Yum Cha has to be one of my favourite things… I like that you get to try lots of different dishes… I like all the different asian flavours and I like all the very different foods that I only eat at Yum Cha! When I lived in Sydney, Chatswood was only 15 minutes away… it was divine! I ways always going to little holes in the wall and trying all sort sorts of new and interesting foods.
When I moved back to the Gold Coast I had the unenviable task of finding all my favourite foodie destinations and go to places… I have found a few, like Taboon, but I’m not quite there yet 🙂 I stumbled upon a wonderful place that does Peking Duck just as good as Sydney, even though it is double the price and you have to order 24 hours in advance, but it is still worth the trouble! My next port of call was finding a good Yum Cha place… Nothing can really replace Kam Fook at Westfield or the New Shanghi Inn, both in Chatswood, but I have found a great Yum Cha in Robina on the Gold Coast.
The Beijing Palace 160 Robina Town Centre Drive, Robina.
For starters it has a lovely view over a lake rather than the usual busy noisy place where you just get to see the inside of the Chinese restaurant. It has a wonderful lunch and dinner menu as well as a Yum Cha menu which is small but made fresh and everything has always been tasty. They serve a beautiful jasmine tea which goes particularly well with the Yum Cha dishes. The other thing I like about this Yum Cha, is that their serving dished are particularly beautiful (see the china above)!
I know Chicken Feet! But they are really so tasty and I always judge the Yum Cha by how well they do them. The Beijing Palace Chicken feet are good, however, every batch is generally a bit different. This batch of Chicken Feet was particularly good, so I had two serves 🙂
I’m a fan of steamed dumplings over their fried counterparts and these are chicken and mushroom. It was the first time I had tried these and I found the wonton a bit thick, but the filling was so tasty it didn’t really matter that much.
The salt and pepper squid was beautiful and tender with just the right amount of salt and pepper.
The prawn dumplings are absolutely delicious, the only problem with them is that there is never enough! I like that each dumpling comes on its own little carrot round so it doesn’t stick to the bamboo, very clever and you get a little bit of extra vegetables.
The crispy beef is very interesting, I love it but it may not be to everyone’s taste. The beef tastes like it has been marinated in an allspice, then fried with what tastes like little crunch pieces of potato or rice… I’m not sure I will have to ask next time… It is a really interesting flavour, but I think it is delicious and it is always tender.
Peking Duck Pancake
They do serve individual Peking Duck Pancakes, and they are tasty, but very expensive for what you get…it is always cheaper to buy the whole duck or even a half, but that generally means you don’t get to try much else because you are full!
Gai Lan cooked in oyster sauce… YUM! You can have it cooked in garlic sauce, but I prefer the flavour that the oyster sauce brings to the Chinese Broccoli. Last but definitely not least is their chilli sauce. It is a homemade delicious chilli sauce that has the right balance of flavour and heat. I am friends with the owners now (as I have been there so often) and they sell it to me in containers so I can have it at home. They only charge me $5 for a tub which I think is a steal, but they won’t take any more money. The heat does vary depending on the batch, but it is so flavoursome it really doesn’t matter.
So there is my new Yum Cha home. If you are on the Gold Coast, go and check it out and say Liz sent you! If you would like to comment on your favourite Yum Cha, please do, as I would love to try different ones, even if they are around the world… It could be my new Top Ten List 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and reading.
Enjoy Irresponsibly!
Liz x
Liz xx
P.S Don't forget to subscribe to receive your 3 free e-Books.
You’re making me homesick! 😛 I love that you eat chicken’s feet. So many people don’t. I love them!
LOL! When ever I order them at Yum Cha I always get a look from the waiters 🙂 One day a lady came around with a trolly and told me that people who eat chicken feet are very patient people!!! Maybe that is why everyone doesn’t like them 🙂 Liz xx
No clue about the Yum Cha places you’ve mentioned, but adding to my Yum Cha list, its a go to feed when I travel, but they can be a bit hit and miss, so a referral is appreciated. My colleagues and I do Yum Cha Monday, the pork buns are sooooooo damn good, I seriously should be the size of a house with all the buns I eat. I don’t really know the Gold Coast to well, but my bestie lives up there and raves about some of the best feeds he’s ever had.
Yes Anna, I Love Yum Cha, but fortunately chicken feet are my fav 🙂 If you could let me know of some of your bestie’s places, I’d love to check them out! Liz x
i know those Yum Cha places you’ve mentioned in Chatswood and yes, they’re both excellent. There’s a new dumpling place that’s opened in Mona Vale and you can buy duck pancakes for $4.00 each. I often go there for lunch and order three pancakes. The filling is so super-generous you can barely fold your pancake. Sadly, I’ve always been disappointed in the food-scene on the Gold Coast. I’ve found the food to be dated and over-priced. I do hope it’s improving, especially for a foodie like you xx
Thanks Charlie… I think it really is improving… I seem to be finding some great places and keeping my coffee addiction in check 🙂 Liz x