Nathasya Christiana Suryo
+4
Best xiao long bao in town!
Tasty dumplings! Food always taste fresh, pan fried pork dumplings are soo good!
Authentic food but very small space to sit in. Everyone walking past seems to be up your face but it’s a very good crowd and serves very delicious dishes
This place is always busy and there was a wait line. However the line moves fast and didn’t have to wait long for a table. Food was so delicious, we ordered so many dumplings, our favorites is Shanghai xiaolongbao and pan fried pork buns.
Always a favourite for dumplings cravings. From xiaolongbao to steamed or fried dumplings all are delicious. Service is quick too. Recommend
The best shanghai pork buns EVER! I also love their pan fried pork buns, so juicy and delicious!
I enjoy their pork mince dry noodles and their bacon fried rice too, both are very tasty.
Their dumpling fillings are good, but I’m not a fan of the thick skin dumplings have in restaurants (nothing is comparable to my grandma’s dumplings).
Have also tried their veggie buns which are quite good.
Must try xiaolongbao and shengjianbao, very delicious but it is a pity that they don’t serve sliced ginger with xiaolongbao.
Quick service and yummy foods! The place is a little bit cramped but still able to enjoyed my lunch. My favourite is their shanghai noodle for sure!
Will I be back? Yes
Melanie (ForeverBrunching)
+4
Good dinner here over the weekend
The restaurant is a lot smaller than I originally thought. It felt a bit cramped and small.
My favourite dish out of everything was the fried pork bun dumplings. These were delicious. The bun was soft but had an amazing crispness on the bottom. As you bit in, the juicy pork filling was so tasty.
The xiaolongbao had no soup inside which was disappointing
Yummy spring rolls
Vegetarian dumplings were nice but not my favourite
The staff were nice but I felt really rushed. We were encouraged to order while we were waiting in line for a table, and our third friend hadn’t even arrived yet. There was a glass broken just before we sat down at the table, and the staff were very diligent at cleaning everything to ensure there was no glass shards left
Super super good! XLB were great. Pan fried pork dumplings were fantastic. Texture was amazing. Pork buns great. Choi sum & garlic. Yum!!!! And the homemade chili oil is incredible. Be aware it has peanuts & seafood in it if you have any restrictions.
$10 for 12 vegetarian dumplings - such great value, stuffed full of greens, would definitely have them again next time I’m in Melbourne. We also had the vegetarian XiaoLongBao which were tasty as well but not enough variance to the dumplings to have both again. It’s a shame the prawn ones are combined with other meat as being a pescatarian it only gives me one option.
This was the one I am mentioning on my last review post, the one when we sneaked out and find some Asian feed. There were six of us who craved for some Asian food, for me I don’t care what type of Asian food as long as it has rice or noodles, but the rest of the group was debating whether what to have Chinese, Japanese or Indonesian. It was torn between two factions since we had three Indonesian and two Chinese on the group, the Indonesians want and Indonesian fare while the Chinese wants some Chinese or Japanese. On our short walk to China town they continued arguing until we passed by Shanghai Street, the Chinese from our group marketed it well to the rest so this became our feed for tonight.
My favourite dumpling store in Melb, truely authentic and cheap. Fresh flavours and best to eat with a beer. All the dumplings are so yum from the pork, vegetarian and seafood
Best cheap eats, dumplings were delicious and great value for money. I would recommend take away and not dining in as it's busy and small place. Be prepared for a wait in line but it is worth it. Spicy pork noodles were fantastic too. One of the best places I've ever been to.
If you only try one thing get the xiao long bao
Joanne | Melbournecitay
+4
Overall score: 17/25 or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
in 5 words: classic dumpling franchise in the city
*
Review: it’s really odd to see such a long queue here since there are 2 other outlets in the city. This is a rather cramped dumpling spot so be prepared to squeeze a little!
Really enjoyed the crab and pork dumpling. It was both juicy and flavourful and the soup was delicious! The pan fried pork dumpling was a tad bit oily but otherwise good. Preferred the san Jian bao bun texture and taste. Otherwise, a reliable lunch spot that is good value ($12 pp). Not sure if it’s worth the hour long queue time though. I would wait for a maximum of 15 minutes.
*
Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ambience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Perfect! Crab and pork XLB blew our minds! Definitely worth the price and with so many other choices for dumplings and rice, definitely a place we would visit again!!
Quick friendly service. Food delicious. Good value. Fried Dumplings, XiaoLongBao and steamed egg custard buns. Food arrived fast and very fresh.
