Yum Cha Central

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Yum Cha (Central)

'Yum Cha' in Sheung Wan is a modern dum sum restaurant that shuns the use of MSG. The chefs aim to present updated versions of traditional yum cha dishes whilst staying true to their roots and serving authentic Chinese flavours. It is centrally located on Des Voeux Road close to Sheung Wan MTR Station (exit E3). There is also a branch in TST.

The slightly kitch half-truck at the entrance resembles a food truck and separates the take-away area from the main dining room. It doubles as a playground for the younger patrons of the restaurant.



Inside the restaurant, the decor is an quirky mix of French bistrot versus warehouse loft with leather booths, gold metal-rimmed mirrors and large exposed ducts and copper pipes on the ceiling. Light streams in from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and there were plenty of tables so getting in at the last-minute wasn't a problem. The seats were comfortable and there was ample space between us and the next table.



The restaurant is child-friendly and spacious enough to accommodate buggies. Our guests brought their 2-year old child and were offered a high chair.

It was entertaining to watch the chefs prep one of their signature dishes, Pineapple Puff Pastry Birds.



The tick-box sheet made ordering easy. Our party of four ended up over-ordering because our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and everything sounded tempting.

Food is served as it is cooked and came in a somewhat random order. The Green Beans with Chilli Pork arrived first. The beans were slightly crunchy and the chilli pork on top finished the dish to perfection.



Up next was the Salt and Pepper Squid which was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside but was altogether too salty. I was disappointed as this is one of my go-to dishes in every Chinese restaurant I dine in.



The wonton were fried to a deep crisp and served with sweet and sour sauce. They were tasty and moreish. Full marks to the chef for whipping up these little treasures.



Continuing on our fried food journey, the chicken spring rolls were next. Spring rolls usually have pork in them so these were unusual but not in a bad way. They were crispy on the outside and the filling was nice and gooey on the inside which is how I like them.



The pretty-as-a-picture Beetroot with Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice arrived after a short break. The addition of beetroot to this classic dish sounds as strange as it tasted. However, each individual component was well cooked and the beetroot added a resplendent, if slightly disconcerting hue to the rice.



The siu mai were a scary green-looking colour on the outside but the inside filling was firm, meaty and juicy. We liked these dumplings so much we ordered another basket.



The har gau were unnecessarily multi-coloured but the prawns inside were succulent and a decent size.



By this time we were filling up but the dishes kept coming. We managed to find room for the Sesame Chicken Rice Noodle Salad which was in a word, heavenly. The translucent noodles were springy and smothered in sesame oil and the finely shredded veggies added good texture.



Each dish was presented beautifully and some like the Three Little Pigs were so cute I nearly couldn't bring myself to bite into them. After nibbling away at the ears I took the plunge and was rewarded with a sweet yet savoury filling inside a delightfully soft bun.



Initially attentive, the service waned a bit when the restaurant filled up. We had some trouble getting the bill. However our waitress was friendly throughout the whole service and diligent in topping up our tea with hot water.



Yum Cha is a fun place to meet friends for a weekend lunch because the food is playful, the atmosphere pleasant, prices are reasonable and the facilities are clean.

For those inspired by the dumpling dishes they've eaten, the restaurant holds regular dim sum cooking classes. Lessons are followed by afternoon yum cha where everyone feasts on their creations. The cost for adults is HK$550 and for children 6-12 years old is HK$350. For more information click here .

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