Horizon Restaurant, Cabra-Vale Diggers NSW

Panda Yum Cha, North Ryde NSW

 

I was given a real treat in joining friends for a Cantonese Yum Cha (drink tea) or Dian Xin (Touch of the Heart)
at my old stomping ground of the Macquarie Shopping Centre, near Macquarie University.

Panda Yum Cha, North Ryde NSW

Steamed choices can be more healthy.  The Siew Mai or Prawn-Pork dumplings on the right stood in a class of its own here. Forefront of photo are bundles of glutinous rice, with shrimp and pork bits, wrapped in lotus leaves before they are steamed in their bamboo cradles.

Fong Chau or Phoenix Claws - they are really braised chicken feet cooked with chili black beans and a Char Siew sauce, amongst other things. An item of a definite acquired taste, but this dish boosts immunity, restores our own skin regeneration, strengthens our bodily joints and moderates blood pressure.

The success of a Yum Cha dish is in its texture of bite, flavour and choice of fresh ingredients.

My top preferred dishes, all small serve, at yum cha sessions generally are:

1. Siew Mai (steamed prawn pork dainty dumplings).

2. Char Siew So (Baked pork buns with lovely pastry).

3.  Stir fried flat noodles with caramelised wok heat with tender meat slices of your choice.

4.   Roast duck slices served with thin bread sliders and 

garnished with sauce and veg.

5.  Fish maw steamed in wrapped soy bean rolls.

Vinh Phat Restaurant, Cantonese Yum Cha, Cabramatta NSW

Preceding my recent visit to Vinh Phat, I had my imagination and expectations already fired up for a few months  by now.


The restaurant, located in the heart of Cabramatta, south-west of Sydney CBD, had been recommended and occupies an upper floor, not far from the traditional Chinese gates of the nearby mall.  I had seen queues of more than hundred individuals line up patiently at lunch time on weekends, the eager customers spilling out definitely on to the outside 
pavement and then up the stairs.


So what was it that created this demand for the cooking here?


At this stage I have not had a dinner at this venue, but at one lunch time, I did flip through the menu, which emphasised on lots of seafood cooked Southern Chinese style and on duck, all icons of a sumptuous dinner.  Here I offer my reflections of this Yum Cha session with two mates, one who only restricts his consumption of exotic East Asian to prawns and chicken, while the other friend has a more eclectic taste.

The two types of dumplings served for us were of generous size.  They were freshly made and the quality showed when we bit into them, they had excellent texture and the skin was thin enough.  They reminded me of the Siew Mai at Sunny Harbour, Restaurant, Hurstville NSW.


The fried rice had aromas of sufficient wok heat, but to me lacked the eggy over lay that I prefer and find at Sha Kee Restaurant, Cronnula Sharks Club, Woollaware NSW.

 The Har Cheong or steamed prawn rolls showed finesse, was tasty and provided a slurping satisfaction.  Asian uncles and aunties would of approved.


Interesting enough, Vinh Phat oferred chicken spring rolls  - I prefer those from veg or pork.     The chicken was snugly packed within the deep fried rolls and turned out to be all right after all.


Best of all was the serving of mango pancake, two on the small plate  - the egg white mixture enveloped the mango in a sophisticated style and was the fitting end to a session of Dim Sum, a touch of the heart.  This may possibly be the best mango pancakes I have tasted in the greater Sydney region.

This was a Yum Cha or drink tea session as well  - and we had chosen the well smoked but still smooth Pu'Er blend, which was a good change from what you get in most Chinese lunch time gatherings.   The venue was almost full house by 1pm, with a solid Asian demographic, emphasised by elderly couples, family groups and Millennials.   People were walking up the stairs seemingly every minute.


As expected, the tables were placed tightly against each other in such an establishment.  The washrooms were clean and the lighting just right.  The audio level of chatter corresponded with the size of the lunching crowd.   The trolley ladies were friendly, spoke both Cantonese and English and moved about their offerings with a purpose.


