Shanghai Street heads upmarket with sixth Melbourne restaurant
If you've ever despaired at the queues for xiao long bao at Shanghai Street's city outlets, or wished for a cone of silence in which to sink into a dumpling reverie, then you will want to know that you can book a table at the group's sixth outlet, a larger, fancier full-service restaurant just west of Bourke Street Mall.
Head up the escalator to the 140-seat dining room, including a private room and comfortable booths.
You can get dumplings here ($12.80 for a basket of eight, $1 more than at their other places). But it's worth delving deeper into the 100-item menu of Shanghainese dishes, mostly home-style, but refined for a restaurant setting.
Flaming duck is stuffed with sticky rice. Fish is turned into noodles then stir-fried with crab. Pork and water chestnut are formed into a large meatball in chicken broth; the bowl is set over a candle to stay warm to the last sup.
If you must have the classic soup dumplings, be warned: in a hushed dining room, your slurps may be audible to all.
Open daily lunch and dinner.
Level 1, 360 Bourke Street, Melbourne, 03 9642 1828
Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.
Sign up