[Hong Kong] Yum Cha - Insta-Worthy Dim Sum That Taste Good

Rating: ❤❤❤1/2

Spring is here and Yum Cha is introducing a number of creative new dishes to excite all of our senses! Yum Cha, along with its sister restaurant Urban Park, burst into the Hong Kong dining scene late last year with 2 locations in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central, and since then my social media feed has been filled with its insta-worthy dim sum (especially the super adorable hot custard buns spewing flowing custard), so I was excited to try its new spring menu and to see if the food tasted as good as it looks!

I've actually been to both locations and each has it own characteristics as the TST branch has an outdoor grass patio that is ideal for having a picnic while the Central branch has a truck as decoration and is bigger and more expansive. The decor is bright and modern with marbled table tops while dishes are reasonably priced.

The Happy Farmville ($99) had us all oohing and awing as it comprised of all of its super cute dim sum creations including the Doggy Sausage Bun, BBQ Piggy Bun, Rose Bun, Green Tea Custard Bun, Pineapple Puff and Hot Custard Bun. This platter is great for those who want to try all of its dim sum together and is only available during dinner at the Central branch. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the taste of the dim sum in general because initially I was worried it would be all looks but they actually tasted pretty good and on par with what you would find at regular dim sum restaurants. 

The Doggy Sausage Rolls ($59/2pc) are actually traditional Chinese sausage buns and one of the new additions to the spring menu. I loved Chinese sausage buns but it's not always offered at all dim sum restaurants (especially the higher end ones) so I was glad to see it here and reincarnated as a dog with fluffy buns! 

The Green Tea Custard Bun ($49/3pc) is another new addition and probably one of the most popular dishes here along with the Hot Custard Bun ($49/3pc)! As you can see below, we had a lot of fun making our buns puke custard which, by the way, tasted pretty good too. I'd prefer the original custard over the green tea one as it had a rich and savory salted egg yolk flavor (unlike the ones at Social Place). Food that you can play with and eat? Why not!

The Pineapple Puffs ($49/3 pc) which came in the shape of birds arrived in a cute bird cage, and I was actually the most impressed with this dish as the pastry shell was crispy and light while the pineapple filling was well-balanced and not too sweet.

The Crispy Sweet & Sour Wonton ($59/6pc) is another traditional favorite that is freshly made in-house with fresh shrimp, minced pork and diced vegetable as fillings and paired with a sweet and tangy sauce as a dip.

Moving past dim sum, we also tried a few new savory dishes starting with this refreshing appetizer Pomegranate & Curly Kale ($59). The kale was crunchy and snappy, and served with a wasabi and balsamic sauce along with sweet pomegranates. 

The Braised Fish Maw with Veggies ($119) will be popular with the ladies with its collagen-rich fish maw which was super soft to eat!

The 3 Cups Prawn ($119) is a creative take on 3 cups chicken (a popular dish in Taiwan) which got its name from the 3 cups of sauces required - soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. The sauce was actually very flavorful and I found myself sucking on the prawn shell for more!

The Marinated Chicken in Spicy Sauce ($69) was adequately spicy while the meat was smooth to eat. 

The Spicy Honey Balsamic Wings ($79/4 pc) was sweet and tangy but the sauce coating was a bit too acidic for me. 

Finally, whimsical desserts arrived to mark the ending of our meal! The sesame balls and sesame mochi came floating on dry ice while the mango pomelo sago was topped with cotton candy. I loved the sesame mochi as it was soft and chewy and while I didn't try the cotton candy, the mango pomelo sago was solid too.

Verdict - if you're looking for a restaurant to get your Instagram game on that is reasonably priced and tastes good, then Yum Cha is the place to go!

*By Invitation

Yum Cha

2/F, Nam Fung Place 

173 Des Voeux Road Central, Central

Tel: +852 3708 8081

3/F, 20-22 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2751 1666
http://yumchahk.com/

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