For those customers not willing to venture outside their Aussified tastes, the selections can be limited, but there was enough variety if you are keen on braised chicken feet, fish maw, steamed yam cakes and the like.   What was disappointing to me and a fellow luncher was the absence of roast pork cuts.   There was a belly pork dish at dinner time, but this may echo the lack of varied meats at Vinh Phat when compared with seafood.


Would I return for the dinner menu?  Most probably yes.  
My impressions of lunch here are as follows.

Ambiance  7 out of 10
Taste  8 out of 10
Staff Engagement  8 out of 10
Culinary Variety  7 out of 10
X Factor  7 out of 10
OVERALL    7.5 out of 10


Vin Phat Restaurant is at level One of 10-12 Hughes Street,
Cabramatta NSW.   Best to go there by train on weekends, vehicle parking can be a challenge nearby.

King Dynasty Chinese Restaurant Chatswood NSW

I was shocked to find a long length of human hair as I wen deeper into my Tau FuFa (soy bean curd) dessert.

The King Dynasty says they are meat and steak specialists.  Located at the former site of Kam Fook, it may be a good stop by before or after a Hoyts cinema show and in between shopping.  The morning we were at this restaurant, all fourteen of us, we had a corner table, as big as Chinese as they come, with a strategic view of the early yum cha crowd.

Taro deep fried as in Woo Kok  ( or yam puffs)  芋角   stood out crunchy and not over salty.  The barbecue pork buns were my next favourite, with fluffy dough and appetising char siew inside.   I enjoyed the smooth and yummy veg lightly sauteed in oyster sauce.  The mango pudding in a plastic cup was a tad dry, much a disappointment to my preferred bouncy texture as you scoop in.  

The baked Char Siew So was a winner, a fav amongst my non-Chinese mates.   Chinese favoured congee was there, the ubiquitous version with century old egg and minute bits of chicken - and it was served rather delightfully warm despite a cold morning outside.
Our table had the compulsory steamed bamboo offerings of Siew Mai and Har Gou, both in bite sized cups packed tightly with stuff like pork and prawns.  They were above average on my palate. 

I would not recommend the so called Singapore noodles, looking limpid and lacking taste.

The dining hall is huge for Sydney, maybe this was amplified by the height of the ceiling.  There seems to be a higher level of private dining upstairs, on one side.  The traditional wedding mural is placed permanently on another side for dinners.  The hall can seat 500 people.   When we were there, by 1pm and when we were leaving, the whole place looked packed in and it could have been challenging even to try to find our way out.

Next, may be to try their dinner?







The King Dynasty Chinese Restaurant is located at Shop 600 on Level 6 of the old wing at Westfield Chatswood, best accessible from Anderson Street in Chatswood NSW.   
Opening hours are from 11am to 3pm every week day for lunch; from 10am to 3pm on weekends; and from 530pm to 1030pm every night.
Contact + 61 2 9412 9388
Fully licensed, yum cha for lunch times.




My impressions of the King Dynasty Chinese Restaurant in Chatswood NSW:
Ambiance: 2.5 out of 5

Customer Engagement: 3 out of 5
Culinary Delight: 3 out of 5
X Factor:  2.5 out of 5
Overall:   11/4  out of 5

Emperor's Garden Chinese Restaurant - Haymarket Sydney

A typical spread for a Yum Cha table.

If this is not an establishment, then what is?  The Emperor Garden brand already existed before the significant numbers of migration of Asians to Sydney and Australia in general since the 1990s and especially in the past ten years or so.   Today EG has several divisions in its business  - soya bean products, meat butchers, noodle and roast meat retail, cakes and baking - in addition to yum cha and dining.

EG truly echoed what Chinatown meant and was - southern Chinese, Cantonese culinary and a gathering hub for a minority so far from the Mother land.  Today, Chinatown here means international students, a whole host of cuisines and not just Chinese, plus a whole variety of south-east Asian demographics. There are new entrants, old compatriots and fancy business models for yum cha lunching these days.

