shanghai flavours

My city mate S took me out for an early birthday celebration lunch at her latest restaurant find.
Shanghai Flavour is a tiny (30 seat) eatery in Northbridge and mere stroll from her apartment. We were first customers of the day, seated at a tiny table draped with layers of flimsy tablecloths which cascade around knees and legs like a petticoat.

The house specialty is Xiao Long Bao, soup dumplings. Minced pork and pork broth fill the parcels, then dipped in an astringent vinegar eating them is an art in itself. The broth is SCALDING and as the aim is to stuff pop the whole thing into your mouth for the unwary there is a potentially molten mouth moment.
SO, the trick is to nibble a tiny hole in the side, let some steam escape and blow gently to cool the contents. Then it is into the mouth and an explosion of fragrant flavour...and no speaking apart from muffled mmmmmmmmmmms and ahhhhhhhs. Trying to bite one in half results in more explosions, this time all over the top layer of the 'petticoat'!

And yes there was more! Five spiced duck and dry beef noodle soup ( ie without the soup!)
Definitely many more returns to this little gem with the likes of Chilli Eight Precious, Three Delicacies Soup, Deep Fried Hairtail Fish, Seaweed in Garlic and Egg Flower Soup still to be sampled

Not a delicate eating experience...for me anyway...as the duck comes chopped and complete with bones and the noodles are long, juicy and slurping. Other diners are much more chopstick adept at removing bones with a elegant little twist.
Now I know why there are multi layered tablecloths to be whisked away when the grots leave!