26 March 2012

Yum Cha in Canberra?

26 March 2012 | crabb

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A question for the hive mind that needs revisiting:

Where’s the best Yum Cha in Canberra, and the best on the northside if they don’t coincide?

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3Jane9:35 am 07 Apr 12

After a skim read, I didn’t see the Woden Hellenic Club mentioned anywhere. I doubt it’s the best in Canberra, but after a few visits to both, I probably prefer it over the Noble Palace in Woden.

There’s more queueing space, the food seems fresher, and you can buy your own drinks (which guarantees that you get them) at the Hellenic Club. On the other hand, I’ve had ‘eggplant fries’ only at the Noble Palace.

HenryBG10:48 am 04 Apr 12

crabb said :

…nothing tasted like a factory-made product to me. Everything was fresh, …
Sesame prawn rolls…….

a. I can’t believe you eat that fried crud, it’s on about the same level as buying a Chico roll.
and
b. There is no way your fried sesame prawn toast was “fresh” or unfrozen.

crabb said :

All the dumplings, boiled and Pot Sticker, had fabulous flavour. Stir-fried Chinese broccoli – why can’t I cook it like that?

You’re kidding, right?
They aren’t boiled, they’re steamed.
And the greens are steamed, no wonder you can’t cook them like that if you’re trying to pan fry them.

Talk about poms and their palates, Aussies really aren’t much better.

crabb9:31 am 04 Apr 12

Thought I’d report back that The Scholar was a winner last Sunday. While I’m not an expert on frozen shop-bought yumcha, nothing tasted like a factory-made product to me. Everything was fresh, and more importantly very tasty. (No ill effects afterwards either). Sesame prawn rolls and some fabulous meatballs with ribbons of cooked egg trailing were the favourites (anyone have a name? Want to find a recipe). All the dumplings, boiled and Pot Sticker, had fabulous flavour. Stir-fried Chinese broccoli – why can’t I cook it like that?

Despite booking, we still had to queue, but it didn’t take long and the small children in our party were entertained by the crabs and fish in the tanks.The place was absolutely packed, but once we were seated food started appearing immediately. There were gaps in the service, and some particularly tasty-looking dishes bypassed us twice – you need to speak up to get what you want.

Really, the experience was fun, very suitable for small kids, and the food really good. We’ll be back for sure. By the way, our second choice had been Prince’s Palace on Emu Bank – glad we didn’t trail out to Belco to find the Red Poster of Doom!

HenryBG2:47 pm 27 Mar 12

m@ said :

Little_Green_Bag said :

The xy Yum Cha at the Croatian soccer club in Deakin was recently named and shamed due to a dirty kitchen.

Just thought you’d like to know …

Does it really matter though, when all they’re doing is reheating packets of frozen precooked stuff? The commercial quantities of MSG will kill any nasties anyway…

Exactly my approach – I presume it’s all straight out of the freezer anywhere you go in Canberra anyway.

You just have to make sure you put pipe up and don’t let them put any deep-fried stuff on your table – especially not the chicken pieces!, plus you have to pipe up and ensure you ask for the steamed greens and the prawn-stuffed eggplant.

m@2:22 pm 27 Mar 12

Little_Green_Bag said :

The xy Yum Cha at the Croatian soccer club in Deakin was recently named and shamed due to a dirty kitchen.

Just thought you’d like to know …

Does it really matter though, when all they’re doing is reheating packets of frozen precooked stuff? The commercial quantities of MSG will kill any nasties anyway…

crabb1:54 pm 27 Mar 12

Thanks for all the useful info, although a clear cut winner would’ve been handy! Think we’ll try The Scholar. The tip for East Ocean in Hypermarket is helpful for the next Sydney trip – have wandered around Chinatown several times overwhelmed by the number of choices.

buzz8191:53 pm 27 Mar 12

Ex Warrior said :