Youngsters may these days not be over thrilled at the arrangements whereby they accompanied their parents on weekends, tables seated ten to twelve and the cooking was retro. On the other hand, parents and grand parents find the younger generation members absorbed in their smart phones, social media and game apps, even when seated beside each other.   Taiwan styled dian xin, modern versions of the food like at Tim Ho Wan and ordering without trolleys have also changed the landscape of the yum cha experience.  What may not have changed is the noisy chatter, the tables placed close to each other and those bamboo baskets....
  

A Siew Mai dumpling is held over a congee brewed with century old eggs, ginger and chicken slices.

Emperor's Garden may have been caught in a time warp, but that is how the older customers like it.

A rather rushed visit meant for us us meant there was no way to saviour a whole range of delights like on weekends.  So we had three symbolic tastings - we wanted representatives of slow cooked, steamed and baked dishes.   The steamed pork and prawn dumplings at EG are highly recommended - they are of plump, flavourful and traditional vibes.  Next best that day was the congee, reeking of home cooking with a certain wholesomeness, especially on a cooler day outside.

The front portion of the restaurant on the ground floor.   There is an upper level, with windows overlooking the light rail tracks, Paddys market and weekend crowds outside.

What surprised me was the quality of the pastry  of the Char Siew So.  Now, have I been spoilt by the impeccable creations of THW, not far away now in the city centre, without having to go to Burwood and Chatswood?   Baked stuff are liked by mainstream Australians, so this is an important test product.  I did find the oiliness not acceptable and the outer pastry not sufficiently of the texture I expected.  The meaty bits inside were okay, not salty and a plenty on offer.

Breaking up my baked Char Siew So

What surprised me on another count was that the trolley Dollies did  not move much when we were there, just parking themselves at certain spots and not even approaching most of the seated customers.

Maybe there was not much room on this ground floor.  No menus were given out like at THW.  IT then became a game of guessing cat and mouse - oh lady, can you please show us what you have in your closed up containers and baskets?   A mate teasingly remarked that one must be able to speak Cantonese in order to get the food going.  Or Mandarin as well?

However, once you got their attention, the staff were helpful, walking up and down to fulfil your request.

There is always a queue to this from passers-by who just want a light snack whilst walking around Sydney's Chinatown.

The Emperor's Garden Chinese Restaurant is located at 96-100 Hay Street, Haymarket Sydney.
Opening hours are from 7am to 130am every day.
Contact +61 2 9211 2268 and +61 2 9211 2135

The Eight Modern Chinese Restaurant - Haymarket Sydney Yumcha

Full of flavour, delicate on the mouth and elegant on the plate - steamed wantons.

With vehicle parking provided below, Market City in Sydney's Chinatown can be a hive of activity any day or night of the week.  With an upper level food court, ground floor supermarket, clothing outlets and Paddy's Market at street level, it can be a focus for many thronging the southern end of Sydney CBD.  Recently I had yum cha with four other friends at The Eight, located on the upper most floor.   The staff still converse in Cantonese in this restaurant, apart from English and Mandarin.
The food trolleys really get going from around 11am even if the place opens earlier.

And remember, do always get your tea pot topped up by the male staff members, and watch for that table card being stamped by your orders to add up.    The clutter in any yum cha session can be minimised by asking staff to clear finished plates.

Steamed pork with salted fish sitting on a bed of rice, accompanied by deep fried spring rolls and chili sauce.

