Shanghai Dim Sum

What people come to Shanghai Dim Sum for is their steamed silk skin xiao long bao. Arriving four to an order, each dumpling is a comforting package filled with scalding hot broth within a thin translucent wrapper. For these, the restaurant also offers them at a low price: the pork filled at $0.99 for first order and $2.99 for second, another version adds crab to the pork for a $1 more ($1.99 for first and $3.99 for second). 

They look identical, with the exception of the tip of one that’s dyed yellow to help the restaurant distinguish them. I’ll admit, the crab is non-existent except for a faint taste in the background (a hit or miss as can be fishy some visits or sweet during others). But, with the low prices why not try both even if the crab one lacks shellfish?

Shanghai Dim Sum is the first place I’ve been to that even offers a pan fried version of the soup filled dumplings ($1.99 for first and $3.99 for second). Try to resist biting into one as soon as the plate arrives, your tongue will

Xiaolongbao is very impressive. Must try!

...this restaurant’s claim to fame is authentic Shanghainese dim sum. While its more popular cousin, Hong Kongese or Cantonese dim sum, can be found throughout Toronto, Shanghainese dim sum is extremely difficult to come by. Seeing as we don’t have the money to fly to

Because we both hail from Shanghai, our very first stop is a taste of home, at Shanghai Dim Sum. Rather un-inspiringly named in English to be sure, but it has a much better Chinese name: 城隍庙小吃 (City God Temple Dimsum). Named after the old walled city-in-a-city in Shanghai that houses the statues of the gods that guard over the city, this restaurant’s claim to fame is authentic Shanghainese dim sum. While its more popular cousin, Hong Kongese or Cantonese dim sum, can be found throughout Toronto, Shanghainese dim sum is extremely difficult to come by. Seeing as we don’t have the money to fly to Shanghai for authentic dim sum, we were really hoping that this little restaurant would be a keeper.

The Food:

Minced Pork Soup Dumplings, 小笼包 

Dan: Their soup dumplings were absolutely phenomenal. I’ve always been astounded by how it’s possible to craft a little bundle of meat and soup inside such a thin layer of dough and this place is absolutely masterful at it. For those of you who’ve never had them before, make sure you’re careful to not swallow a mouthful of scalding hot soup and let it cool in a spoon.

Anna: The last time I had authentic soup dumplings I was probably still waddling around with a bowl haircut and knee socks (Dan: Picture please. :P). Commence dancing jig of happiness when I found that these soup dumplings. The dough was not too chewy and not too doughy, there was plenty of soup that was perfectly flavoured, and the dumplings arrive at the table steaming hot, a sign that they were made fresh and haven’t been sitting out in the open for hours.

Pan-fried Minced Pork Buns, 生煎馒头

Dan: Pretty standard for pan-fried buns. They’re larger than average, but still have a goodly amount of flavorful filling on the inside. It’s worth a try if you’ve never had these before but otherwise, feel free to try some other authentic Shanghainese items on the menu.

Anna: It’s not what I’m used to, since the dough was much fluffier (akin to a bun) than the usual pan-fried baozi with the denser, chewier dough. Maybe this is why it’s labeled as a pan-fried bun (mantou) rather than a baozi?

Shrimp Shumai, 凤尾烧卖 

Dan: These were definitely interesting. it was a first time I’ve ever had anything like it and it’s definitely a departure from its Hong Kongese cousin. Being at least twice as large, these were stuffed full of ground meat, sticky rice, marinated in a sweet soy sauce, and topped with a shrimp, they were tasty and very filling.

Anna: I’m no stranger to this variation of shumai, although I must say that the larger-than-average proportions for the pan-fried buns carries over here as well. I thought these were quite well done, even though this may be more of an acquired taste and probably not a crowd-pleaser like the shumai you’re used to seeing.

Spicy Beef Soup Noodles, 红烧牛肉面 

Dan: The soup noodles have clean and simple flavours that are just rich enough to complement the chewiness of their noodles. My nitpickyness must mention that their spicy beef noodle soup could use some more beef, but aside from that, it’s great.

Anna: I thought the soup noodles were great, very nice portion even for the price, lovely soup base with just enough of a spicy kick to it. I’m also 95% sure that their noodles are handmade, which is always a plus.

