韭菜饺 Chive Dumplings - Oriental Tea House, Chadstone
韭菜饺 Chive Dumplings - Oriental Tea House, Chadstone AUD6.90 large
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We had a very pleasant yumcha at the old Oriental Tea House in South Yarra, back when it was tucked in a small shop in a lane perpendicular to Chapel Street, so when I heard that the Chadstone store was open, I decided to give it a try.
Perhaps my expectations were too high. Or perhaps, it was just passing off cheap Chinese dimsum to Aussies who didn't know better, Asian and Caucasian alike. The clientele on the opening weekend was quite evenly split between Asians and Caucasians, lured in by the breezy indoor-outdoor dining areas, bright reds and contrasting black decor, and a distinctly Asian but modern decor.
The selection of teas are quite impressive. Tea is served in glass teapots to be shared. You can also order tea individually in mugs made of a 紫砂 deep purple porcelain, the traditional material for 紫砂壶 Chinese teapots.
Food-wise, it's a disappointment. That's not to say it is not good, but the asking price of a 特点 "deluxe" dimsum being AUD8.90 you'd expect something special. Instead, what we get is a floury and chewy filling in the 带子烧买 scallop siumai dumpling. A distinct indicator of it being undercooked. Most other yumcha places serve "deluxe" dimsum at half that price.
Before we entered, Julia exclaimed that a 烧卖 siumai pork dumpling or 虾饺 hargao prawn dumpling, a "regular" dimsum, was AUD5.90. That was almost grounds for us turning tail and heading to a nice cafe. But it is better this way, rather than be tempted every time we walked past.
Being an equal oppurtunity employer meant that we had waiters and waitresses of all races, althought predominantly Asian. Being used to dimsum names in Cantonese, hearing the mangled English translations was a bit though. Guava-flower fried prawn wonton 石榴花云吞 is a mouthful in anyone's language. Just call a wonton a wonton.
Still, Oriental Tea House seems to draw crowds at both its South Yarra and city stores, which points to a shrewd business owner understanding that the ambience and price-point is "acceptable" for the locations it is in.
Oriental Tea House
03.9949.2071
Chadstone Shopping Centre
Shop F015, 1341 Dandenong Rd
Chadstone VIC 3148
Chapel Street Yumcha Menu (PDF)
韭菜饺 Chive Dumplings - Oriental Tea House, Chadstone
韭菜饺 Chive Dumplings - Oriental Tea House, Chadstone AUD6.90 large
---
We had a very pleasant yumcha at the old Oriental Tea House in South Yarra, back when it was tucked in a small shop in a lane perpendicular to Chapel Street, so when I heard that the Chadstone store was open, I decided to give it a try.
Perhaps my expectations were too high. Or perhaps, it was just passing off cheap Chinese dimsum to Aussies who didn't know better, Asian and Caucasian alike. The clientele on the opening weekend was quite evenly split between Asians and Caucasians, lured in by the breezy indoor-outdoor dining areas, bright reds and contrasting black decor, and a distinctly Asian but modern decor.
The selection of teas are quite impressive. Tea is served in glass teapots to be shared. You can also order tea individually in mugs made of a 紫砂 deep purple porcelain, the traditional material for 紫砂壶 Chinese teapots.
Food-wise, it's a disappointment. That's not to say it is not good, but the asking price of a 特点 "deluxe" dimsum being AUD8.90 you'd expect something special. Instead, what we get is a floury and chewy filling in the 带子烧买 scallop siumai dumpling. A distinct indicator of it being undercooked. Most other yumcha places serve "deluxe" dimsum at half that price.
Before we entered, Julia exclaimed that a 烧卖 siumai pork dumpling or 虾饺 hargao prawn dumpling, a "regular" dimsum, was AUD5.90. That was almost grounds for us turning tail and heading to a nice cafe. But it is better this way, rather than be tempted every time we walked past.
Being an equal oppurtunity employer meant that we had waiters and waitresses of all races, althought predominantly Asian. Being used to dimsum names in Cantonese, hearing the mangled English translations was a bit though. Guava-flower fried prawn wonton 石榴花云吞 is a mouthful in anyone's language. Just call a wonton a wonton.
Still, Oriental Tea House seems to draw crowds at both its South Yarra and city stores, which points to a shrewd business owner understanding that the ambience and price-point is "acceptable" for the locations it is in.
Oriental Tea House
03.9949.2071
Chadstone Shopping Centre
Shop F015, 1341 Dandenong Rd
Chadstone VIC 3148
Chapel Street Yumcha Menu (PDF)