I do find the tables placed very close to each other during yumcha sessions here.   The trolley drivers do find several roadblocks and tight squeezes when they try to move around the dining hall.  Lo and behold, try not to sit on a chair which faces knocks and pushes from behind, but at times one has no choice.  The food does come out regularly, the staff do try to make suggestions from their trolley and table groups just get into a pace of their own.  Sweet stuff are normally reserved for the latter part of lunch, but one may see some attractive item and not see them available again.  If you have a solid idea of a dish in mind, always ask and the staff can often provide this.  Some dishes are only made in limited portions.    Several creations of the Eight Modern Chinese are more clean cut, more elegant and more attractively presented when compared with its competitors.

Mushroom looking steamed Baos, with sesame seed paste inside.

The Eight Restaurant is located on the uppermost level of Market City shopping centre, with an address of 9-13 Hay Street, Sydney NSW.
Telephone 612 9282 9988
Opening hours are from 10am to 3pm, and then from 530pm  till 11pm.

Bodhi in the Park - Sydney

The captivating dumpling choices.  Photo credit - Ms. Zoe Yu

Hidden below the street level, placed in a probable secret garden and not easily visible, though near Sydney's iconic St. Marys Cathedral.  It was a rather warm day in the city centre, wedding parties were  gush with striking patterned and designed wardrobes and the buzz was swirling around.  The church bells pealed out in clarity and wonder every now and then.  More than a hundred people patiently waited for their turn to get inside a pop up stand of Friends on Stan at a far corner of Hyde Park.  No signs lead to Bodhi, like the proverbial search for something unique, you have to make your own effort, follow your heart and communicate with reliable friends. 

Once my group was met by Raymond, we were led to a hidden stairway that then showed us a courtyard, a small garden and people relaxing along side canteen side wooden tables.  We were thirsty for sure by then...

Yum cha can be oily, crowded and stereotyped.  This restaurant used to be located in Sydney's Chinatown near the Customs House but the business has been changed to a more hipster, Aussie ambient surrounding.   There is no written menu, only a guide to cocktails and other drinks - and there is more than piping hot tea available.  The mainly young staff hold trays of petite and unusual concoctions , all with a vegetarian and vegan theme.   There are steamed, deep fried and freshly wrapped recipes.  I recommend sharing, samplings and tasting.  Most plates have offerings that can be cut with a food scissors, but then they only have dining bread knives.  Your eyes keep alert to the variety, some of which cannot be found elsewhere.  Most are served open on small plates but as not unexpected, some come warm in bamboo baskets.  It can be finger picking food, but at times they can be too hot to handle, like steamed dumplings.  Lots of paper napkins are necessary, especially when the sauce drizzles and runs all over.

I just adore the sweet Japanese pumpkin dumplings, what an excellent idea! The glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and then steamed is not one my favourites but it came relatively nice on the palate, though packed tightly with carbohydrates.  Even if no meats are served, the offerings include flavours that invoke thoughts of carnivores - chicken flavoured and so forth.  Asparagus and shitake mushrooms can be difficult delicate things but the marinade utilised was just right for the related dumplings.  I also suggest trying the so called "Char Siew Bao", with a slit on each top showing what seems to be typical barbecued pork inside the freshly steamed dough buns - the taste can match the best in non-vegetarian restaurants but one is actually not partaking in any meat.

The skill and art of vegetarian cuisine is how one manages to uplift flavours, use the best of textures and somehow emulate some main stream dishes.   Presentation is the companion to taste and I must note that each dish served at Bodhi has had much thought on how they would come out right in front of the eyes of customers.  A hotch potch of the crowd reflected the diversity of Sydney society these days - hipsters, young families, city dwellers, tourists and office workers.   My group of six persons eased into comfort, though somehow the strong sunlight kept focusing on one side of our table.  Hey,  no one at my table had tea at all.  The quick working staff cleared our cleaned out plates efficiently and there was not much wait to continue choosing and tasting several different offerings.

