Golden Dragon Palace

363 Manningham Rd, Templestowe Lower, VIC 3107

http://www.goldendragonpalace.com.au/
For an Australian city, Melbourne enjoys the luxury of choice when it comes to yumcha - from the city centre to the suburbs. There are many articles and blogs written about where one can get the best yumcha in town. The thing about yumcha is that it is pretty tricky to compare for a number of reasons which I will discuss in the Cultural Moment section. What I was curious about is why is this place only a 77% on Urbanspoon?

The Place
This is a stand-alone building with undercover parking under the building and more round the back. The interior is darker than your average Chinese restaurant and the dimness and full blast air conditioning makes it a rather cold place.

There is an element of Chinese charm in the decorations, with interesting pieces of sculpture situated along parts of the restaurant. The fact that it has walled off the toilet section is good and there's quite a bit of space between tables which is useful, so you don't feel crammed in with other diners. They also have high chairs which is good.

Things to do nearby: Localised shopping centre but not much else around here.

The Food
They offer the full range of yumcha dishes but the highlights for me here include; Pork Spare Ribs (quite possibly the best I have had (for me) in Melbourne, with a great balance of flavours), Beancurd Pork Rolls, and Sui Kow (Prawn and Pork Dumpling). The Squid Tentacles here are also pretty good but order it and eat immediately - don't let it cool down too much. These four highlights really made my dining experience here more than any of the other dishes.

Pork Spare Ribs - half eaten before I remembered to take the photo

From the top - clockwise - Beancurd Pork Rolls (2 lots because they were YUM),  Har Kow (Prawn Dumplings), Ham Sui Kok (Glutinous Pork Dumpling), Yee Chee Kow (Sharkfin Dumpling which is so called because it is shaped like shark fin - doesn't actually contain shark fin). It is also worth mentioning that this is possibly the only place in Melbourne that serves the Salted Egg Custard Bun, which has a sweet bun encasing salted egg custard - a very nice way to finish the meal.

Salted Egg Custard Bun

Mushroom and Seafood

They also have the biggest bowls of congee at Yumcha that I have had in Melbourne. Most places have smaller serving sizes. So, having one by yourself can be a bit much. One of the challenges here in this establishment is how cold the air conditioning gets. It is great when you first stepped in from the heat outside in summer. However, the downside is that, the food cools down to room temperature really quickly as well. This was one of the first things I noticed. So, if you are part of a crowd that likes to order many dishes and then slowly pick away at the dumplings - it is likely that you are going to be eating some cold dumplings.

Sui Kow and Chicken Siu Mai

The Service
Firstly, they need a much much much better queue system. It can be the source of angst and a bad first impression. There are many who do not queue who speak Cantonese and others who are regular visitors. Somehow, this is a place of who is pushiest and loudest wins. They really need to fix this. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for the 77% on Urbanspoon - not that they would care if their pushy customers keep coming back and battle it out in Cantonese while other diners get put off and just complain on Urbanspoon.

The assumption of the place is that you know what you are ordering. The wait staff are not great at explaining the dishes. For those of us who know the dishes, it is a lot smoother and easier to navigate. This place is clearly set up for the familiar yumcha officionados and not for beginners (for whom this would be somewhat overwhelming). Other than that, service is actually not too bad and better that some of the places in town. A few of the waitstaff are also very attentive once you say, "Thank You!" and give them that very rare smile.

Overall
I would go again but I would book in advance and avoid queueing angst. Even then, people jump ahead to say they have booking loudly ahead of you anyway. It's a place that I'd go to once in a while for particular dishes. Not going to be a regular here for me, but the occasional visit for something different.

Cultural Moment
What does best yumcha mean? To me, that's very difficult to judge because so many elements have to come to bear and most places are great at some elements but seldom all of them at once. In addition, every individuals or group of diners have different preferences about how these elements should be presented. What are these elements?

Steam or Fried: Some people prefer the steamed offerings while others go for the deep fried dishes. When you have too much of one and not enough of the other, you lose the balance. In addition, some places do great steam dishes but have overly greasy fried dishes. Others do great lightly fried dishes but their steamed dishes are not great. It's all a bit subjective.

Vessel and Content: The art of dim sum is very much a balance of the vessel (skin) and the meat/veg (content). The skin is such an important part for old school traditional yum cha lovers, where it needs to be delicate and still be able to hold the content. It should also have great texture that helps highlight the contents but not overpower it. For many other diners, the skin is just a vessel and they might judge the dishes on the tastiness of the protein inside alone.

Everyone knows what dimsims are: But no one can agree on what it should taste like. It's like Spaghetti Bolognese - how many versions are there and how many "Best SpagBol in the World" are there? This romanticised idea of the best siu mai, har kow or even pork spare ribs (see above), is just that - an idea that is dear to the person who proclaims it, and sometimes, makes little sense to anyone else.

Meat for Vegetarians: Yumcha can be a real nightmare for vegetarians. Some places do great vegetarian dim sums but many places struggle because withouth specialising in vegetarian cuisine, there's only so much you can do with beancurd, beancurd skins, mushrooms and Chinese broccoli. If you are gluten free, this will be even more difficult.

