New Shanghai

The exceptional pork and crab buns, with their golden pan-fried bottoms and sesame sprinkled tops, justify the popularity of Sydney’s four New Shanghai outlets on their own. The venues vary: Bondi Junction is a food court gem, Chatswood Lemon Grove is modest (and serves breakfast!), Chatswood Chase was the first with a fancy fit-out, and the revamped Ashfield site was the founder. The menu is longer than the queues, ranging from dumplings (their creators work front and centre), to deep bowls of hot and peppery fish soup, and drunken chicken with cold noodles, sesame sauce and cucumber. A private room is perfect for groups.