn’t had a good piece of beer battered fish in a while. Fish was generous and the batter was crunchy and tasty! Definately perfect for a saturday lunch!

180g wagyu beef with red onion, marinated tomato, cheese, bacon and lettuce on a crispy soft sesame seed bun
I’ve read great reviews about the wagyu beef burger so (M) thought it would be a brilliant idea to try it and compare it to the famous Plan B wagyu burger. Wagyu beef patty was very tasty and the bacon took this burger to a different level thanks to the added flavour. How does it compare? This burger is much lighter without making one feel gluggy or heavy the mince was lean which which made it satisfying. Definitely a great burger and it’s good a cheap lunch!

Crumbed chicken schnitzel burger with bacon cheese, tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise
At first i thought this would be a normal burger but without realising there was bacon in here I was very excited! Crumbed chicken was absolutely delicious. Definitely screams out fresh and not something out of a frozen tray of pre-made supermarket schnitzel. The bacon with the melted cheese made it scream for more and the BREAD.. ZOMGGG the bread roll is BOMB!!!

* pigged-out dined as a guest of Helm Group.

Helm Bar
Aquarium Wharf,
Wheat Road
Darling Harbour, NSW 2000
P: (02) 9290 1571