Yumcha Service: Yumcha service in Hong Kong is pretty gruff, not something many non-Hong Kong diners would appreciate. There is no time for you to sit there and consult the whole table about whether you should order a particular dish and go through every single dish in the cart and check with everyone. Yet - there needs to be a better way of explaining what the dishes are - not like one particular place in town where every dish is explained as "SEAFOOD DUMPLING". At least make some effort. Some people think this is part of the charm, others take serious offence to this.

Seating: Where are you seated and are you getting enough attention and where along the journey of the carts (from the kitchen) are you placed? Some places have their cart operators move all in one direction, so if you are at the end of that journey - you constantly get room temperature dishes and 'leftovers'. Then you have to order dishes. Others are better at managing the circuit... this is why if I am hungry at Cocktail parties with Finger Food, I usually stand at the point where waiters enter with the food - but I digress. Even placement, can have an impact on your experience in one restaurant.

Wine and Tea: Most understated in the whole experience but really important to me is the variety and quality of the teas served. After all, Yumcha translates to "Drinking Tea". The teas offset and balances out the meal and represent a crucial part of the experience for me. It is integral to the whole ritual and if all you have is cafe grade jasmine tea - that's a fail for me even if you have the 'best siu mai'. In Australia, people have wine at Yumcha - WHY? Because they can and so, for some people, the matching of wine of the dim sims becomes important but because this is not traditional practice, the ability of restaurants to match the wines on offer to Yumcha styke dishes can be rather questionable.

So, from my point of view, finding the best Yumcha for you can be a rather personal experience, which is ironic given that Yumcha is inherently a group experience. That's why the idea of proclaiming the BEST YUMCHA is a somewhat difficult thing to do. So, what do you do? TRY MANY and TRY A LOT. Enjoy Yumcha.

Shark Fin Inn

52 Little Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC 3000

http://www.sharkfin.com.au/

In most Western cities of the world, the best yumcha would often be found around the Chinatown area. In Melbourne, it's a bit different because the city is peppered with good yumcha offerings from west to east, and north to south. We are so very lucky. Yet, this is not to say that there aren't good yumcha places in Melbourne's Chinatown, just that they have healthy competition from the suburbs. Shark Fin Inn is one of those places in Chinatown that have been around for a while. It's sister branch, Shark Fin House is just a block away (and is the one that usually has queues waiting to get in weekend mornings). From its name, you know that this place was not founded recently, when the consumption of sharkfin has been frowned upon... it's been around since 1980. This is the original restaurant of the Shark Fin group. This restaurant was also awarded best yumcha by a radio program recently - but I'll be the judge of that!

The Place

In my opinion, this is a nicer space than Shark Fin House down the road because it simple has more space, and you are not sitting too closely next to strangers. Across both levels, you get a feeling of space. However, being the original restaurant with little refurbishment since 1980, the decorations are a bit dated, though not completely unacceptable. For example, on the ground floor, most of the deco are the framed up restaurant awards they have received since in the 1980s. I just think that for a restaurant of its calibre, it could do with a bit of sprucing up to give it a more contemporary feel.

It is a relatively child-friendly space though not good if they run around. It has 'private room dining space' that's a bit separate from the main dining space but still open, and a generally congenial atmosphere. Parking is always a pain in the city of course.

Things to do Nearby: This is up the top of Little Bourke Street, closer to the theatre precinct and Parliament House and Treasury Gardens. It's really the start of Chinatown up the top of Little Bourke Street.

The Food
The food is traditional yumcha and the offerings are pretty standard. Most of it is tasty and fresh, though not always at the perfect hot temperature. This is largely because they don't use the steam bath carts that most yum cha places have. They tend to use conventional trays, so the food does cool down quite quickly. The good news too is that I didn't feel thirsty even after the very satisfying meal, which means, they probably don't use too much MSG, if at all.

Chicken Feet, Stewed Eggplant, Beancurd Roll, Glutinuous Rice

The highlights for me were the Chicken Feet (Phoenix Claws) - they were truly tender and yummy. I really enjoyed them. The Glutinuous Fried Rice was not bad, as it was still moist unlike some other places. If you like dried shrimp, they serve it with lashing of it, the way the SEAsians love it.

Pork Dumplings (Siu Mai) and BBQ Pork Pastry (Char Siew Sou)



Seafood Tofu and Prawn Rolls



The Pork Dumplings and BBQ Pork Pastry were not bad, though I had more to my taste elsewhere. The Pork Dumplings were not very juicy and it contained a prawn that was not all that fresh.

The BBQ Pork Pastries were good though the BBQ pork inside was very sweet - some would really like that - I prefer it a bit more savoury.

The Prawn Rolls were fabulous... so yummy and juicy. However, they used the harder styled tofu in the Seafood Tofu, which doesn't work as well in my opinion.

The Service

The service is one of the nicest and best in Chinatown. They are well trained and take time to attend to your needs. They are also not too pushy but very helpful in suggesting dishes you might like, and actually one of the only places that pays attention to what you have already had, instead of offering you the same thing over and over and over again. It is a real pleasant experience, even when it got really hectic. I am really impressed with how well they pay attention to the needs of customers.

Overall
I like taking guests here as it is not too hectic and crazy, while the food is still pretty good. Although I don't think it's the best yumcha in Melbourne, it's certainly above average. So, amongst all the places in Chinatown, it's one of the better ones in my opinion.

