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Burnside Village has a new arrival, and diners have wasted no time finding it.
After almost two years in the making, New Shanghai has finally opened the doors to its new restaurant, and the response has already been bigger than the team expected.
The popular Chinese restaurant has launched with a soft opening ahead of its official grand opening on October 14, giving diners their first taste of the new space, menu and dining experience.
Co-owners David Wang and John Zhang said the restaurant had been noticeably busier than anticipated in its opening days.
“We got very positive feedback about the restaurant, the dining experience, even the food itself,” David said.
“It’s been such a long time since we had the idea, so we’re very happy to see it’s finally open.”
While New Shanghai already has an established South Australian following through its Churchill Centre restaurant, Burnside Village marks a different style of dining for the group.
The new restaurant has been designed as a more elevated experience, with a large dining room, private spaces and balcony views, while still highlighting the handmade dumplings and traditional Chinese dishes the restaurant is known for.
David said the team is already noticing some interesting differences between what diners were ordering at Burnside compared with Churchill. Churchill tends to attract a more casual, quick-dining crowd, while guests at Burnside have been exploring more of the restaurant’s new dishes, including fish dishes and spicy pork belly.
Some of those dishes have been so well received that the team is now considering introducing them at Churchill too.
Of course, the signatures are still proving hard to beat.
Xiao long bao and pan-fried pork buns have emerged as clear favourites, alongside the restaurant’s more traditional Chinese dishes.
But customers’ favourite part happens before they even sit down.
New Shanghai’s open dumpling kitchen is giving diners and passers-by a clear view of the team making dumplings by hand throughout the day. David said people have been stopping outside the restaurant to watch the process, with the kitchen itself helping draw curious shoppers inside.
The dumplings are made fresh every day, continuing a practice that has become central to New Shanghai restaurants around Australia.
The Burnside restaurant and private dining spaces are also giving groups considerably more room to create an occasion around a meal, whether they are dropping in for dumplings or settling in for a longer lunch or dinner.
With the official grand opening set for October 14, when Burnside Village will host a private function at the venue, David and the team are looking forward to marking the occasion and beginning a new chapter for New Shanghai in its new home.
New Shanghai
When: Open 11am-9pm everyday, Grand opening Oct 14
Where: 447 Portrush Rd, Glenside SA 5065
For more info, keep an eye on their website.
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