Shanghai Dumpling, Ashfield

The secret to a great dumpling? Don’t ever underestimate the dumpling skin. Most diners prioritise the filling but if the wrapper is wrong, you’ll know about it. Too thin and your dumpling will break apart. Too thick and you’ll notice its rubbery doughiness immediately. We reckon that’s why Shanghai Dumpling in Ashfield – with its gossamer thin dumpling skins – has such a loyal following. It might be separated from the main hub of dumpling houses along Liverpool Road, but at any given time you’re bound to find the modest dining room – just 24 seats – filled with dumpling enthusiasts.


Preserved duck egg and pork dumplings with chilli bean sauce

You won’t find xiao long bao soup dumplings here. Nor pan-fried buns. The focus here is the classic wonton dumpling, folded almost tortellini-style, but bigger. Stick with the standard pork and chive; chicken and cabbage; or tofu with mixed mushroom, or level up with their daily specials, available in limited quantities. These include preserved duck egg (century egg) with pork; prawn with bamboo shoots; salted duck egg with pork; and a springy fish cake with shredded ginger and shallots. They all come in serving sizes of five or ten so you can mix and match as you please.


Shredded ginger, shallot and fish dumplings $9 for 5 / $15.80 for 10

Get them plain, with chilli sauce, with noodle soup or pan-fried. The latter three options will cost a little extra. On a budget? Here’s a tip: You can raid the condiment trolley and make up your own dipping sauce of vinegar, chilli sauce, lemon and soy.


Preserved duck egg and pork dumplings $7.50 for 5 / $12.80 for 10

It’s worth savouring your first dumpling unadorned. That’ll give you a chance to appreciate the subtle flavour of the filling, and the slippery elegance of the dumpling skins. The silky tail ends are almost the best bit.


Noodle soup with hot spicy beef and beef tendon $12.80

If you’re still hungry, there are two pages of noodle options. Warm up with a cavernous bowl of soup filled with thin wheat noodles, chunks of spicy beef and gelatinous beef tendon.


Shredded chicken with chilli and Sichuan pepper $8.80 

Or attack a mountain of stir-fried noodles with shredded chicken and chilli. All the noodle toppings are also available as sides.

Wish you could eat dumplings every night? You can get takeaway packs of fresh or frozen dumplings to cook at home. Sorted.






Shanghai Dumpling
337 Liverpool Road, Ashfield, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9797 6999

Opening hours
Wednesday to Sunday 11am-9pm


This article first appeared in Time Out Sydney. Read this article online or read more of my Time Out Sydney reviews.

Xi'an Biang Biang, Haymarket

Xi'an Biang Biang might be all over your Instagram feed right now but there's a good reason. It's crazy delicious and Sydneysiders can't get enough of it.

It's all about biang biang noodles, a prized specialty of the Shaanxi province, the capital of which is Xi'an. Think chewy handmade noodles doused in garlic, salt, vinegar and chilli. And then there's roujiamo, the Chinese take on the hamburger that stuffs a pile of tender pork into panfried flat bread.


Cold noodle with garlic sauce $10

The cold noodle with garlic sauce is your must-order dish. The noodles are liang pi, made by steaming thin layers of a starchy paste and then slicing into ribbons. These are terrifically chewy, smothered in enough garlic and chilli to keep vampires away for a week. A tangle of fresh bean sprouts add a refreshing crunch. If there's any dish that'll waken your taste buds, it's this one.


Pulled pork stuffed burger $8

The other crowd favourite is the pulled pork stuffed burger aka roujiamo, a popular street food that also originated in Shaanxi. The fillings inside this handheld flatbread vary across the country, with beef and lamb more often found in Muslim areas.

Here it's all about the pork, soft and fatty chunks crammed into a flaky flatbread. Look around the dining room and you'll spot locals double-parked with chopsticks in one hand and a pork burger in the other. That's one slurp of noodles followed by a bite of porky goodness. Repeat.

And bargain hunters should note, if you want the pulled pork burger and the cold noodles, get the biang biang set for $17.80. You'll save 20c and score a free soft drink. Ka-ching!


Biang Biang noodle with minced pork and vinegar (dry) $12.50

Noodles? There's plenty to choose from, although the English descriptions aren't particularly descriptive. Biang biang noodle with minced pork and vinegar (number 18) will net you a bowl of fettuccine-like noodles along with fatty pork (more shredded than mince), green vegetables and a medley of diced potatoes and carrots.


Biang biang noodles

Get your chopsticks in and mix everything up. Our dish is quite mild in flavour without any noticeable tang of vinegar but it's a great counterbalance if you end up ordering spicier dishes like number 13.


Biang Biang noodle with stewed pork $13

The biang biang noodle with stewed pork (number 13) is definitely worth ordering. Saucy pork mince, stewed pork, diced potato and carrot and a good whack of chilli powder need to be teased through oversized squares of hand-pulled noodles.


Wide noodles with stewed pork

The noodles are the real star of the show, with a silky slipperiness reminiscent of fresh ravioli sheets. There's so much going on here - texture, taste, smell and colour - that your heart will drop when you hit the bottom of the bowl.

But wait. There's more. Pao mo is another Shaanxi specialty, combining cubed steamed bread served in soup with beef, lamb or chitterlings (intestines). Snacks include steamed pork ribs with sticky rice, stewed pork liver and the intrigue of steamed fried chicken.

Expect a heaving crowd all day and night although diners tend to eat and run. Don't expect to find seats for more than two people at a time - the entire venue only seats about 30. It's cash only at the till and you'll have to pick up your food when your buzzer flashes. The self-serve cutlery section by the fridge includes small bowls for sharing as well as cups and free water.






Xi'an Biang Biang
Shop 41, 1 Dixon Street, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney

Opening hours:
Daily 10am-11pm

Cash only


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