Cultural Moment
Queueing - it's not a strong point in many parts of Asia (Japan is the definite exception). So, even in Australia - it seems many who originate from Asia also bring that trait along with them. I know I have become comepletely Australianised because I get upset at people not queueing. This was certainly the case here while waiting to get into Shark Fin Inn.

In so many parts of Asia, Asians just jump in, even when there's obviously a queue, every body seems to think they have a good reason for jumping ahead and pushing in. I guess when you have so many people in a limited space, he/she who is loudest wins. There just isn't a queueing culture in many parts of Asia, unless if you are in a place where you have to take a number.

So, today at Shark Finn Inn, there were a lot of people just barging in, ahead of others who had arrived first and were waiting for the restaurant to open. There wasn't a moment where they looked around and wonder why everyone was standing around - they just pushed in ahead to try to get in anyway. You can see the attitude is different - so how do you deal with a situation like this? You pushed ahead too, politely but nevertheless, you push ahead to get service. We certainly did that the moment the restaurant opened or risk waiting for everyone to jump in ahead who had arrived later (even though we had booked ahead). It's all good - no need to get frustrated, just as long as you understand the context.

Minh Tan 2 (Chinese and Vietnamese Restaurant)

192 Victoria St, Richmond, VIC 3121

How does one differentiate itself from some 30 other Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants in the same stretch of street? One way is to offer something the others don't have - Yum Cha. However, if a restaurant does offer something different, that something needs to be good or it might tar the rest of the offerings from that very restaurant. Minh Tan 2 has survived on Victoria Street for a very long time, so, it must be doing something right.

The Place

This has the set up of a typical Cantonese Vietnamese Restaurant with the ducks and chickens hanging in the window, special item menu handwritten on pieces of colourful paper and pasted on the wall, overcoming any original decoration or wall paper or even mirror, take away section up the front. It has been around for a long time and is fully carpeted to help with sound insulation. However, I think it's time for fresh carpets. This is not a huge place and when it gets crowded, you will be sitting with your back against other diners (which can be annoying). It's not exactly child friendly but I have seen many parents negotiate their prams and high chairs in this place successfully with kids who have patiently sat there the entire meal - so maybe, I should say that it's not a great place for kids who want to run around and parents who like to let them do so. You'd do so at your own risk. Like all places on Victoria Street, you are looking for parking either onstreet or on the side streets, or undercover park at The Hive.

Things to do Nearby: It's Victoria Street, great to explore the shops here for Asian Groceries and Food. Alternatively IKEA and Victoria Gardens is a short 5 minute drive away.

The Food

Yummy Lotus Leaf Glutinuous Rice

The food from the ala carte menus is actually not bad and the BBQ meats are pretty good and reliable. There are a number of Cantonese dishes here that are comparable to any out there in Richmond. However, what I want to focus on are the yumcha offerings, which is not the norm on Victoria Street. It is also one of the cheaper yumcha places in Melbourne - most affordable.

First off, the Loh Mai Kai (Lotus Leaf Glutinuous Rice) is simply one of the tastiest in Melbourne. It is a generous portion, and comes with a chicken, chinese sausage, and roast pork. It has just the right level of salt. It is the traditional way to serve it without being overly greasy.

They also do a good Fried Prawn Roll which is golden and crispy. The prawns taste really fresh and I really enjoyed them, though I would have preferred this with mayo rather than plum sauce.

The other dim sums are ok but nothing to really rave about. However, I am pretty sure they do use quite a bit of MSG here because I was really thirsty afterwards. Nevertheless the main issue here wasn't about the quality of food but that with yumcha, they have a really limited range of offerings. They do have the staples and that's about it. Therefore, if you are expecting the full range of dim sum dishes, you might be disappointed. This is certainly not set up to be a full yumcha experience that many might have become accustomed to. It's reminds me more of a coffee shop yumcha like the ones in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, where they are famous for a few key dishes and that's it. In addition, they are not great at explaining what the key dishes are and so, you can expect some communication barriers in terms of ordering the dishes you want.

It certainly won't be my go to place for yumcha, though I reiterate, their Cantonese BBQ dishes do just fine.

The Service

The service is less than desirable. They really don't make much of an effort to explain how they work or to engage. It's what I would call indifferent service. They are not necessarily rude or anything - just uninterested. This is particularly annoying when they don't even explain their ordering system for yumcha. I wanted them to at least try - which they didn't. Most unfortunate.

Overall
While it's not the top of the list for yumcha, it's great for takeaway especially if you are looking for BBQ meat. They also have a range of pastries that you can takeaway - for me, that's the best way to partake in the food here without putting up with the service. For others, they are most likely to go to any of the other restaurants nearby that may make more of an effort.

Cultural Moment
What is it about bad service from places like these? Do they really genuinely not care about communicating with their customers or do they sincerely think that this is acceptable? There are so many places that do this in Melbourne, especially places that serve Cantonese food. It's almost a stereotype.

Firstly, having been to Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia where there are similar restaurants, I have to say that it's not a cultural thing! There are all levels of service in SEAsia as one might expect. So, what is it about the places in Melbourne that are well known for this sort of service?