Sesame paste filled steamed buns. Photo credit - Ms. Zoe Yu

We did not choose much of fresh vegetables or salads, though there was one dish with fresh greens wrapped in translucent skin.  The menu reflected the variety of East and south-east Asian influences - Vietnamese, Hong Kong, southern Chinese, Singaporean, Japanese and Shanghainese.  Bodhi had been an institution in this cuisine niche for 27 years but in the past few years had shown a transformation as the business changed hands form mother to daughters.  Are there too many staff employed? Has the food gone more fusion?  How will it compete with its rather niche space?   Is it more of a bar than a restaurant?   Its location at the business end of town also underlies perhaps a desire to attract corporate custom.  The warm months in Sydney, from October to March, do serve the restaurant and its licensed bar well.

Inspired from the Wu Kok or yam snack, this totally vegetarian idea shows a make believe prawn tail sticking out.
Photo credit - Ms. Zoe Yu

With a smile, with attentive listening and multi-tasking, the staff do keep to their best on the day we visited.  The washrooms for customers are unisex.  You can choose to sit under the trees or near shrubs.  One is not eating indoors but al fresco outdoors if you avoid the under cover seating.  I find this place to be relaxing with people you know, not eating too much and offering lots of walking especially in the nearby Hyde Park.  Cut straight across this city's central park and you reach the QVB and shopping precinct.  There is sufficient space between diners, the breeze can be felt and kids will love the ability to move around.  The venue can cater for up to 300 people and booked functions are open till 1am.

What is my top preference on this particular recent visit?  It is those white porcupine looking sesame paste filled steamed buns.   They look elegant, they are a pleasure on the palate and they are truly non-meat.  The freshness and quality of the sesame stood out.  Sweet corn filled dumplings are okay but not to me the Bak Choi and green tea plus Choy Sum filled versions, I would rather have those fresh Asian vegetables served lightly with oyster sauce.  Next visit for lunch, I  want to try the chili smoked soy and beetroot dumplings; Roma tomato cups with wasabi apple and mushroom salsa; the Konyaku noodles; and crispy wanton wings made from carrot, corn and mushrooms.  There are many Asian styled tapas choices for dinner time as well.

Photo credit - Mr. Raymond Ho

Bodhi in the Park is located at No 2-4 College Street, across the road from the north eastern corner of Hyde Park in Sydney CBD.  It is best to also remember that it is at the lower mezzanine level of the urbanite Cook and Philip Park.

Telephone:  612 9360 2523

Open from 11am to 4pm for yum cha seven days a week.

Dinners only from Tuesday to Sundays from 5pm till 10pm.

 

Tim Ho Wan Restaurant - Chatswood Sydney

The dainty and flavourful Siew Mai, with a red hat for a difference.

The reputation had begun in Hong Kong, escalated when Lung King Heen Restaurant was awarded one Michelin Star.  Chef Mak Kwai Pui was responsible for the cuisine served at Lung King Heen.  The rest you may say is history. Chef Mak then served at the Le Meridian Hong Kong, before he decided to purse his own business - and Tim Ho Wan in Mongkok was born six years ago, with a modest 19 seats location.

 The crowds continued to troop in THW branches in Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Manila and Kuala Lumpur. This year saw the launch of the "adding of good vibes' in Australia.  Chatswood, the bustling centre of Asian migrants with a higher than average income level, complete with a transport hub and a shopping precinct, was the obvious choice to launch, with Burwood, Sydney Chinatown and Melbourne apparently in the line of sight.

With personal curiosity, social media expectation and crowd hype, I really tried to keep an open mind as I joined the queue on a late Sunday afternoon with two other friends.   The THW outlet in Chatswood is in the District Dining Precinct, purpose built over the Railway Street side of the rail station.  There are expensive high rise apartments nearby, commuters can make a dash for a yum cha session here before continuing on City rail to the Macquarie Shopping Centre and Macquarie University.

The signature baked Char Siew or barbecued pork bun.

The deco is modern, emphasising on tables for twosomes.   The staff that afternoon did look stressed out, although it was not a really busy time by THW experience.  Asking for drinking water involved a few times trying - the wait staff were not very communicative as well, seemingly pressured to clear tables and bring in the ordered dishes than  doing anything else.