We loved 😍
The dan dan noodles ! They were delicious and had a bit of a kick. The xiao long baos are usually nice too! They were extra meaty! This place was also very cheap! You also need to try the prawn wontons.
We disliked 😖
The waiting! There is usually a line out the front and the store is small. But it moves pretty quickly.
Decided to take my friend to Shanghai Street to introduce them to Xiao Long Bao. We had the XLB, of course, the Shanghai pan-fried mini bun, and the wonton in chilli oil. All three dishes were delicious! The xlb has a thin wrapper and plenty of soup within. They were quite large in size which was awesome! The pan fried mini buns were amazing as I remember - so crispy on the outside and juicy within. The wonton was also quite nice - the wonton skin was thin and silky, and the sauce had plenty of peanuts. Would have liked if the sauce was a little more flavourful and stronger, but otherwise it was delicious. It was very affordable too! Highly recommend checking this place out, but come early as lines get long!
Shanghai Street always delivers their delicious soup filled xiao long bao steaming hot in paper thin wrappers. Would be a 5 star only for the xiao long bao but their noodles were a bit sub par.
Went on a weekday and fortunately the place wasn’t packed and we were seated immediately. We ordered the boiled chicken and prawn dumplings and the braised pork hock on rice. It’s similar to other asian eateries in the area - price wise, portion wise and taste wise. Not much that separates it from hundred other asian eateries in the CBD. We felt the skin of a dumpling a bit thick, kind of you’d find in a bun. And the braised pork was a bit stiff as well. Overall, food’s good but could be better.
4.5/5
We were craving Xiao Long Bao so we headed down to Shanghai street dumplings to fulfil our cravings. The venue is quite small and it was packed, so we lined up outside and patiently waited our turn. Whilst waiting, the waitress gave us the menu to browse. It didn’t take too long for our turn, and we sat at a small share table with two other people.
We ordered Crab and pork Xiao Long Bao ($13.80), Chicken and prawn Xiao Long Bao($12.80), and a plate of Mini pan fried pork buns ($10.80) to share between two people. Although the main purpose of our visit was to eat Xiao Long Bao, the mini pork buns were amazing! The bottom of the buns were crispy, and the skin was quite thin, so as soon as you bite into the bun, you’re able to get a mouthful of the pork filling inside, as well as some of the soup. The Chicken and prawn Xiao Long Bao were quite tasty, and the skin is thin with a generous amount of filling inside. However, just as the waitress said, there isn’t a lot of soup inside, so it tastes mostly like a normal dumpling. On the other hand, the Crab and pork Xiao Long Bao were just as good as we had imagined. It had a very distinctive crab taste to it, and was delicious to eat.
The service at the restaurant is very efficient, and the food came quickly as well. They also clear your plates frequently so you don’t have to worry about the table being too crowded with dishes.
Overall, it’s a very reliable place to satisfy your cravings for Xiao Long Bao or Pan fried pork buns for a reasonable price!
If you’re looking for some delicious and super affordable Chinese food (especially dumplings), this is definitely the spot to check out in the city!
My fave dishes from them currently are their pan fried pork dumplings, pork and crab xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and their hot and sour soup (enough to share between two people). Their dumplings are super juicy on the inside which is a must.
Service is good and the food comes out pretty quickly! Love that they offer complimentary Chinese tea.
Delicious authentic dumplings with no fuss for service but who cares when you only go to satisfy your dumplings cravings. Shanghai fried noodle and fried rice are good too. Highly recommended.
Cheap fast and delicious. What more could you want. Is a tight squeeze for seating but they cook fast! Chicken and prawn dumplings and the staple pork is recommended. Also cant go past kungpao chicken and red bean buns!
This is epic venue and one of the best cheap eats. Serving one of the best greasy Asian foods, with top flavours and there accompaniments like fish chili sauce is to dye for. Those classic $10 dumplings got my heart.get in early or be ready to Que in
I love their rice cakes and their dumpling CHILI! To be honest, their dumplings are mediocre but I come back for their chili. Though its not spicy, I could just eat it with rice because of its texture
Signature Xiaolongbao really can remind me the taste of my hometown. The pan fried buns were ok. Inside meat and juice were very nice but the skin of the buns were a bit thick. Always love to go back, and feel the efficient service.