I think there are two main reasons; 1) There are some restaurants that are targeted at students, and they are low cost and have a clientale that's doesn't really care. They are there to just eat and run, and would themselves ignore the wait staff; 2) There are places where unless you speak their language, would make minimal contact and effort at trying to communicate in any way. This applies to the managers as well as their untrained wait staff. So, because most of their customers are people who speak their language, they are fine with serving them. However, the moment you have non-Cantonese speakers, the service level is reduced as a proxy for reduced communication. You have entered their World without knowing their rules. Live with it and if you don't like it... write a blog entry!

Tao Tao House

815, Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, VIC 3122

After reading the hype on Urbanspoon, I was quite excited to try this place. So, when friends suggested it, I was in very quickly. This is what I call 'posh yum cha'. They have actually made an effort with the whole set up of the place and it was not the usual frenetic pace that some might expect - in fact, it was down right slow. I don't dislike this place but neither is it on the top of my list.

The Place
Well appointed, nice dark wood, great contemporary Chinese deco and good ventilation. It's a relatively small space to work with though they can accommodate prams and high chairs. It is genuinely one of the nicest set ups for a suburban yumcha restaurant, comparable with some of the most recently renovated in the heart of the city where they have really made an effort.

Things to do nearby: The shopping area of Glenferrie Road.

The Food
The food here is not bad. The dim sums are fresh and of relatively high quality. However, the posh dim sums are also of the range that would tend to appeal to more western sensibilities. My suspicion is that instead of MSG, they use sugar. It is a good thing not to use MSG, but too much sugar means that the balance of flavours will be skewed.

There is not a wide range here at Tao Tao House. The highlights for me here were the BBQ Pork Pastry (Char Siew Shou) and the various other fried dishes. The steamed dishes are somewhat bland for me. They don't seem to offer congee either.

In terms of desserts, they have a range that's enviable amongst yumcha places. However, they are really more fusion desserts, such as mango crepe pancakes. Check out the review at Coco and Momo - the dessert bloggers linked to my blog.

Don't get me wrong, the quality is there - the delicate transparent skins of some of the dumplings and the freshness of the meats and seafood is admirable. However, for me, it's not as tasty as many of the other places around Melbourne.

The Service
This is a real let down for such a well set up place. They waiter staff are not well trained and neither are they very attentive. In fact, when they actually spilled sauce on my jacket, there was not even an apology and they just got on with wiping the floor instead. Not the best service...

Overall
Let's face it, this place is helmed by Hong Kong chefs but they seem to attract a primarily non-Chinese clientale. The dishes, while nice and of more than acceptable standard, just doesn't appeal completely to my tastes. I might try it out once in a while to see if it's changed but it's certainly not my go to place for yumcha (which by the way, I do a lot).

Cultural Moment
Some people like a less crazy paced yumcha experienced, such as the one at Tao Tao House. To me, it's just not the same. It just doesn't seem right or authentic as an experience. I need it to be a bit crazy, loud, jostling but friendly, smiles and just a general buzz around the place. That's a true yumcha atmosphere.

This is not to say that the service should be rude. Many places in Melbourne have shown themselves to be able to create the same atmosphere while still providing a friendly service. The trick is in how well trained the wait staff are and how interested they are in genuinely helping punters have a good time (whether you speak the language or not).

Linx BBQ Yumcha Cafe

93, Cecil St, South Melbourne, VIC 3205

This is no frills dining with variable food tastiness based solely on how long the food has been sitting out, when you order them. This is yumcha as you might have in a corner store on the streets of Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur with a cuppa for brekkie, with no fuss, no service and no attitude. It is not as busy or famous as the South Melbourne Dim Sim, but really - lots of people enjoy a cheap meal here especially on Saturday an Sunday mornings. So, why are there so few comments and raters on Urbanspoon? Can it be considered a hidden gem? Or is it not glamourous enough for the general Urbanspooner?

The Place
This is a basic corner shop with a small space in and outdoors. There is no deco, no ambience and nothing much to speak of - but there is the market atmosphere, and it gets a bit grotty by 2pm and like the market stalls of Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, it's cheap and cheerful. Child friendly? Plenty of space for prams but I doubt they have high chairs. There is also parking all around (including the free one under Woolworths).

Things to do nearby: South Melbourne Market - great eclectic mix of shops and Clarendon Street shops are not too far away either.

The Food
This is basic street hawker style dim sum with the usual suspects of dumplings, buns, BBQ and roast meats. You can even buy cold or frozen ones to takeaway and steam at home. While they do a range of basic fried rice and various dishes served from the bain-marie, the highlights are the dim sum and roast meat offerings.

The highlights here for me include; Siu Mai, Hor Yip Fun (Lo Mai Kai), Ginger Prawns. The BBQ Pork, Roast Pork and Roast Duck are also nice. Lastly, great Fried Calamari (Yow Yu Sou) here IF is it freshly cooked and hasn't been sitting in the bain-marie for more than 15 minutes. The turnover is pretty quick here, so chances are, you will probably get a fresh serve. However, there's always exception to that. It's important to pay attention to what's been sitting there and what's just been brought over from the steaming area and main kitchen (clearly visible from the cafe). If you are not a dim sum variety veteran and need some guidance - check out all my other blog entries with the Yumcha tag and they explain all the different offerings.

The Service
You order the food at the counter, pay and self-serve. If the dish is not ready, they'll bring the food to you when it is. That's the basic service there and when it is busy, it can be a bit rushed. They are seldom ever rude but there's no time for pleasantries either. You kind of have to know what you are there for and order it all at the same time. This is not your leisurely yumcha carting experience - think of it as Hungry Jacks but with Yum Cha.

