Chef Cheong Liew shares the best yum cha restaurants in Adelaide

YUM CHA has been part of legendary chef Cheong Liew’s life since he was a boy. To celebrate Chinese New Year, the chef shares his snacking secrets and favourite Adelaide yum cha haunts.

25/1/16 Yum cha guide at Star House, Adelaide.

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CHINA has been the source of many of the world’s most important inventions. Everything from steel to gunpowder, and even the mechanical watch, has been credited to the creative minds of dynasties past.

The first producers of tea were also Chinese and, if the global impact of these dried leaves might not be quite as noteworthy, anyone questioning its significance in the country’s culture has never sat down for a good yum cha session.

Yum cha, which translates literally as “drink tea”, refers to the often very social practice of sharing a variety of small, snack-sized morsels, washed down with a bottomless supply of hot tea (or, particularly in Australia, cold beer). Think of it as Chinese tapas.

The snacks, or dim sum, are chosen from a wide selection of dumplings, steamed buns, fried pastries, rice-noodle wraps and other delicacies, many with long histories and deep meaning.

In China, and in other parts of Asia, yum cha is part of the daily routine.

“People start having yum cha when they are kids,” says legendary chef Cheong Liew, who grew up in a Chinese family in Kuala Lumpur. “They will be walking to school and go into a restaurant on their own, sit down at a table and just have a bao, a steamed bun. That is all they can afford, with a glass of water.

“Later in the day, the businessmen come in and have a regular seat. Every morning between nine and 11 they will sit down, have a few dishes and read the newspaper.

“You don’t have to go for a full meal. All the tables are round and there are large ones where anyone can sit. It doesn’t matter if you sit next to a stranger. And you can order just one or two dishes.”

For the pinnacle of yum cha dining, Cheong reckons you need to travel to Hong Kong or Guangzhou, where teams of specialist chefs look after each section and diners are prepared to pay for high-end service and surroundings.

The good news is Cheong is convinced that Adelaide, while not having as many venues as somewhere such as Sydney, delivers Australia’s most authentic yum cha experience — one he is proud to show off to overseas visitors.

Speaking over lunch at his favourite yum cha place, Star House in Gouger St, Cheong says he has watched yum cha grow more popular for both Asians and Australians living here.

“It’s a very popular birthday ritual,” he says. “Everyone can come and have what they want. It’s very child friendly.”

Rules of engagement

Whether it’s ordering by ticking choices on a printed sheet, or pointing to baskets and plates as they roll past on a trolley, the aim is to keep a balance of cooking styles.

Australians, Cheong says, tend to order more of the deep-fried choices and roast meats, whereas he, particularly more recently, favours the healthier steamed dishes, as well as specialties such as spare ribs and chicken’s feet. And whatever the order, a bowl of chilli oil is always on the table.

“Always order what you need to eat at that time,” he says. “Don’t order too many dishes or it will get cold. If the trolley is going past, just get a few pieces.”

Eating with a big crowd means you can try a greater variety of things, but there is some etiquette involved. Traditionally, the elder or host of the table will order for the group.

“You can take whatever is in front of you. But if you want something elsewhere on the table ask for it to be passed over rather than reaching across.”

Finally, if you have over-ordered most restaurants will be happy to provide takeaway containers.

Cuppa club

What’s in the teapot can be just as important as the quality of the food, Cheong says.

“Some people will bring their own tea, or go to a particular restaurant just for their tea selection.”

Cheong favours pu-erh, a dark, fermented and aged tea from Yunnan. ”It really cuts the grease, more than green or white tea.”

When you run out of tea, flip the lid on the teapot as a signal for staff to replenish with more hot water.

Citi Zen, King William St, city. Picture: Tom Huntley

WHERE TO FIND IT

STAR HOUSE

31 Gouger St, city, 8221 6303

Cheong’s first choice for yum cha, particularly when he is hosting visitors from China. “The flavours here are very authentic,” he says. During the week, yum cha can be ordered on a printed form with more than 90 choices, including noodles and congee. On weekends, trolleys roll around the packed dining room. The golden yam puffs and chicken feet are excellent.

DING HAO

8 Gouger St, city, 8211 7036

Right across the road from Star House, this is another weekend institution. The printed list has about 50 choices but this expands for the trolley service. Try snow pea shoot dumplings, sticky rice in lotus leaf and the squid tentacles in ginger and shallot.

CITI ZEN

401 King William St, city, 8212 8383

The closest thing Adelaide has to the five-star luxury of the dining rooms of Hong Kong, with its dramatic orange “chandelier” and underfloor fish tank. Considering the surrounds the prices are reasonable, particularly for yum cha, which helps explain its popularity. Both sittings on Sundays are normally booked out so get in early. Weekend specials include pandan chicken and salt and pepper soft-shell crab.

