Bite and Bite Shanghai Fried Buns – Average EV Score: 6.5/10
Reviewed by Tastes of Ottawa
Each dish is rated using our EV Score (Enjoyment-to-Value Score), based on enjoyment, price paid, and benchmark pricing.
Table of Contents
Bite and Bite Shanghai Fried Buns Restaurant Overview
1465 Merivale Rd unit 002, Nepean, ON K2E 5N9
Located on Merivale Road, Bite and Bite Shanghai Fried Buns is a small, casual spot tucked inside a plaza, which means plenty of parking and easy access. The dining room is small, with only a handful of tables, making it more of a quick-stop eatery than a full sit-down experience.
The staff are friendly, and one of the highlights is the open window where you can watch the team making dumplings by hand. It adds a nice touch and gives you confidence in the freshness of the dishes.
The food overall is pretty decent, but nothing stood out enough to make me want to return. It’s good for a quick meal if you’re already in the area, but not necessarily a destination spot.
Would return? Unlikely.
Spicy Beef Brisket Noodle Soup
Enjoyment: 7.5/10
Price Paid: $19
Benchmark Price: $19
EV Score: 7.5/10
Order Again? Unlikely.
The spicy beef brisket noodle soup came with a generous amount of brisket, which was the best part of the dish. The pieces were large, tender, and nicely fatty, with hardly any dry or stringy bits.
The noodles were okay, though some were stuck together, which made the texture uneven. The broth was very average — not bad, but not memorable either. It didn’t have much depth or richness, and it lacked the bold flavour typical of a standout brisket noodle soup.
Overall, the dish was fine and filling, but not something I would crave again.
Pan Fried Buns
Enjoyment: 6.5/10
Price Paid: $8
Benchmark Price: $8
EV Score: 6.5/10
Order Again? Maybe.
This is Bite and Bite Shanghai Fried Buns’ main dish. They were surprisingly good. They came out quickly, and unlike some places where the filling can be scalding hot, the temperature here was perfect — warm and enjoyable without burning your mouth.
The bottom was nicely fried to a golden crisp without being overly crunchy or greasy. The top remained soft and fluffy, giving a pleasant contrast in texture. The buns had a generous amount of filling, and the flavour was solid.
I’ve had Shanghai fried buns elsewhere and usually don’t enjoy them, so I didn’t expect much from these — but they were quite good. Definitely the highlight of the visit.
Scallion Noodles
Enjoyment: 5.5/10
Price Paid: $9
Benchmark Price: $9
EV Score: 5.5/10
Order Again? No.
This dish was a very generous serving of noodles but there wasn’t much to it. The flavour wasn’t anything special and didn’t really have much taste actually. You can tell that there was some sort of sauce mixed in but it was still quite bland. Ultimately, it’s really just a big bowl of noodles and nothing more.
If you simply want a big bowl of filling noodles, then maybe order this. Otherwise, I wouldn’t considering ordering this dish. I also wouldn’t order this again myself.
Final Thoughts
Bite and Bite Shanghai Fried Buns offers a quick, casual dining experience on Merivale with friendly staff and the unique appeal of watching dumplings being made in-house. The pan fried buns were the standout, cooked well with great texture and flavour.
The beef brisket noodle soup was generous in portion but average in execution, with forgettable broth and uneven noodles. Overall, the restaurant is decent, but not strong enough to be a go-to spot compared to the many other noodle and dumpling options in the city.
Worth trying once, especially for the buns, but not a place I’d go out of my way to visit again.