“Oh yes I remember this place” Mr NQN said as we walked into Shanghai Memory, the latest installment of Shanghai eateries on Ashfield’s Liverpool Street. Impromptu, one afternoon we had visited it without the camera but with Mr NQN’s cavernous, growling tummy. Open for a couple of months, it was a comedy of errors, Fawlty Towers style with wrong orders being brought to the table, menus with misleading photos, the menu’s currency in Yuan. The customers around us banded together in sympathy when something had gone missing or delivered to the wrong table.
Things have thankfully improved this evening and our booking for four has a table reserved for us towards the back. The interior is new with a window full of dumpling makers. The owner is the son of the owners of Shanghai Night just down the road and he has brought his dumpling makers with him. The space is long and rectangular with white tiles that are vaguely bathroom-like.
The menu’s cover is already covered with pen marks and there also a laminated double sided colour menu. The latter has things grouped in themes like “crab meat” and “chilli” whilst the other menu is more of a traditional menu, not unlike the one at Shanghai Night. One thing we learned with the previous visit was that often the pictures don’t match the items on the menu – the owner had explained that they bought the pictures and had the menus printed up in China so when we ordered prawn balls from the picture and honey king prawns came out, we were initially baffled as to why.
It takes me a good 10 minutes to circumnavigate the menu – I’m not sure why it’s so confusing and hard to choose but it is. We make some orders for the dumplings, always a crowd pleaser and a must for filling Mr NQN’s tummy. My mother Rose loves things that are deep fried and my father Ronald, well he likes anything that might be Cantonese.
Shanghai hand made fried noodles with pork and vegetables $8.80
The food comes out quickly – like within 10 minutes. We start with an item that we see brought to many tables, the hand made fried noodles with slices of pork and greens. The noodles are springy and lightly chewy and we all enjoy these although I’m not really fond of the pork used in the noodles.
Beef & leek and chicken &coriander dumplings $8.80 per plate
We always seem to have a case of over-orderitis but we feel somewhat safe in the knowledge that for 20 cents a container, you can take it home and we can dinner for the next night sorted. The steamed dumplings are out next and we have chosen the beef and leek and the chicken and coriander, the latter favoured by most except for Mr NQN (he is so contrary! 
).
Crabmeat with Chinese new year rice cake $13.80
We had originally ordered the blue swimmer crab with Chinese new year’s rice cake but that was sold out so we went with just the crab without the shell. We figured for that price, you would either get very little crab meat or not the most freshly picked crab meat. We ended up with quite a bit of rich crab meat with a ginger and shallot sauce with slices of spongey, squeaky new year’s rice cake.
Zi-zhuan dry wonton with cucumber and chilli oil. $7.80
I was hoping to have something similar to the chilli wontons I had eaten at Hu Tong in Melbourne but these didn’t have chilli on it so much as a liquidy sesame paste and batons of cucumber. The wontons themselves were quite watery and I’m not a huge fan of the sesame sauce on dumplings.
Lotus family fried with celery and red beans $14.80
“That is a bit of a dud dish” Mr NQN said and I had to agree. I had actually ordered the one above it but this one arrived instead. It has a range of crunchy vegetables, lotus root, lotus nuts and crunchy white fungus mushrooms although it needs more flavour added to it. When the owner asks us how the food was and we told him that we didn’t really fancy this dish, his supposed “maybe it was because the vegetables were frozen.”
Deep fried pork with dried osmanthus flowers $12.80
The deep fried pork came dry fried and not greasy at all with some dried osmanthus flowers on top which gave it a sweet, floral flavour.
Pan fried pork and crab dumplings $9.80
The pan fried dumplings are a favourite at the table. They’ve got crispy bottoms and a soft pudgy top which hides a gingery broth and a ball of soft pork and crab mince. The man next to us listening to music on his iPhone has just a single plate of these to himself and he looks immensely happy.
Xiao Long Bao $6.80
The xiao long bao were the last to arrive but they were worth it. Plump, just bursting with gingery soup the skin was thin and delicate and a little nip from our teeth released the warming broth. So whilst the non dumpling dishes left us a bit nonplussed, the dumplings were a crowd pleaser.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you revisit restaurants if you’ve had a less than stellar experience to give them another go?
Shanghai Memory
267B Liverpool Rd, Ashfield NSW 2131
Tel: +61 (02) 9716 6985
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32 Comments | Add your own
Those xiao long baos look like they’re asking to be bitten, haha. Inspires me to make some to eat! (or go out and eat some….)
Yup, I would go back to a less-than-stellar restaurant if there was one dish I really really enjoyed
Oooohhh I love dumplings of all sorts and wish I weren’t so lazy about making the wrappers, though I do make them from packaged stuff. I know there are oodles of kinds of noodles (I couldn’t resist), but I have never seen fried noodles quite like those. Intriguing.
Sadly, unless I hear really good reviews from others, I usually don’t bother if the food wasn’t great. There are just so many other options…
Hi Lorraine, we often do and sometimes we find the service and offerings have improved. Other times we find the place has shut down or is about to shut down because there’s no one there.
I went to Saturday Polish school in Ashfield, so many Chinese eateries on Liverpool St to fill our bellies after class. But with so many now I’m surprised how they all survive!
I went to Polish Saturday school in Ashfield and we’d always get our grumbling bellies filled in Liverpool St after class.
as far as revisiting goes, we often do. Sometimes we find the food and service improved, other times we find newspapers and “coming soon” on the windows. I prefer when it’s the first outcome!
No we usually don’t unless they have a great promotion on or someone really wants to go. The place looks a bit hit and miss.