Minced Pork Meat Pot Stickers,锅贴 
Dan: These are typical pot stickers, assuming your typical is absolutely honking huge. If you’ve never had pot stickers, they’re effectively dumplings seared in a pan instead of boiled. Despite the size, they still have a very good filling-to-wrapper ratio. I would have preferred the bottoms to be a bit crispier, but that’s only a personal preference.

Anna: Other than the standout fact that these are ginormous (seriously, I have never seen pot-stickers this size before) I thought they were just okay? It was good, but nothing to write home about.

Large Minced Pork & Mustard Greens Shanghai Wontons, 上海芥菜大馄饨 

Dan: When it comes to their wonton soups, they have clean flavours enhanced with a smidgen of seaweed, but choose the large wonton soup instead of the small (the wonton size, not the bowl size) because the latter is so small that it’s almost comical.

Anna: I second that. These are traditional Shanghai wontons (in fact the miniature ones were a throwback to the tiny wontons I had when I was in Shanghai), so the wrap is thicker that the Cantonese wontons. Still delicious though.

The Price:

Dan: The prices here certainly aren’t cheap but at the same time, for what you get they’re pretty good. At the end of the day, you end up paying a comparable amount to what you would with Hong Kongese dim sum. Even if you stop by for lunch and not dim sum, soup noodles here are a solid meal for the price you pay. This is Scarborough after all, so thank sheer competition for keeping prices low and reasonable.

Anna: Quite frankly, being used to the $2 to $4 a plate for Hong Kongese dim sum, walking into Shanghai Dim Sum was a bit of a shock. Prices averaged roughly $5 to $6 dollars a plate, with the high-end at $7.99 (for a bowl of spicy beef noodle soup) and the low-end at $1.80 for a cup of soy milk. But when you consider that ordering 5 dishes will fill you up until it comes time for (early) dinner as opposed to ordering 7 to 8 different snack-sized dishes? It’s not a bad deal at all. Plus, if you’re not piggies like us, one bowl of noodle soup at $3.99 would probably fill you up for lunch.

The Ambiance & Service:

Dan: Let’s be clear, it’s nicer on the inside than the outside. Taking you right into one of those little restaurants you see in Chinese dramas that you can buy on bootleg DVDs…except the view outside doesn’t quite put you in Feudal China. The service is solid, the waitress did not constantly hover about, and the food came quickly. For an Asian restaurant in the GTA, the quiet of the dining area is pretty rare and was definitely appreciated, though I definitely expect a bustling weekend morning to rack of the volume a few notches.

Anna: It is definitely smaller on the inside than it appears on the outside, sort of like a reverse TARDIS. The dining area can probably seat roughly 30-40 people, definitely no more than 50. Both times that we went to the restaurant it was bright and early in the morning on a weekday, so it’s fairly quiet and peaceful, but it does get very busy on the weekends so be prepared.

The Wrap:

Dan: All told, this is a great little restaurant. Aside from a couple of very small things that I can still nitpick, Shanghai Dim Sum gets my vote for a place I’d love to go back to. It has the best soup dumplings that you’re going to find around in the GTA and at the end of the day, offers you great value for your money if you want a taste of Shanghai.

Anna: This feels like a very quaint little restaurant that was plucked out of Shanghai and placed in the middle of Scarborough. These are authentic Shanghainese dishes that I have never found anywhere outside of Shanghai, and their soup dumplings are a treat I’d come back for time and time again. While their prices scared me a little the first time I went, I can now safely say that it still offers a lot of bang for your buck.

Tips & Tricks:

If at all possible, aim to go on a weekday; not only is it guaranteed to be less crowded, but they offer a 20% discount on your order between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM!
Be warned: all of their dim sum order slips are in Chinese. If you don’t read Chinese, take a friend who does. If you don’t have any Chinese friends, ask for a lunch or dinner menu which has English translations and pictures that you can point to. Or be a ninja with Google Translate or Google Goggles. That works too.
While it is called Shanghai Dim Sum, they do have lunch and dinner menus with other traditional Shanghainese dishes, like fried sticky rice cake, cold noodles, and Shanghai-style pork meatballs. Give them a try if you get the chance!

The Location:

Definitely not glamorous, situated in Agincourt: (Ahem, Asiancourt), but definitely located amidst its target market. It comes with ample parking for the size of the restaurant.