So been to a quite a few chinese restaurants in my time and this place does my head in.

Food: Great! While not the best ive had, it is good (as long as you dont know what real shanghai food is)

Service: SHOCKING!

I have been to the Ashfield and Eastwood restaurants, and it has always taken ages to get served, and then there is such an unnecessary delay for the food. I guess what keeps me going back and putting up with it is that the dumplings are good. until i went to their.....

CHARLESTOWN (newcastle) restaurant. This place looked promising. surrounded by other restaurants in a nice piazza style area of charlestown square. Theres a couple of ladies making dumplings in the window.

So this time i thought id get a takeaway. Called up and went down to pick up. Got to there and was asked to pay for it. Sat down, played with my phone..... After about 45 mins i observed a few tables complaining about delays with their food. one table after waiting 40mins had to take it away, and there were definitely several unhappy patrons. I thought id give them the benefit of the doubt and waited...... still nothing. after 1hr 15mins i took it upon myself to look in the takeaway bag that was sitting on the counter since i got there... Surprise surprise it was half of my order!

As you can guess i was well over it, so i asked for a refund..... After a lengthy and heated discussion, the manager's resolution was:

- wait a little longer or
- to take the food that had been sitting there for over 45mins and get a refund for the other half of the food that had not been made!!!!

i had to argue with the manager infront of a busy restaurant and almost open the till myself to get my money back!!

Needless to say i wont ever go there (or to any other new shanghai restaurants) EVER again!

Well it wasnt all that bad.... After that i went a few doors down to Grilld burgers and had the best chicken and brie burger ive ever had!

Approximate cost: $16

Probably the worst pizza Ive had in a long time. can someone tell me what classifies a pizza restaurant as gourmet? This is just another pizza hut.

Pizza: Base chewy and flavorless. Better off putting tomato sauce and cheese on a sao biscuit. The 'pepperoni' was some cheap substitiute which resembled a form of cabanossi instead. I got a hint of a wierd taste that shouldnt have been there. I guess ill find out tomorrow if im on the toilet all day.
Garlic bread: is it just me, or do all dodgy pizza shops buy their garlic bread from the same place? im sure they buy it in bulk from a factory. COME ON! I expect this type of garlic bread from pizza hut!
Greek Salad: I encourage you to go order this. you have to see it to believe it. To serve this and pass it off as something that you would charge people for is just beyond all belief!
Dessert: 'homemade chocolate mousse' was disgusting. Since it is the only choice on the menu, i would have thought it was a signature, must have dessert, but honestly id rather stick with sara lee.

Approximate cost: $15