Great place to get tasty food fast. Soup guaranteed to clear your sinuses and steer away any bodily toxins. Pork dumplings filling and juicy. 🙂
Since it’s opening Shanghai Street has always been packed to the seams with the customers waiting outside. It took a little while for me to ever make it in but I’m glad I did. Excuse the cramped seating and liberal use of oil and chilli and then feast on some delicious Shanghai Street goodness.
If you like dumplings will definitely love this place. By far the best dumplings I have had in Melbourne. Expect to spend $50 for two people.
We ordered the chicken xiao long bao and the chick dumplings. The chicken dumplings were delicious, very flavourful and heaps of meat. The chicken xiao long bao also had a lot of meat, the skin was authentic however there was no juice at all, and was too dry. It did not taste like the original xiao long bao at all. I understand how there was no pork so it wouldn’t be as fatty and juicy, however adding some chcicken broth to it would be nicer. Still highly recommend and great price for city location! Service was good too.
nice food and service . we order juicy dumplings and shanghai noodle. The juicy dumpling is full of soup inside.we loved it. Will come again next time with my family.
This place always has a queue so I decided to check it out for myself. I ordered the traditional steam xiao long bao (soup dumplings). They were fresh and steaming when they hit the table - load it up with ginger and dipped it into vinegar - delicious. There is enought soup to meat ratio and as you bite into the dumplings (risking burning to your mouth but oh-so-worth the pain), the soup bursts in your mouth filling it with warm tasty soup. Very satisfying. The skins of the dumplings were also a good texture and thickness. The shop is a little small and can be claustrophobic but I didn’t mind as the dumplings were yum!
Great food and really good price. Even when there is a line up, which is daily, it doesn't take too long to get in. Have tried most dumplings & bao, highly. Recommended everything!
I tasted my first dumplings in Chinatown in 2013 so was keen to ensure that my dumpling experience was an awesome one. This place was recommended by a local retailer and we were not disappointed. The seevice was awesome, despite it being packed (due to popularity) - we still enjoyed the atmosphere, food and meal. Thank you to the staff for the love that goes into your food xo
Affordable prices. Service was alright. We ordered chicken and prawn xiao long bao and dumplings. The dumpling skin was very crispy and well cooked. The meat in both dishes was very generous, however the xiao long bao lacked the broth/juice that is usually in it and was quite dry. Will go again sometime!
When I am craving for xiao long bao,
This is my to go place for it.
They do it realy well! 🤤
The noodle is also very good.
I used ti come here very often last year.
I miss the dumplings now. Drooling.. 🤤
A place to satisfy your dumplings craving if you don't mind waiting for a seat as it's often busy with hungry patrons however the fast service will compensate and you'll be able to dig into hot and juicy dumplings.
Price is also reasonable; less pieces but offset in size. Do expect to self serve if you want water and tea.
The food is flavourful, but a tad salty with some dishes. As with all their other branches the XLB was delicious; juicy and melts in your mouth, and with skin so thin you need XLB eating skill to not waste the juice.
Pretty good offering of dumplings, service was very quick and efficient. Good selection of dumplings at reasonable prices. Area is small and very tight, but seems to work. No reason not to go back!
My favorite place for 炸酱面 cos the sauce and noodles are just soooo good! Love their xiaolongbao filled with soup as well as they were thin and tasty, unlike other which tends to be doughy and chewy.
Their hot and sour soup with dumplings are also outstanding. There is nothing to fault about this place, really.
Great cheap night out. It is exactly what it says on the label. No fuss, tasty food. Food delivery is always swift, table service a bit slow but always leave happy.
😱Lizzie’s first impression: another place where I’ve been many times especially during my uni years just because it’s so good and affordable.
🍩Lizzie enjoyed: the xiao long baos are delicious and so are their fried pork dumplings. I’ve also tried their hot and sour soup which tastes delicious and is a personal favourite. I also really like the steamed dumplings and dumpling baos! It’s always consistent.
🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: the lines are ridiculous both at lunch and during dinner time so I recommend coming in during the early part of the peak hour.
🥇Lizzie rates overall: personally one of my favourite dumpling places but be sure to get in at a non peak time!
4.5
I love coming here for the xiao long bao, probably the best in Melbourne by a long shot. There is always a line here but well worth the wait. Love the dumplings here too, they also have very authentic Shanghainese dishes
Generous dumplings for a very inexpensive price. Restaurant is busy during lunch times and the space is quite small but my boyfriend and I was lucky to get a table quickly. Food arrived at a reasonable time as they take your order while you wait in queue.