LITTLE CANTON

173 Henley Beach Rd, Mile End, 8354 2886

Avoid parking hassles in the city and head to this popular haunt in the inner-west. All the favourites are there, including a big range of dumplings, pork ribs in black bean sauce, golden fried eggplant and radish cake with XO. Finish with a baked durian puff, if you are game.

PAYNEHAM CHINESE RESTAURANT

307 Payneham Rd, Royston Park, 8363 6883

No prizes for guessing what this business does, but it is the pick of yum cha options in the eastern suburbs. The owners have a strong record that goes back to Gouger Palace and it shows in the quality of the dumplings.

SENG KEE

Market Plaza Food Court, city

The stacks of bamboo baskets sit on a special steaming tray, ready to hand out from this stall in the food court near the Central Market. The pieces of seafood in the scallop dumpling are moist and delicious, but the wrapper on our last visit was rather stodgy. The egg tart has always been excellent.

Zen House vegetarian yum cha.

ZEN HOUSE

17-19 Bent St, city, 8223 2058

This eatery has been winning over vegetarians since it popped up on Bent St in the city nearly 10 years ago. Here you’ll find popular yum cha items minus the pork, beef or prawn. “BBQ not chicken” buns, which might not sound promising, provide the texture and sweet-savouriness of a traditional, fluffy BBQ pork bun, while the China dumplings are filled with a satisfying blend of mushroom, tofu and vegetables. Items come out in traditional steamer baskets and there’s a big focus on tea, with more than 100 varieties. It could be part of the reason why the cafe feels so very, well, Zen. It’s also great value, with items priced from $2.80 to $9.80 for a mixed entree.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF DUMPLINGS

STEAMED

Star House’s prawn dumpling.

Prawn dumpling (har gow)

A good yum cha restaurant stakes its reputation on the quality of its dumplings. “That’s what a lot of people come for,” Cheong says. “The prawn should have a nice crunch; the wrapper shouldn’t be thick or too sticky; it needs the right amount of starch.” Most dumplings will have prawns and/or pork in the filling.

Peanut dumpling.

Peanut dumpling (fun guo)

The translucent wrapper is almost bursting with a mix of pork, peanuts, chives
and coriander, bringing a chunkier texture and a funky, earthy flavour compared with the innocent sweetness of the prawn version. Like all dumplings, it can be dangerously hot when straight out of the steamer.

Dim sim.

Pork dumpling/dim sum (siu mai)

Along with the prawn, this dumpling with a denser, gutsier pork filling is a must in most yum cha spreads. The wrinkled yellow (egg) wrapper is left open at the top and traditionally decorated with crab roe, although a shrimp is more common here.

Barbecued pork bun.

Barbecued pork bun (char siu bao)

These white, puffed-up pillows of dough with a rich pork filling are the ultimate comfort food, whether it’s placating hungry children or recovering from a big night out. “This is the first thing that mum and dad used to order for us when we were young to fill us up and so we didn’t eat too much of the other things,” Cheong says. The balance of meat to bun, and the quality of the dough, are both key indicators of quality.

FRIED

Chicken feet.

Chicken feet (fund jao)

OK, they don’t look appetising, the idea of eating something that’s been scratching around in the dirt might be off-putting and stripping the bones can be hard work. But ... chicken feet can be a delicious surprise, particularly if you like the wobbly texture. They are blanched, deep fried and finally steamed.

Salty turnover.

Five spice roll/salty turnover (ham sui gok)

The first bite of a sweet, crisp shell made of glutinous rice flour tastes like it belongs with dessert. But inside, the filling is made with a salty mix of pork, preserved (salted) turnip, dried shrimp and garlic chives. It’s important for the chef to get the balance right.

Golden yam puff.

Golden yam puff (wu kok)

Made with a special dough mix of taro and flour, these puffs expand into a spectacular, frilly shell resembling a sea sponge when they hit the hot oil. Super crunch factor and a savoury pork and dried shrimp filling make this a favourite, although one is probably enough.

STEAMED & FRIED

Steamed Chinese doughnut rice pastry.

Steamed Chinese doughnut rice pastry (ja lung)

The Chinese love of contrasting textures is perfectly illustrated in this crazy combination of a fried doughnut rolled in a slippery rice noodle wrapper. Sounds weird, but with a few dried shrimp on top and a sweet soy dipping sauce, it’s really pretty yummy. Another one to eat in limited quantities.