The best yum cha places are those that are very busy, bustling with the movement of trolleys and tea pots and full of the sounds of Cantonese. These are all good signs and indicate a high probability that the food will be excellent.
And one of the great things about yum cha is that it is the type of dining experience that’s just right for groups, those with adventurous kids or anyone who wants to eat outside of the hours dominated by lunch and dinner. Traditionally, yum cha is eaten in the morning and is Cantonese for ‘drinking tea’ although these days it’s not restricted to the early part of the day.
The Brisbane’s Budget Bites book, by Mei Yen Chua has a chapter dedicated to Brisbane’s best Yum Cha venues.
Here are her tips to enjoying the yum cha experience:
“Good yum cha places tend to offer lots of vegetarian options as well as meat and fish, and the bigger ones make their own dim sum rather than buying pre-packed food.”
“The yum cha experience is better and cheaper if you go in a large group. This way you’ll be able to try more dishes, and it reduces the overall price per head. As a general rule, dishes served on plates are sometimes more expensive than those in steamer baskets, and seafood dishes are likely to be more expensive than the meat dishes. Drinking tea rather than soft drinks and alcohol will also keep prices down.”
“Rather than ordering lots of deep-fried dishes, check out the steamed baskets. These offer a multitude of new flavours and textures, and they’re healthier,’ Mei Yen says.
Here are her four top picks. Feel free to add your own favourites in the comments section below.
Aspley Oriental Restaurant, within the Aspley Hypermarket Shopping Centre. Who would have thought it’d be possible to find a buzzing yum cha restaurant nestled deep in the bosom of northside suburbia? Judging by the frequency of trolleys zooming past and the queue of people, it’s no surprise to locals. Aspley Oriental’s trolley girls are helpful and the tea boys are attentive.
Hong Kong Cuisine in Moorooka. Industrial Moorooka is a treasure trove of good quality ethnic eatieries, and this one is no slouch. Serving up yum cha for lunch and dinner, Hong Kong Cuisine offers approximately 50 yum cha options including desserts, with dishes coming in at $4 for medium, $4.50 for large and $5 for specials. Hong Kong Cuisine makes yum cha to order (eg egg custard tarts). There’s also a special take-away yum cha pack for $21 for seven dishes.
Landmark Chinese Restaurant in Sunnybank. Stepping into Landmark is akin to stepping into a dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong – loud carpet, multiple fish tanks, chintzy chandeliers and a vast sea of tables. Come early, because the place fills very quickly. The key is to try a variety of dishes. Insist on sitting in the main dining hall, where the action is, to make the most of what comes out of the kitchen.
Shangri-La Chinese Restaurant in Sunnybank. Another fantastically priced yum cha restaurant with lots of fresh dumplings and interesting choices. On weekends this place is packed – you can’t book, so chances are you’ll have to wait for a table. The trolley system is well and truly alive here and so much fun.
Find other Chinese restaurants. If yum cha whets your appetite, discover more about Chinese cuisine in Brisbane.
Tell us where you go for the best yum cha in Brisbane in the comments section below.