These Asian dishes look utterly delicious, I don’t think I would be able to resist them or forget them!
That first shot of noodles was definitely the favourite
And I think one bad experience is definitely not enough to judge by!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I picked up some takeaway from New Shaghai last night and spotted this place a few doors up and thought I wonder what that’s like. Then voila! Here is your post in my inbox this morning. How bizarre!! I will definitely go and try the dumplings. Yum
It does sound like they have some issues going on there and I don’t like the look of the interior. The floor tiles are so stark and harsh. Timber flooring please! But, that pork dish looks like a winner. I tend to give a restaurant a couple of tries like there’s a Chinese restaurant I’ve ordered takeaway from but I won’t again because an hour and a half for delivery is inexcusable and I don’t like duck pancakes with gristle xx
I won’t revisit unless I’ve heard from someone else that they liked it. Maybe I’m just too cheap and don’t want to toss money away on food I might not enjoy. I’d rather cook.
Ah, memories of a shocking hotel/restaurant in the Blue Mtns that we visited back in the late 90′s for our worst ever 3 day stay (our 1st ever time using a Shopper Docket!) Everything about the place screamed Basil Fawlty, from the 1.5 hr wait for our meal to the waiter spinning around out from behind the bar and dropping a whole tray of drinks across the floor, to the tiny bedroom that had 13 appliances plugged into one outlet! We have never forgotten that visit as despite its absolute awfullness, we still laugh at the Hotel from Hell.And a definite NO, we would never dream of returning!
Altho’ I DO definitely expect whatever I have ordered to actually land on my table, this food somehow appeals, especially the Szechwan [sorry, am old-fashioned in spelling!] wonton with the cucumber and chilli oil! Prices wonderful, so have to forgive this folk some of their trespasses? Do I go back to restaurants I have not particularly liked? Depends – if geographically convenient, if with a food style and menu I like, if efforts were being made to correct errors and errors were due to cultural food differences & language barriers, yes I may
!
Dumpling restaurants in Ashfield are usually great for dumplings, but I’m less fond of their other dishes. Must try this resto soon!
That aroma of pre-frozen…not good! I had it in a takeaway last week and won’t be going back as it was the 2nd time 8-(
I loved this sentence “The man … has just a single plate of these to himself and he looks immensely happy.” I love that good food can make us immensley happy. The noodles would make me immensley happy right now !!
I think it’s always worth a second visit just to give them another chance – unless the first visit was so horrific that it scares you off!
We were just in shanghai and had fabulous xiao long bao they came with a instruction card- place dumpling on spoon make a hole with chopstick to release soup on spoon and eat …yum!
Sounds like it takes after Shanghai night in a bunch of ways… I always found the dumplings there great, but other dishes not as exciting.
Shanghai hand made fried noodles with pork and vegetables is my daughter and my favorite and we always order it at this famous Shanghai restaurant in my neighborhood. I even made it at home too, but not enough fire to get that char. I love dumplings too. Making me hungry already.
I think I would give all the dumplings a go as I love dumplings. I would also love to try the Shanghai Noodles and the Crab Meat dishes… YUM!
As to trying out a restaurant a second time, I would, it all depends on the first experience though. Was it just slightly off service, outright bad/rude service or did I get sick from something I ate at that particular restaurant?
If it was just a case of slightly off service or a case of English to Chinese (or other language) confusion I would go back.
If it was from outright bad/rude service or that I got sick from a place… I would never go back.
I love dumplings and if they were good I’d go back for them. I’m not great at giving restaurants another chance, but I do go to a not great restaurant because the atmosphere is fantastic and there are a couple of reliable dishes. GG
Over-orderitis… I love it. I often suffer from the same predicament.
Oh I suffer from overorderitis too. But don’t you love leftovers? We often give restaurants another go – at least if they haven’t ripped us off or given us food poisoning. We figure everyone has an off night, especially if there are teething problems.
Mostly positive then. I like the look at there dumplings .
I love this kind of meal! Everything looks fantastic.
The menu description of ‘born fried bag’ is painfully funny..! Dunno about menu pics not matching actual dishes… kinda not cool, I think.
I walked past this place yesterday, and thought I have to try this!!
I have given a place a second go, but if still underwhelming, I dont bother to go a third time.
Dear Lorraine,
We were at Shanghai Night recently and thought it was just next to this restaurant. The XLB looks good but the food at Shanghai Night was really tasty especially the Shanghainese noodles. Prices are so competitive that I sometimes wonder if health and hygiene standards are up to scratch in these restaurants run by the mainland Chinese.
I’ve not been to any dumpling place in ashfield. The boy seems to think that he wont get full on just dumplings, or he will need to order 50. Haha.
Sometimes I’ll go if there Is just one great dish, then order it every time as well as a few others- that way I’m not disappointed as at least one dish will be good. There’s also a place we go where there are so many mix ups its almost like dinner theater, so we go when we’re not too hungry
Nope, I never give a bad restaurant a second chance – too many good restaurants (and new places on the “must try” list) for me to waste time and money at a bad one!
However, I must say that I LOVE the look of those pork and crab pan-fried dumplings, and would put up with less-than-stellar service if I could get a big plate of those!
xox Sarah
I’m in a fit of giggles over the translation of the pan fried dumplings (on the photo of the menu).
‘Born fried bag’ is a very literal translation of individual characters for pan fried dumplings!
bring a bottle of vodka with you next time. Your criticisms will disappear out the window.
Matt, I can’t imagine having to get drunk to enjoy food but each to their own. Good to know that that’s your strategy for enjoying restaurants
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