Shanghai Morning

Late last month, we decided to throw caution to the wind and headed into Richmond for Shanghainese. I dread going into Richmond because of the potential car crashes and long lineups for everything, but it was early on a Saturday and we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. We decided to head to Shanghai Morning, just off of Alexandra Road (aka Eat Street, no, not the TV show). Let's start with the most disappointing dish and work our way to the best. This was their Beef Roll, and as evident in the picture, despite the roll being quite large, the amount of beef is rather lacking. The hoisin sauce had a stronger presence than the beef. Also, I like the outside layer to be a bit more fried, with a least more than a touch of flakiness to them. These were a bit too soft for any textural contrast and the lack of filling made them a bit boring.  Our next favourite dish was the Xiao Long Baos (XLBs). The soupiness was amazing, but unfortunately, the skin on these were a bit tough and took away from the awesome soupiness. Not the worst I've had, but I'd still have to say that the ones from Dinesty. Oh, and their beef rolls are a touch better too.

 

Normally, I order the Pork Chop Noodle (see post from Peaceful Cafe) as my carb dish, but we decided on the Hot and Sour Soup Noodle here instead. This was a real winner, the soup was nice and sour with a nice splash of chilli oil for heat. It was filled with all the fixings, shrimp, bamboo shoots, wood ear and tofu. The noodles soaked up the broth nicely and  gave the dish a rich velvety texture. I could have used more heat, but I think it's enough for most people. 

 

And up next, the Leeks Cake, filled to the brim with leeks and pan fried to a nice golden colour. If you love leeks, this is the dish for you. The filling was fresh and plentiful. The skin has a bit of a chew to it, and albeit it being a bit oily, it wasn't overly so.   But my hands down favourite dish for lunch is their Sticky Rice Roll. These come piping hot from the kitchen and are chock full of Pork Floss, Preserved Vegetables and a Chinese Donut (salty). The softness of the floss, the slight crunch from the veggies and the bold crunch from the donut enveloped within a coating of warm sticky rice all make for a perfect bite. If you are getting a bit full, go for the middle where there is a better filling-to-rice ratio, more bang for your buck.

Here is a better view of all the filling inside the roll. Trust me, this was my favourite from the lunch! So, what was the best part of this lunch? All in, we were out less than $30! Two people, five dishes and plenty of leftovers!

Take Note:

• Servers don't speak much English but they do have an English menu.
• Come early to avoid the lineup, they are pretty small and fill up quickly.
• They have a wide variety of dessert, including my favourite, Rice Balls with Crushed Peanuts!