Overall
This is a great place for a quick brunch if you are in the vicinity and if you are not too fussy about posh service but just want some fast food for yourself and the family with a difference. There is no call to compare this to the yum cha restaurants around town, that would be comparing Maccas to Huxtaburger - which would be just silly. That's not to say the food here is not of quality, it's just the style is different.

Cultural Moment
Hawker style yumcha are very popular in the cities of Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, and even in Singapore in some parts. The locals love it because you get good quality brekkie, lunch or even mid night supper without the fuss of going to a restaurant. This is how many locals do it, with a big pot of tea and no frills service, grimy floors, uncomfortable chairs and freshly steamed dim sums. Order up a serve of congee  star with the dumplins. It takes a family usually about 30 minutes to polish off a good variety of dim sums before they go off on their way to the markets or night markets. The atmosphere is vibrant and market like - nothing posh. It's probably one of the best dining experiences of SEAsia and if you have never tried it before, you should the next time you are in one of those three cities.

The food served here are arguably less flash than the ones at the restaurants, they might be served in bamboo or even stainless steel steamers, but the reality is, the quality varies from the ones which are really notable and popular to the less frequented ones. There are lots of local guides who will be able to tell you where to go.

Dragonboat Restaurant (Little Bourke)

203, Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000

Once upon a time, this as a place to be, and even the likes of Elizabeth Chong, would have been seen here. For those who don't know, she was probably Australia's first Asian Celebrity Chef, with award winnng books, and appearances on TV, introducing Australia to Chinese food. Dragonboat was a bit of a standard bearer but in the last 5 - 7 years, things have gone downhill a little bit, even their website hasn't been updated for at least 3 years with old pictures. Maybe, this is why the Urbanspoon rating is so low.

The Place

 

Nice Contemporary Deco

This particular branch was renovated only few years ago and stands out as probably one of the best laid out and most tastefully decorated contemporary Hong Kong style restaurants in Melbourne. Other than the ridiculous stairs they make the elderly and the kids climb, this is really quite a nicely set out restaurant. It's got a great ambience. Initially, after the renovations, they had balcony dining as well but this has since been covered up because of the unpredictable Melbourne weather. Lastly, there's also a "side cafe" attached to the restaurant, where you can sit quite informally (limited space) and pay a much lower price for your dimsums - this is more cafe and takeaway style.

Things to do Nearby: Set in the heart of Chinatown and in the same arcade as JB HiFi on Bourke Street. This is pretty much the centre of town with heaps of shopping to do.

The Food

What's with the Capsicum?

Since the renovations, Robbie and I have been twice. Disappointed the first time, we thought we'd give it another go about 6 months later. I have also been a few times prior to the renovations. The food here is generally quite disappointing but there is one bright spark. I reckon that this place has the best Pork Spare Ribs (spiced) and it just rocks, with the right amount of spice, salt and is not to greasy. However, that's kind of where it ends. The disappointing dishes included; rather dry Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice (with too much dried shrimp); Congee that was thin gruel with tiny tiny tiny bits of pork and no trace of century egg, Beancurd Roll that was contaminated by the bits of capsicum they threw on the dish as a garnish; and the worst of the lot - sweet Siu Mai - sugary sweet and so wrong.

It's just not to my taste - probably because I like my yum cha a bit more savoury and saucy rather than dry and sweet. So, for the amount I am paying here and I do feel it's more expensive to a number of other places (maybe because of its location) - I am not going to be coming back in a hurry.

The Service

The service was pretty bad the first time around with wati staff who weren't sure what they were doing and were completely inflexible and not very knowledgeable about their offerings - for example, every single dimsum was "dumplings". This time round, we had a couple of wati staff who were able to explain their range of offerings - so it's perhaps the luck of the draw.

Overall

If I happen to be close by and am by myself and wanted quick take away dimsum, I'd go to the side cafe and order a few things to takeaway. However, it's probably not worth me going another time as I question the value for money - which is a pity for me because it's such a pretty space.

Cultural Moment

This is Robbie's observation - 'this is gweilo yumcha'. I didn't say it! Robbie's caucasian - so he can get away with it. It's somewhat westernised I think and as pointed out too - more than 75% of the diners where are caucasian. Half the Asians here were not Chinese, and the rest maybe were tourists?

The term 'gweilo' is a Cantonese term that is used to denote Caucasians. It actually translates roughly to "Spirit/Ghostly Fellow" - referring to the colour of the skin. It is said that in their first encounter with the Europeans, the southern Chinese thought that the they were spirits - (which is interesting as many indigenous Australians stories say the same thing about their first encounters with the Europeans). So, a woman might be referred as "gwei poh", a boy "gwei zai" and a girl "gwei mui". While it does sound racists - many expatriates in Hong Kong actually own the term and would even refer to themselves as such. It's not necessarily a derogatory term, though it can be used in a derogatory way, depending on the tone. If you are really interested - there's an autobiographical book titled "Gweilo: Memoirs of a Hong Kong Childhood" by Martin Booth.