Customers reflect the Hong Kong Gen Y anime loving spectrum - and the cooler climes of mid-autumn here did help in dressing up.  There were the old timers scattered across the tables, obviously relishing of good old times in the Fragrant Harbour.  Non-Chinese Australians seemed happy with the menu, which consists of only twenty-five items - what a brilliant idea for a business model, which incorporates the difficult-to-discard concept of encouraging table turnover,  an easy to order picture menu card and quick working staff to bring in dishes within an impressive five minutes after ordering.

Liver Cheong on the foreground, with steamed pork ribs in black bean sauce in the background.

The lady at the payment counter had a sense of humour.  I could not place it truly - was this a blend of Surry Hills, Mr.Wong in Wynyard and with shades of those great traditional Cantonese restaurants?  One thing for sure, there was not enough space to push trolleys  with bamboo baskets, every inch was better allocated to paying customers.

Ambiance and taste, with bean curd skin wraps in the foreground.

And bamboo baskets there were a-plenty, even providing the motif for the upper wall.    The chefs and kitchen staff looked focused and busy.  I did hear about the signature dish - baked barbecued  pork buns.  The dough outside was not the traditional recipe, it was an old-styled skin, something refreshingly different.  Biting into the bun did make me feel, hey, there may have been too much sugar in the outer coating, but I was tipped off to savour what was inside, more than anything else.  And there it was - savoury, tender on-the-bite barbecued pork - as you broke open the bun in halves.  The taste comes up first as they slither into my mouth, delicate and wholesome, standing a class above the rest.  There are three such buns on one serving plate - now how many shall I order to take back to the Wollongong Coast?

My favourite - steamed fish maw with prawn paste.

My dining mates did find the braised chicken feet with abalone sauce different and drier than the prevalent version in most Australian yum cha sessions.  We all agreed that it just was more of an old school recipe.  Most of the items available were savoury rather than sweet.  There seems to be an abundance of using pork and shrimp in the steamed servings.  There is no rash and rough presentation, every thing has been predetermined to be as dainty and delicate as possible when served.  Each dish is charged around the seven to eight dollar mark in Chatswood.  Seafood rules at THW, so be prepared.  Oh yes, there are also spring rolls, always a hit with the kids and beer drinkers (no alcohol license has been granted to THW at the time of writing).  Grandma may want to check out the glutinous rice with chicken and mushroom wrapped in bamboo leaves, I avoided that as it is a hefty serving. Chinese tea is charged at $2.50 per person.

Shrimp and veg dumpling - refreshing and uplifting.

The world of corporate and competitive cuisine in the great cities of the world can be challenging.  And dramatic - I understand, correct me if I am mistaken, that chef Eric Koh, who was head hunted from Mr. Wong's in Sydney CBD to head THW in Chatswood, has been reported to have headed back to his previous employ. Does this mean anything, maybe not, as long as the quality of the dishes THW churns out in Australia continue to excite and satisfy customers.  Tellingly, the Sydney operation is overseen by Singapore based Chef Cheung Yat Sing -  this follows an increasing trend whereby Australia is viewed as a business province of headquarters in low-taxed Singapore.

The Cantonese are fond of poetically naming dishes with splendour and meaning.  THW is welcome in this great southern land.    In Hong Kong pop of previous generations, they recognised the Four heavenly Kings in that music genre - and so now there are also four such kings in dim sim cuisine -  the barbecued pork bun, vermicelli roll (Cheong) with pig liver, steamed egg cake and the pan fried radish cake.  Please ask your Cantonese speaking mates for the beautiful Chinese names!

Where the creative people are.

