Location: Queens Plaza, Brisbane CBD
Meal: Lunch/Dinner
Cost: $5.50 – $35
Overall Experience : 5/10
Food: 5/10
Service: 5/10
There’s nothing better than flavoursome Chinese dishes that take your taste buds on a journey; they give you a sense of culture, a resemblance of the country in which they originate. For me personally, the journey through food is what I love most about being a blogger. Getting to experience so many cultures and the diversity that stems from them, without having to leave Brisbane. A taste of the world right in our backyard. Unfortunately, the meals at New Shanghai didn’t quite take me on a journey. Yes, I went to a restaurant that served food inspired by Shanghai, but my presence stayed at the table in Brisbane.
I was greeted by a queue of hungry patrons waiting outside New Shanghai; some had been waiting for over 20 mins to be seated. I waited in clear view of staff to notify them of my booking, however was not acknowledged until I interrupted and requested a manager. The restaurant as some of you may know, is located in prime real estate (Queens Plaza), so the waits are expected. I would recommend you make a prior booking to avoid long waits.
Now to the menu. Here are some of the options we tried out:
DRINKS – Pina Colada & Mango Punch | Cost: $11
Summer and fruity drinks, a match made in heaven! And heaven is where I went. These two bad boys, sure took me on a trip. The Summer drink of choice. Iced, fruity and delicious. The only thing that was missing was a beach, in fact I might consider taking a blow up pool next time. My mouth is still salivating from these.
ENTREE – Cold Braised Duck with Brown Sauce | Shepherd’s Purse & Pork Won Ton Soup | Cost $12.70
Starting off with the duck; traditionally this dish is served cold which is perfect for warmer days. The actual dish itself was bountiful in flavours and boasted a perfect gloss skin. Unfortunately the protein was slightly over cooked and was very difficult to eat with the amount of bones that were still left in the duck. Almost every bite presented 4-5 piercing bones; and that is where I drew the line with this option.
The Won Ton Soup on the contrary was pure bliss. The actual won tons casings were silky and light. The soup was delicious with extra chilli flakes and some thinly sliced cucumber for freshness. I have nothing at all to fault with this dish. They were some of the best won tons I have ever had.
MAINS – Zha Jiang Noodles with Spicy Ground Pork & Rainbow Beef | Cost – $10.50 & $19.50
When the Zha Jiang Noodles were placed in front of me I could not help but smile. They looked perfect! I was in for a treat I thought to myself. After mixing all the elements of the dish together, I was far from pleased. My entire dish was tasteless. There was no flavour drawn from what should have been spicy pork; in fact the only thing you could taste was bland noodle. Unfortunately for me, the serving size was quite large too, so I had to eat a huge bowl of flavourless noodles. Not impressed at all. I have said this a few times, but for the best Asian Inspired food, I would still recommend Sunnybank (Not promoting the area cos I live there); but if you are looking for authentic cuisine with flavour then that should be your go-to place. It also costs a fraction of the price without the tedious wait times.
The Rainbow Beef which is made up of thinly sliced beef strips fried and coated in sweet and sour sauce. The flavour of the dish was apparent unlike the first main. However there was not enough sauce for the amount of protein on the plate. The strips which are meant to be crispy were difficult to bite through. We ordered the exact dish a week ago from Market Square at the fraction of the price; so this is definitely not a main that we will be ordering again.
Yes, I have been very critical of the dishes we ate, but it is integral that I relay an honest interpretation of my experience. If you are anything like me, food is life; it is a source of happiness and equally when a meal doesn’t quite live up to its’ expectations, it creates concern. If you have had other positive experiences at New Shanghai please share them with us. Perhaps this will hinder our choice in dishes for the future.
View their full menu here.
Written by: Aliyah Ravat