Incidentally - I didn't grow up using those terms to describe Europeans - in Malaysia and Singapore, ther term used was 'ang moh', which translates to "Red/Copper Hair", again describing that which is the most obvious difference between black haired Asians and other foreigners. 'Ang Moh' on its own is purely an adjective and not meant to be derogatory but again, in the most racist instances (yes! they exist everywhere) the adjective could be added to any other noun that are much less flattering. The terms 'ang moh' is Hokkien, not Cantonese, and it always amuses me that it is actually similar to Aussies use of the term 'rangas', except, 'ang moh' refers to ALL Caucasians, not just our beloved copper fiery ginger friends.

Plume Chinese Restaurant

200, Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong, VIC 3032

http://www.plume.com.au/

A relative low scorer on Urbanspoon, this restaurant is perhaps the more understated of the chains of mid range Chinese Restaurants in Melbourne. While dinner is reasonably priced compared to the other chains, their yumcha is rather expensive, for what it is. There is a good mix of Chinese and Western clientale at the restaurant, reflected in the balance of traditional and westernised Cantonese dishes on the menu.

The Place

This is a huge space and parking is unlikely to be a problem, given that it's next to the Highpoint Shopping Centre parking. This is a child friendly environment with all its space and you won't feel cramped. The contemporary space is tastefully decorated and pleasant, with great noise insulation for a restaurant its size. The great big glass panels lets in ample light during the day.

Things to do nearby: Highpoint Shopping Centre if you are looking for a bit of shopping.

The Food

The food here is not bad. The ala carte menu has a good range of dishes you'd expect from a Cantonese restaurant. It does cater to a more westernised tastebud though and the dishes can be a bit sweeter rather than savoury and 'garlicy'. The dinners I have had here have been satisfactory but not really something to rave about. It's not better or worse than most place.

Now, for the yumcha. How does it compare, given how pricey it is? Well, when I pay above average price, I expect above average food and I don't really think this is the case here - it's average, and therefore, the value for money factor is questionable. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad food here by any stretch of the imagination but the greatness of this place is characterised by it's above average service, not its above average food.

Firstly, the trolley of fried/dry dishes, while plentyful is usually cold by the time it gets to the table. I am sure you would agree that room temperature or cooler fried food is never good. This was the disappointment with today with the Squid Tentacles and BBQ Pork Pastry Puff. So, while there were tasty - it was still a letdown.

The steamed dumplings were generally acceptable and not overly salty or greasy like some other places. The taste is all there and honestly, yumcha dishes can be quite hard to review because different people like different things about their dimsums. I'd say that usual suspects are all passable for most people and the temparature is right, unlike their fried dishes. Their Century Egg and Roast Pork Congee comes with very generous servings of both ingredients.

The Service
The service, I'd say is good. They are never understaffed which means, it's easy to get attention. Even for yumcha when things can get a bit disoragnised, they always have people around to attend to your table. The carts and trolleys come around very quickly and there's usually a lot of food. They are also happy to explain the dishes to you - you just have to be patient.

I was particularly impressed with the waitperson who was responsible for the one dessert cart. She was attentive, knew when to approach tables to ask if they wanted dessert (not like many other places). Then she instinctively figures out if you are having one each or intending to share or swap and work out who wants what, and provides extra spoons without being asked. That's service.

Overall
Like I said earlier - this is an expensive place to have yumcha. So, unless if I am in the area to have yumcha desperately and am going with a big group and haven't booked, there are other options not too far from here. For dinner, I prefer more authentic offerings personally.

Cultural Moment

In light of previous two postings on various types of dimsums, I thought I'd do a final range of different types of dimsums here - focusing on desserts. Besides, the lovely lady pushing the dessert cart very willingly let me take a picture of her cart.

Beginning with one that was introduced in an earlier entry;
Tan Taht / Dan Ta / Egg Custard Tart - When I was young, I used to think that Tan/Dan means Egg and Taht/Ta was just Tart. I recently found the chinese character for Taht/Ta and it actually means 'Flog' - presuming referring to the flogging to the egg into a custard. I have never been a fan though it is one of the most popular dishes.

Mango Pudding - don't need much explanation there but you have to decide whether to have it with condensed (really sweet milk) or not.

Sago Pudding - a rich concoction to tempt custard, coconut and sago lovers. This is usually warm and the best ones are slightly caramalised.

Almond Jelly - which is an acquired taste that is quite refreshing, usually served with canned fruits as if it's not sweet enough. Really smooth consistency.


Green Tea Jelly (with Red Bean) - inspired by the Japanese obviously and the bits of red beans in them are yummy.

Coconut Jelly - If you like fresh coconut, you'd probably like this but please remember to share - probably too much for one person.

Mixed Fruit Jelly - The last in the quadrilogy of jellies - this is the one the kids love because it's full of food colouring and comes in different flavours all jumbled up.

Do Fu Fa / Dou Hua / Sweet Beancurd - Definitely an acquired taste this one, and the silky smooth delicate beancurd is not for everyone, served sometimes with a sweetend ginger soup or jasmine scented sugar mixture.

Ling Yong Puff Pastry / Lotus Paste Puff Pastry - Lotus paste can be an acquired taste for those who have nver had it before but encased in yummy puff pastry, this is really quite nice (assuming you haven't just eaten 5 boxes of Mooncakes during the harvest festival in the middle of the year). There's also Ling Yong Bao (which is in a bun instead of puff pastry)

Crepes - Many yumcha places have started to innovate with crepes. These can be filled with anything from custards, to ice cream, to mangoes, to durian.