Pisang & Goreng, featuring 2 of our colleagues took a stroll down to Melbourne Central and visited this joint on the way there for a quick little dumpling session.
Needless to say, as per the other reviews this place has a good range of food in their menu however none can compare to their fried pork dumplings.
Unsurprisingly, there was a line right before peak lunch period but they mitigated the wait time by providing a quick and efficient service through taking orders whilst we were in line.
Food quality was extraordinary as the dumplings were crispy on the outside but still juicy on the inside, service was nothing special and decor was also ordinary.
If you want to try this place, we would recommend to arrive slightly earlier then the usual lunch hours as they do tend to get very crowded. Other then that, i would highly recommend this place to anyone that wants to try authentic dumplings at a good price.
There are so many dumpling restaurants these days but none really compares with Shanghai Street's combination of taste and value.
These dumplings are large, flavourful and they come at a cheap price. They taste great with a beer as well.
Also expect a long queue, rushed service and don't expect a proper xiao long bao (they are made just like the dumplings)
The line at lunch times and at dinner is always out the door so to avoid lining up I tend to get my dumplings takeaway. Why would anyone line up for dumplings when there are so many decent options available is beyond me - that said , I really like them. As they say the people have spoken and Shanghai Street is The People's Choice.
The best Shanghai dumpling I have ever had in oz especially the crab & pork one which is very light with both flavour blend very well together. Love their potstickers too. Wish I get to try their juicy pork bun & other dumplings too. Strongly recommended this place.
Another recommendation from a friend! Located on Little Bourke Street, this smallish restaurant was packed to the rafters. The queue stretched down the footpath and didn’t seem to stop. The waitress handed out menus to the diners waiting on the street so people could make their choices. I overheard the wait time was about 1/2 hour but once they got to me they asked if I was willing to share a table as I was alone and I said yes as didn’t want to have to wait too long in the cold!
She quickly took my order and I was seated quite quickly. The service is okay but obviously it was all about the food and churning through the diners so they could turnover as quick as they can. The main dishes they serve were the dumplings, noodles, rice, and meat. I ordered the XiaoLongBao which were the steamed pork soup dumplings. They were plump and very filling. The skin of the dumpling was very good and tasty meat inside. I also ordered the Shanghai Fried Noodle which had vegetables and shredded pork. The portion size was massive and barely finished it. It tasted good and was definitely of sharing size.
Don’t let the queue put you off from trying here but definitely sample the dumplings as they were the highlight and could see all the happy diners had them!
Value for money and flavours are strong without being overpowering. The fried chicken and prawn were a highlight, the crispness and large prawn filling are a standout. The xiao long bao is a bit on the less soupy side however, but still good
There’s always a long queue here, and for good reason. Pre-ordering your food whilst waiting saves time when you get inside and ensures your food is fresh. Great spot.
These foods that I ordered so delicious. And I could say this place is a cheap eat place in CBD. I understand why it always have long queue outside this restaurant.
Highly recommended!
Delicious, quick and well organised. We had a small wait on a Friday night. Our orders were taken in the line and food was delivered almost straight away. Fresh dumplings and general price.
Would recommend.
Everything was fast and efficient here. The food was great especially if you compare it to the price you pay - quite cheap and extremely delicious! I would say I absolutely loved their crab and pork xiao long bao - great stuff.
As expected though, if you get there during peak hours, you will need to wait in line... and sometimes the line can be very long, so get there earlier! Service is not too great here, I feel that it's one of those places that you just come for to eat and then go. Don't expect the staff to be friendly, but hey with price you pay, it's still absolutely great.
Spot the tiniest restaurant that always always has a queue outside. Now we all love them dumplings and xiao long bao, their spicy beef over rice/noodle really got me! Left Melb ever since, but still crave for them😭
The pork soup dumpling are 10/10
The wontons in soup didn’t have as much flavor but still tasty
Stir fry greens w/ Garlic has whole cloves not the canned stuff. Nice and fresh
I’ll be back soon.
Tiny and busy, squeezed 4 of us at a table meant for 2.
Service was fast and efficient.
Xiao Long Bao was quite tasty, more meat and less soup. If you enjoy this ratio, you will certainly enjoy these. Fried prawn and chicken dumplings were alright, I personally wasn’t a fan of the texture, that said the dumpling was nicely crisp as they should be. The shanghai noodles were the highlight of our meal, flavours were on point. The chilli pepper wagyu beef on noodles were tasty.
