Yum Cha @ TST — Cute – Cheerful -Pricey

On a work trip to Hongkong and seeing so many cute bloggers eating the most adorable dim sum i was determined to give it a go myself.

Yum Cha means to drink tea which is sort of a slang for let’s have dim sum or lunch.  This quaintly cute restaurant is on top a hotel in the TST granville road.  Perfect for girfriend chatting, first date and maybe a sibling day. 

Here is what we ate:

Cute Looking custard Buns!

Too cute to eat!

Even the menu is cute and cheerful.

There’s a little fake fish in the bowl! Tooo cute!

Char Siu Bao? Pork Bun!

Lo Pa Ko – Savory Turnip Cake

Served in a different version from what i’m used to here it’s served in little cubes with a chilli sauce and fried lotus root. Very pretty to look at and quite delicious.

Savory Rice Rolls

Piping hot, garlicky calamari – Delicious

Boiled fish in Mala – Deliciously Spicy

Interesting Green Bean with Light battered Coating – A bit oily but yum

All in all this is a pricey little establishment but maybe not for Hongkong standards but food is decent and ambiance is quite cute.

Stir Fried Beef in a hot metal pan. Tender chunks of beet in oyster sauce. Quite good.

Tumeric fried rice with beef. Interesting small grained rice but not sticky like japanese rice.

Yum Cha TST – 3rd Floor (On top of the hotel) 20 – 22 Granville Road Tsim Tsah Shui

Ma Peche – NYC

It’s true, sometimes the simplest things are the most impressive.  I asked the server at Ma Peche, which of the “Small Plates”  i should order as an appetizer in addition to his famous pork buns and he said “Try the Broccoli”. The broccoli came in a small bowl cooked three ways, boiled, the outer leaves fried crispy and i’m guessing the flowerheads chopped and  freeze dried with smoked raisin, and a seaweed mayo smeared on the side of the bowl.  The textures was interesting, i felt the raisin just got in the way but what made me exclaim with delight was the mayo. It looked dark and grainy but had a wonderful savory taste.  I’m guessing maybe seaweed with a hint of dashi?  It was yum yum yum, i would prefer omit everything just give me a huge plate of the fried outer leaves and a side dish of the dressing.

 

 The pork buns i must say is probably more “Chinese” than anything.  I grew up eating roast piglets with crispy skin and chinese bread “Mun Tao” with a hoisin sauce, spring onions and cucumbers at special occasions, or a peking duck served the same way.  So i gather David Chang must have been inspired here since i dont see any resemblance in japanese or korean cuisines.  I must applaud the amazingly cooked pork belly served with the crispy thin cucumber slices and a bottle of their take on the siracha (Thai Chilli Sauce).  A bit more spicier than the “Siracha” available in the USA.  Great combination but my companion preferred his without.  The pork was sweet having been marinated in a form of hoisin sauce ingredients and the soft flat mun tao soaked up all the juices.  Not really a chef’s own creation but a spin on a traditional  dish very well executed.

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For the mains of course we needed to try the famous “ramen”.  Our server suggested in addition to the beef ramen that we ordered, there was a special pork ramen not on the menu.  I must say the most important component in a ramen bowl is the broth itself.  Although both of the broths was hearty i personally preferred a more creamy broth tonkotsu styled, but it was above average for both bowls.  The onsen eggs was well cooked and the pork and beef was tender and delicious.  Good job i must say.  The only thing we ordered that wasn’t really worth the price was the in house “Soda”.  I liked the ginger ale personally, the ginger hit was powerful and yummy, however the coke tasted weird.  Like something was out of place, it tasted medicinal .  I must admit though, all in all it was a great experience.  The ambiance was friendly, the servers nice, although the menu needed explaining in order to make a decision.