So in the end, after half an hour and devouring ten items amongst the three of us for a late teatime snack session, what are my recommended dishes?  I have to say the Siew Mai and the liver filled Cheong.  They are made with finesse, require delicate and skilled hands plus they came out being served with the right texture and freshness.  Has the restaurant lived up to the hype?  Perhaps not, but it is still worth trying for a few select items and try to visit away from rush hour.   Some say this interim Australian operation of THW does not provide exactly the same taste as in Hong Kong, but I think that can be subjective, so just judge for yourself.

Tim Ho Wan Restaurant - whole day dim sum from 10am till 9pm every day
1 Railway Street, upper level facing road
Chatswood NSW 2067
Telephone 612 9898 9888
Bookings in private room available for a minimum spend of AUD300 - otherwise is a wait and sit system.

Apparently the dish that draws in the crowds, especially in their South-east Asian outlets.

Yum Cha Time - Selected Dishes

Roast duck cutlets served with sliced cucumber.

Ducks are essentially wet creatures and love their water.  They can exude a gamey aroma so preparation of duck cuisine emphasises on two critical requirements - the well skilled drying of there duck with wintery winds if possible and applying the right marinade that enhances the taste and texture of the meat beneath a crispy skin.  Haha, Confucious is often ascribed in Western circles to have said about the fruitlessness of a peasant waiting for a roast duck to fly into his mouth.  Effort, aspiration, skill and patience are all required in the processing of a raw duck to one served at your local Chinese restaurant. The Hong Kong version is not the same as the Beijing, German, French or Sichuan version. In most yum cha places, the Guangzhou tradition rules - honey and rice vinegar are rubbed into the duck and left overnight.  Stuffing inside conquests of items like castor sugar, hoisin sauce, chopped fresh ginger, fresh chopped spring onions, five spice powder, oil and yellow bean paste, albeit in small amounts.  The duck has to be thoroughly cleaned.  I prefer duck in wraps or as cooked in Thai curry, do realise its potential oiliness but I readily choose a duck confit in an Italian or French restaurant.

An array of yum cha favourites, clockwise from 11 o'clock - braised phoenix claws (chicken feet); steamed siew mai; mango pudding; and steamed bean paste buns.

There are the usual standards in any yum cha gathering but what I look forward to are the baked char siew so buns, wok stir fried mussels, steamed pork rib cuts, prawn filled cheong fun, mango spewing pancakes, siew long pau (dumplings with soup filled insides), deep fried wantons, custard egg tarts, scallop dumplings and roast pork belly slices.   I have a penchant for the savoury instead of sweet in such fare.  What kind of tea blends are available these days at a typical restaurant for the commonly shared table pot?  Perhaps Pu-erh and Oolong are worth trying, but I also like the Japanese rice tea.

Deep fried delicacies - the wu kok or yam cake (top) with the prawn ball (bottom).

My Euro mates love the sweet and sour prawns, char siew so buns, deep fried calamari, stir fried Singapore  noodles, beef, deep fried ice cream and deep fried wantons.  Acquired tastes can include durian pancakes, phoenix claws (braised chicken feet), taro cakes and piping hot congee.

Yum cha sessions are meant to be leisurely, for business to be discussed, for families to catch up or for good mates to have a relaxing arvo.  The crowdedness and noise at most such places do detract from the original purpose.  Originally such food is downed with hot piping tea, but globalisation  of this cuisine means also the serving of beer and wine to accompany them.   Despite digital billing, most outlets around the world stick to the time honoured invoicing system of having a waitress stamp manually against your table bill. Does one just accept the offerings from passing trolleys, or are guests brave enough to request their favourite item which may not be even on the official menu?
Any yum cha eater senses the protocol of the place to have as much turnover of the tables in any one session.  It is better to have prolonged intimate conversations at a coffee place - as you walk out after your meal, you do notice the waiting hordes and queues.

Congee with century old egg slices, chicken pieces and garnish of shallots, pepper and julienne ginger.

All photo credits to Ms SK Teoh.  Images captured at the Golden Phoenix Restaurant, Equatorial Hotel Penang Island.