Come during the off hours, otherwise expect to wait or head to one of their bigger locations.
I've visited this place countless times with friends. It's quite a large place, but there are still lines sometimes. It's a very traditional place and some of the waiters only speak broken english. I've tried a huge range of the menu and overall, I prefer the steamed dumplings the most. Their wonton soup is also very nice. The prices are so-so, definitely go somewhere else if you are looking for a cheap place though.
Try this place out once though! (For me, once was definitely enough, but my friends kept taking me back....)
The best dumplings in Melb. Don’t go expecting anything fancy/quiet/relaxed. This place does its best to keep up with the demand while they dish out consistently good food!
I’ve seen the queues out the door but not ventured in until last night. The pork XiaoLongBao are definitely good, right up there with some of the best in Melbourne. The chicken and prawn pan fried dumplings had thick, chewy skins and were marginally less impressive than the XLB. Service was efficient and The staff helpful. It’s definitely good and reasonably priced but not so good that the queues make any sense to me.
4/5 Taste
3.5/5 Display
4.5/5 Quantity
3.5/5 Customer Service
Great Chinese Restaurant in CBD
This place had Authentic Dandan noodles, which is why I had to try. Food was good, decent price, decent sized. Everything was fine except that they were so busy I had to sit with some random girl on a 2 seater table.
Made me pretty nervous and uncomfortable.
Thursday 1pm late lunch. Looks like a popular, street-style dumpling place! There was a line and we were told 10-15min wait (only ended up waiting 5min!) and were allowed to order while waiting (efficient!). We ordered steamed pork xiao long bao ($11.80)
The good:
- xiaolong bao was the standard, delicious steamed bun and were good size
- efficient service: didnt have to wait long
Not so good:
- soy sauce / vinegar sauces were scarce on our table
This is a good place for xiaolong bao, you get what you want and cravings are efficiently satisfied!! Simple.
Absolutely love the xiao long bao here, out of this world. Always come here and will continue to. YUM. Crispy skin duck is yummy too, crispy skin and soft meat.
Had my first experience at Shanghai Street for Lunch. Had to wait less then 10 mins to get a table which was cramped and shared with other, but you know what... As soon as you start eating everything else doesnt matter. I had the Prawn and Pork Dumpling Soup - generous serve and delicious taste. You wouldn't come here for service, but cant wait to come back
There’s a reason for the queue! Juicy, yummy dumplings with super fast and friendly service and beer if you want - that’s the reason. It’s not romance in here - as others have pointed out, you order, you eat, you go. But omg loveliest vego dumplings I’ve ever had. We will be back 👌
The dumplings and bao here are next level. It is common knowledge. If you get there during peak times you will have to line up for sure. Have a look a the menu and order before you sit. When you are seated the food is pretty darn fast. Juicy dumplings and fried buns. The place is a hole in the wall. The staff are efficient and care not for conversation or flair. Get the food. Eat the food. Leave. It is pretty awesome. There is another Shanghai street on Little Bourke street about 10 minutes walk away. Make sure you are specific about where you are meeting. You could be in the wrong place.
This place is worth the line. It is fast and very good. One of the best dumpling places around in my opinion which is all this is obvs.
Had my first experience of xiao long baos here and my gosh it did not disappoint. Understand why there's always a long line outside and would defs come back for the porky soup dunplings.
Absolutely love this place! I come here for lunch very often the and quality doesn’t fluctuate too much! The only problem I’d say is that if you come in a pair you might have to sit opposite strangers but when I went with my cousin we expectedly started talking to them! The food was absolutely delicious! The xiao long bao and fried pork dumplings are a MUST!! Always always tasty and freshly made. The wonton dumplings are good as well but don’t expect too much from the broth (a bit bland and lacks a strong flavour).
Anyways, this place will always be my favourite dumpling joint on little Bourke street!!
This isn't where you go for fancy decor or mood lighting. This is where you go for amazing dumplings and noodles!
To be honest, it's a little bit dingy, but I encourage you to look past the surface. Everything is low-key, from self-service tea, to well-worn bowls. It's a great place for authentic food that is hot and tasty. The dumplings with dipping sauce (which is some sort of coconut, peanut-tasting magic) are great.
Have been coming here since my uni days and its still one of the best places i'll go for some good cheap eats.
awesome spot. address is a bit off... it's actually down the alley way. but no matter, just do it!
amazing food, have been coming here for about 14 years…fabulous!!
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