$$ - Dim Sum - Central
Nan Fung Tower, 2/F, Nan Fung Place,, 173 Des Voeux Rd Central, Central, Hong Kong
THE CONCEPT
If you’re looking for a fun - read aesthetic and "instagrammable" - and delicious meal in HK, then Yum Cha really is the best place for you. It means “drink tea” in Cantonese but is most known for its funky dumplings with cute faces. After exploring various “photo shoot” locations throughout Mong Kong (check out my travel diary - August 1), this was the next step of my Instagram journey.
THE VISIT
I started off with a Mojito before ordering a bunch of plates with my dining companions. Yum Cha has a wide range of a la carte options (no cart coming around though). We started off with Chicken Spring Rolls and Pickled Vegetables with silken tofu.
We also got Pan-fried Rice Noodles with Angus beef and Sweet & Sour Pork with pineapple.
Next came the main event - the buns!
The pink buns are Steamed Red Bean and Mochi, the black buns are Steamed Chinese Cabbage + Pork, and the yellow/orange were Hot Custard molten buns.
WINNERS
Aesthetic: Yum Cha definitely lived up to its name and I had a great time. It was a very fun dining experience and I really enjoyed my food. There was a wide variety of foods and the fun buns were great. I came for dinner but before 3pm there is a slightly different menu providing a different experience - i.e. very cute doggy sausage rolls.
Buns: Not only did they look great but they were delicious - a wide variety of flavors for different palates.
Meat: the beef noodles and the sweet/sour pork were nice, filling additions to the meal that were substantive yet tasty.
COULD BE BETTER
Mojito: It was more sugary water than a mojito without a real lime flavor
Value for Money: the dim sum here is pretty pricey for what you get - but you do know that going in
Service: I was here relatively early for dinner on a Monday so it was pretty empty (definitely different from more popular weekend times). Service was ok but could have been better.
FINAL VERDICT
I had heard a lot about Yum Cha and I'm very happy I went - it provided a great atmosphere for a dinner where I was reconnecting with people I hadn't seen in a few years. The food was genuinely tasty and the dining experience gave it something a little extra. There's definitely other places in Hong Kong where you can find better/cheaper dim sum but I had a great time and there's a lot to choose from.
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