Snow Pastry - On rare ocassions, they might serve up a range of snow pastry (glutinuous rice cakes) that might be filled with read bean or even with ice cream. This is similar to mochi.

For a really interesting read and some historical information on dessert yumcha, I recommend another blog here; momoandcoco desert correspondents. Fabulous blog for dessert lovers.

Gold Leaf (Preston) Restaurant

419, High Street, First Floor, Preston, VIC 3072

http://www.goldleafrestaurant.com.au/

While Gold Leaf Docklands has a pristine setting, the branch in Preston is defined by its spinning chandeliers and bustling service. It is typical of a Hong Kong Restaurant and what it does well is yumcha. This place is usually busy and if you are going for the 1pm session over the weekend, it's best to book in advance especially if you have a large group.

In the evening, it's like any Cantonese Restaurant that serves up the usual reliable mix of authentic and westernised Cantonese offerings.

The Place

Bright space with spinning chandeliers - yes. It's a traditionally 'decorated' Chinese restaurant with all the usual gaudy contraptions and wall hangings. There is the possibility of a private dining room in the mezzanine if you have a special function. Getting in and out of the restaurant is frankly a bit of a fire hazard when you consider the queues that this place has sometimes.

Thing to do nearby: Preston shops and Preston market on Saturdays!

The Food



Century Egg and Roast Pork Congee, and cup of Chrysanthemum Tea



This place serves the usual yumcha fare. I have said this before and will not hesitate to say it again and again - I believe it is fair to say that full vegetarians will struggle at this place (and most yumcha places) while vegequarians who don't mind seafood will do just fine. Much of the dimsum served here have some sort of meat. I can almost count the purely vegetarian offerings with my fingers (Mushrooms, Chinese Brocolli, Cha Leong (a doubly rice noodle with fried dough wrapped in rice noodle), Custard Bun, Seaweed Salad, Beancurd dessert, Green Tea Jelly, Balled Melons for dessert - ok that's it - I'm done)

Other than that, the full range of dimsums are on offer here, though one can order from the ala carte menu too. One word of warning - beware the Suckling pig - that small dish they offer you is going to cost you no less than $23 for a few pieces of meat.

The Service
Depending on what time you get there - this place can be frantic or the waitstaff could be standing there waiting for you to call out to them, as they wait for you to finish what you have in front of you. Fear not, the service here is better than many of the yumcha places in the city. They actually try to explain to you what's in each of the dumplings, so that even if you are a novice - you will at least know what's in the dumplings you are about to have. This is not hard as they speak Mandarin, Cantonese and English all relatively fluently.
Overall
This is a place I go to at least once a month because it's convenient, it's reliable and it's consistent. Their queue management is a problem from time to time simply because the crowd can outgrow the limited waiting space. So, it's always best to book.

Cultural Moment
Continuing from the previous Gold Leaf article where I introduced a range of dim sums - here are some more common dim sum you might enjoy (each will contain the Cantonese name / Mandarin Name / English Description);

Bean Curd Roll - I don't actually know how to call this in Cantonese or Mandarin - but it's really really good whatever you call it. Mostly sheets of beancure rolled together with some seafood and pork in the middle.

Hor Yip Fun / Her Yeh Faan / Lotus Leaf Glutinuous Rice - This herbal tasting steamed glutinuous rice with chicken, preserved shitake, salted egg, chinese sausage and minced meat, wrapped in lotus leaf. A meal on its own - perfect for sharing.

Lor Pak Gao / Luo Bo Gao / Radish Cake - ok Vegetarians (if you are still reading), don't get excited, this is NOT vegetarian as it contains bits of Chinese ham in it.

Wu Kok / Wu Jiao / Yam Dumplings - Minced meat wrapped in a savoury yam paste and quick deep fried. Really yummy if you like yam, has a light crusty outer layer, soft yam paste, and yummy chicken/pork mince in the middle.

Ham Sui Kok / Shiyan Shui Jiao/ Fried Salty Dumplings - Fried doughy sticky glutinuous dumplings with minced meat inside.

Pphai Kuat / Phai Gu / Pork Spare Ribs - Cooked in various different styles - some places might even have a few different offerings depending on whether you like the basic black bean variety, or a spicier version. Yummy but can be a bit greasy.

Ling Yong Bao / Lian Rong Bao / Custard Bun - this is more a dessert and the correct name should be lotus paste bun. However, some places actually do use custard instead of lotus paste. So, if you prefer one of the other - clarify before you order.

Char Siew Sou / Char Shao Su / BBQ Pork Puff - This is one of the things in the world that makes me happy (if it's done well). Here's a picture - simple isn't it? Tasty BBQ Pork, light buttery puff sweet pastry, sesame seeds and baked - it's not healthy but I don't care.

Gold Leaf (Docklands) Yum Cha

Level 1, Star Circus Harbour Town, Docklands, VIC 3008

http://www.goldleafrestaurant.com.au/

This place has a healthy score on 85% on Urbanspoon and the various negative reviews come from the ocassional lapse in service, harried staff, and carts not being wheeled through the space efficiently enough. Overall, Gold Leaf is one of the only reasons I would pay a visit to Harbour Town. It's a relative good place to take 'newbies' to a yumcha session and to take 'veterans' for a bit of yumcha with relatively good service.
The Place
Well appointed space and tastefully decorated. Really comfortable space and not as squishy as many other yumcha places in town. Prams pose the usual challenge in this sort of places but Gold Leaf Docklands is able to manage it quite well (not as well as their Preston branch - but still ok).

