New Shanghai - Queens Plaza | 226 Queen Street Brisbane QLD 4000

 My one true love: Xiao long bao in Dingtaifung, which can be found all over the world except Brisbane.(Let's hope my boyfriend never reads this blog :P). What is Xiao long bao, you ask? Xiao long bao is a special dumpling filled with tender pork mince and hot delicious broth which oozes out when you bite into it.

After being separated from my beloved Xiao Long Bao in Dintaifung, I was suffering from serious withdrawal symptoms. So where's the next best place to go to in Brisbane? New Shanghai, which can be found next to the Food Court at Queens Plaza. Make sure you don't go during peak hours unless you don't mind waiting as there is ALWAYS a very long queue.

There is a large window at the front where you can see your Xiao Long Baos being freshly made.

Walking through New Shanghai is like going through a time machine. With its antique dark rosewood chairs and stools, cobbled stone alleyways, and ancient red lanterns, it feels as if you've travelled back in time to Shanghai in the 1930s. The old Chinese artwork and the rusty peasant's bicycle at the front of the store adds to the oriental ambience.

As soon as we were seated, we were given the menu as a placemat. There were a variety of options available, but it was a no brainer. We immediately ordered their signature dishes, Xiao Long Bao ($7.8) and Pan Fried Pork Buns ($10.5).

The Xiao Long Bao here is a very big hit. The mince was smooth and juicy with a hint of subtle sweetness and ginger, and with each bite, delicious pork broth bursts out with flavour. The skin was too thick for my liking, but my fellow Food Extinguisher preferred it as the soup was less likely to explode. It was a pity that we weren't provided with shredded ginger, as it is one of the traditional complements for this dish.

 The Pan Fried Pork Buns was also very enjoyable. The pork was tender, and the buns were light and fluffy. The best part was the crispy golden bottom. These kind of buns are traditionally pan fried, but the ones served at New Shanghai appear to be "deep fried", so it felt a bit oily, but I still enjoyed the extra crunchy bottom. These buns also contained the delicate and flavourful broth found in the Xiao Long Baos. Watch out when you eat them though - the hot broth explodes in your mouth and if you're not careful, you might burn yourself!

 For our main, we ordered the Braised Beef served on noodle soup ($12). The portion was quite small. As you can see, there was hardly any beef, and it was a bit dry. The soup was also too salty for my liking and tasted like soy sauce and nothing else.

My advice:

Stick to their signature dishes.