Yum Cha

Open Now

Now Closed

For full review, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2014/05/sg-yum-cha-restaurant-all-day-dim-sum.htmlYum Cha, or 飲茶, is a Cantonese tradition of morning tea, synonymous with Dim Sum served for the meal. While typically deemed to be for breakfast or brunch, I would gladly have them any time of the day and now dim sum lovers have got another option for full day dim sum apart from Swee Choon, Wan Dou Sek or Tim Ho Wan!I've only been to the branch at Chinatown for their weekdays high-tea buffet ($ 21.80 + + for adults) and never knew that in fact, each outlet had a slight twist of dining concept. While its flagship at Chinatown was more like a dim sum house with seafood and hotpot, this one at Changi is that of a casual kitchen serving roast delights apart from their dim sum.Roast Platter(Roast Duck $12.80, Roast Pork $11.80, Honey Roast Char Siew $11.80 and Soya Chicken $16)The roast pork took centre stage for me, well-marinated with a cackling crisp skin to go. Coming a close second was the roast duck where its skin remained slightly crisp, with a thin layer of juicy fats to line the flesh.Prawn Dumpling ($4.60/3pcs)One of my staples for any dim sum meal, this timeless classic typically works as the benchmark for me. The freshness of the prawns got off to a good start, though the skin was a tad too thick for my liking.Custard Egg Yolk Bun ($4.50/3pcs)Filled with a rich flavourful core that was entirely flowing (or spurted out for some), it managed to strike the right balance of sweetness together with the salted egg yolk. While the fillings hit the right note, I would have preferred its skin to be fluffier and slightly moist.Fish Roe Siew Mai ($3.80/3pcs)A timeless classic that was done well in all aspects, this was a satisfying simple comfort food. Tender soft meat encased in a thin skin that didn't leave a sticky bite, topped with a generous amount of tobiko for that added crunch.Prawn Wanton Noodles Soup ($6.80)Prawn Dumpling Noodles Dry ($7.20)These two didn't quite manage to impress though, lacking in flavours and its noodles slightly overdone. Saved by the dumplings and good to mix in with their chilli if you're looking for a more robust taste.Steamed King Prawns Dumpling with Double Fish Roe ($3.50/pc)(Mother's Day exclusive)The royal cousin of siew mai, this has got king prawn and caviar for that succulent texture in every bite and a more savoury touch. A mother's day exclusive, pamper that important lady in your life with a touch of royalty.Lavender Bun with Shredded Coconut Fillings ($2.80/2pcs)(Mother's Day exclusive)If you're familiar with 雞尾包 that's traditionally in Hong Kong, this comes with a slight twist with lavender infused skin. Soft, fluffy skin with a light refreshing lavender taste, it wasn't overpowering for it to taste artificial, and it came well-complemented with the shredded coconut for a slight sweetness. My personal favourite of the evening, this was a winning combination that was visually appealing, tastes that go and having varying textures in a bite!Crispy Spring Roll ($3.20/3pcs), Prawn & Mango Fritters ($4/3pcs) andShrimp Beancurd Roll ($4/3pcs)While spring roll might be commonly available, this came with a slight refresher, replacing the typical turnips with bean sprouts for that added crunch and juiciness. The mango prawn roll was a crowd pleaser with the sesame fragrance and slight sweetness of the mango.Pig Trotters in Vinegar ($9.80)A bowl of sinful indulgence, I liked how the pieces of flesh fell off the bones easily, with a generous serving of meat. Flavourful with a strong vinegar taste, it would have been perfect with a stronger taste of ginger, complete with a hard-boiled egg.Crispy Red Bean w/ Banana ($3.80/3pcs)A classic combination especially for Chinese restaurants, this had a good selection of ripened bananas paired with red bean paste that was just subtly sweet. Have it piping hot for that freshly breaded crunch.Glazed Fruit Tart ($2/pc)(Mother's Day exclusive)Using mandarin orange in this, it added a refreshing citrus twist and what was interesting was that different fruits complemented the custard differently, bringing about subtle flavours when taken separately. For those who're just mildly sweet tooth, I like that the custard wasn't too sweet, though tart base could have been more crumbly.Herbal Jelly ($3.60), Pomelo Sago in Mango Juice ($4),andLemongrass Jelly w/ Fruits ($4)This was the perfect dessert to end off our sumptuous meal. Refreshing and light, the lemongrass wasn't overpowering for that typical polarising love-it-or-hate-it stand. Pretty palatable with most, another dessert on my to-order list next visit.Orange Peel with Honey ($2.50)A new drink on their menu, this was the brainchild of one of their service staff getting inspiration from CNY orange peels. Similar to that of Korean Citron Tea, I would personally have preferred the orange peel flavour to be stronger, though this was a good light option to go with dim sum.Quite a vast difference in variety compared to what I've had at their dim sum buffet, this was a pleasant one with quality ingredients used for their dim sum and interesting creations for Mother's Day specials. I'm hoping that the lavender bun would be on its regular menu actually, so do give it a shot!A refreshed visit to their Changi outlet, with comfortable dining ambience away from the hustle and bustle of town. continue reading