Yes, it is pricier than your average yumcha cafe/shop joint say in Springfield, but this is not meant to be food court style yumcha - so of course it's more expensive.

Other things to do close by: Once you are here, you might as well explore Harbour Town and its shops, the incomplete embarassment that is the Melbourne Star. I will update this when the Star is complete.

The Food
This place serves the usual yumcha fare. Most of the dim sum, the congee, and dessert are of a good standard and usually fresh. The temparature of each of the dishes is appropriate (some places have lukewarm dishes). My favourite here are the Ginger Prawn Dumplings (which is braised) and the Spare Ribs. (See below for a listing of the usual variety of dimsums)

Fair to say, full vegetarians will struggle at this place (and most yumcha places) while vegequarians who don't mind seafood will do just fine.

The Service
Like most places, a yumcha joint is as good as how fast they can bring out the variety of food to satisfy the diversity of customers. The challenge of balancing the steamed staples, with the fried ones, enough 'westernised' dishes, the big dishes (such as salt and pepper calamari, and roast pork), and the congees and beef brisket, and desserts at the opportune time, is not easy. They also have to make sure that all the carts don't just keep going in one circle so that the few tables at the beginning get all the choices and the ones at the end of the cart cycle gets the 'leftovers'.

This place does it relatively well with ocassional lapses. The great thing about this place though is that when those lapses occur - you just have to call over a wait person and order the dish that you one, and it'll come. This is not hard as they speak Mandarin, Cantonese and English all rather fluently.

I think it's above average service here for a yumcha, and they can explain what the various dimsums are, unlike one place which shall be reviewed at a future date where every single dimsum is "seafood dumpling".

Overall
I'd book in advance and keep doing so. It's a place I tend to show to interstate and international visitors because the food is good, the service is fine, and the setting (inside is great) and to regal them with stories of how Harbour Town is a joke. Another plus is that parking (paid) has never been a problem.

Cultural Moment
Dimsum is a Cantonese word that indicates the variety of small dishes served at Yumcha (drinking tea) session. Therefore, the greatest Yumcha experiences are of Cantonese origins and most of the dimsums served derived from the Cantonese Style Cuisine, outlined in another entry. I will be reviewing other Yumcha places in the future and so, in each of these entries, I will introduce you to a small range of dimsums (each will contain the Cantonese name / Mandarin Name / English Description);

Siu Mai / Shao Mai / Pork Dumpling - is the most common dim sum, which has evolved in Australia into your dimsim (dimmy) in your fish and chip shops. This is a common brekkie dimsum throughout southeast China, Singapore and Hong Kong. Both Robbie and I love this LOTS.

Har Gao / Shia Jiao / Prawn Dumpling - is just that, prawns wrapped in pleated translucent flour based skin, that should not stick to each other when you try to pick one up.

Yee Chee Gao / Yu Chi Jiao / Shark Fin Dumpling - is not Shark's Fin Dumpling. It does not contain shark's fin and is so named because it is shaped like a shark fin. That's all - and it is basically and pork and seafood dumpling.

Char Siew Bao / Cha Shao Bao / Steamed Pork Bun - Bao (refers to the particular style of bun) and is a staple in most places. Filled with steaming barbequed pork (Char Siew), the bun should be light and fluffy (watch out for the piece of paper at the bottom). My friend, Deb loves this.

Fung Chao / Feng Jiao / Phoenic Claws (Chicken Feet) - is what it is. Different places might serve it a bit differently from black bean based to spicy sauce. You either like it or you don't. I like it and I believe my friend Jeremy likes it too!

Chee Cheong Fun / Zhu Chang Fen / Rice Noodles - needs a bit of explanation. A literal translation of Chee Cheong Fun is Pig Intestine Noodles. Don't be alarmed, it's not made from any part of a pig. It just looks like a pig's small instestines, hence, the name. With these rice noodles, a coffee shop might sell it with just the noodles, some chives, sesame seeds and a sweet soy sauce. However, most yumcha places will serve a variety, with Char Siew (called Char Siew Cheong), Prawns (Har Cheong), Fried Dough (Cha Leong which translates to fried double, with the fried dough and the noodles making the double). Ev and Nathan do like these :)

Pei Tan (Shao Yuk) Chok / Pi Daan (Shao Rou) Zhou / Century Egg (Roast Pork) Congee - most yum cha places, one would just ask for congee and this would be the variety served (some places with, and others without the roast pork in the congee). What is century egg? It's preseved egg (that's black in colour and a yellowish gray yolk). I have to have this at every yum cha and the other person I know who loves this is Caroline.

Tan Taht / Dan Ta / Egg Custard Tart - When I was young, I used to think that Tan/Dan means Egg and Taht/Ta was just Tart. I recently found the chinese character for Taht/Ta and it actually means 'Flog' - presuming referring to the flogging to the egg into a custard. I have never been a fan though it is one of the most popular dishes. Deb LOVES this.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know these dimsims, and if you have a request for some unknown dumpling you'd like me to write about - please comment and I'll see what I can do, in a future entry.