Did you know..."Fingers Kowtow" means fingers kowtowing (head bowing, metaphorically speaking...) -Long time ago, there was an emperor who liked to go into the streets (bringing his royal subjects along) in plain clothes, to see how the commoners go about their daily life. Feeling thirsty & hungry, this group went into a tea-house. A service staff left the pot of tea near the emperor's seat. It was a common sight that whoever has access nearer to the teapot would serve tea. The emperor followed suit. All his royal subjects at the table were very surprised & some wanted to leave the seat to kowtow to him. He eyed them not to do so in order to keep his anonymity. Then one of them respectfully tapped twice on the table with two bend fingers & gave a slight nod of his head with eyes looking down (representing the bend knees on the ground & kowtowing). This gesture of appreciation had since passed down from then on...When a Cantonese speaks of "Yum-cha" (饮茶 or also known as "Ban-ming" 品茗), it's commonly known as a Chinese style of enjoying morning/afternoon tea, which is a meal that involves drinking Chinese tea and eating dim sum dishes. "Yum-cha" means "drink tea" ("ban-ming" poetically meaning "tea appreciation").After shopping, we were wondering where to have our dinner. Then, we chanced upon this Yum Cha outlet near Changi City Point Mall.It was rather late (less than an hour before closing time) but getting a table was still a challenge. We were lucky to get a table soon after we arrived. This place has high ceiling & the warm lighting was very inviting. The wooden chairs were rather unique (but it was very crowded so I didn't take any photo). Planks on the chairs were curved down towards the center, making one felt as though it was hugging our precious bottoms. Tableware were made of white-china (porcelain?) giving a clean & classy look while the acrylic condiment sets were easy to maintain & user friendly.We were surprised when the service staff gave us a PDA for us to order our food. She was a little impatience but gave a very quick briefing nonetheless...when we told her that we had not been to any of their outlet before & this was our first time. It took us a while but we managed to order 3 Set Menu Specials - $11.80 nett per set (noodle/congee with 1 type of dim sum & a drink per set) & 2 extra dishes.Hubby ordered the set with Prawn Wanton Noodle (Dry), Crystal Chives Dumpling & Hot Barley.Son chosed the set with Char Siew Noodle (Dry), Fried Carrot Cake & Cold Honey Watercress Drink.I had the Century Egg & Pork Congee, Fish Roe Siew Mai & Hot Chinese Tea (refillable).The other 2 dishes that we had were Honey Roast Char Siew & Custard Buns.My humble opinion:- both types of noodle were bland & a tad too al-dente...prawn wanton was springy...char siew was a little dry, not too charred & was a little too sweet for my liking...- I would prefer the siew mai to be steamed a minute lesser as they were rather dry & a little tough...- the skin of the crystal chives dumpling was thin on top (as in the picture) but was thick underneath, the chives looked as if they were mixed into the dough of the skin but were still slightly undercooked...- the honey roasted char siew tasted the same as from the noodle counterpart but I'd expected it to be much tender & juicier though...this dish was saved by the steamed peanuts that was soft, juicy & very flavorful - nice...- congee was flavorful & not too thick, pork was tender & the century egg was not mushy...it was tasty- carrot cake was the most delicious of all...not oily, slightly crispy outside but soft inside, I liked the taste of the roasted meat (腊味) amidst tiny shreds of carrot...yummy!- I was delighted to see the hot & flowy custard in the custard buns - not many restaurant managed to achieve this result...To be fair, the overall experience was ok...but it was very expensive.Verdict: I might go back to try other dim sum dishes when they have a much better valued promotion. continue reading