my name is Food.: Yum Cha

Parkland Chinese Restaurant - Sunnybank, Brisbane

Asian February 09, 2019

A busy place to be in this chinese restaurant, especially when it's yum cha time. A wide variety of dishes from small to large size as well as a-la-carte menu available should you prefer to have a stir fry or roast meat or veges instead.

Steamed pork and prawn siu mai, is a classic and there's times when I usually never pick this but then there are times when I genuinely miss it. The prawn does slightly overpower the pork meat but that didn't bother me. Dip it in the soy sauce dipping sauce to give that slight saltyness.

Shanghai Pork Dumplings, usually known as Xiao Long Bao, which is famous and delicious. You do have to remember to never poke this with your chopstick but instead, pick it up with a chopstick on the sides and carefully place it on a spoon before eating it as a whole.

Once you break it, the goodness soup will just go everywhere and you won't be able to eat the full dumpling tasting the meat and the soup together which is the best part. The skin is quite thin, so just take your time and be careful to not break it.

Prawn dumplings, a very thick and juicy prawn meat inside these thin clear skin. Usually many would like it with the chilli sauce, but I'd eat it alone as is.

Bean Curd roll with prawn and pork, there is also a chicken version but prawn and pork usually wins over that. The slight roughness of the bean curd is accompanied by a slight sweet sauce base and I'd suggest asking the waiter to cut these in half as it will make it blow out some steam. If not, there has been a few times where we actually burnt our tongues due to the hotness of this after the first bite. Not a good feeling I tell you.

Sticky rice is always a good one to choose from the trolley however it is rather filling so we usually would share this, one between two. It's usually filled with minced, chinese sausage and mushrooms. This wasn't too bad I guess as you actually would get a big chinese sausage slice and quite a bit of minced meat and mushroom. The stickyness of it is what I enjoy.

Not too sure why they call it this but French Style BBQ Pork Buns, is definitely one of a winner everytime I come here. It's quite big, have a somewhat sweet cookie upper exterior and after a bite, you are welcomed with bbq pork goodness inside with a fluffy dough surrounding it. It can get a bit messy with the crunchier upper just dropping off after a bite but it's just that good.

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Aspley Oriental, Aspley, Brisbane

Asian October 04, 2016

This Chinese restaurant has been open since as long as I can remember and with a variety of dishes from A La Carte to Yum Cha, everyone is sure to enjoy. Coming here on a Sunday lunch is always the best time but yet the most crowded time to have Yum Cha. I do feel that this may be one of the best Yum Cha to have in Northside as there isn't that much options for chinese restaurants.

'Chicken Feet' is a staple dish to order during Yum Cha. Some may be frightened of the fact that it is Chicken's feet while some just can't look at it. The aroma that these feet has been marinated in is definitely giving you that delicious smell and feeling. It does get quite tricky in trying to eat the meat off it as you do have to take your time and is usually best to be eaten by hand. However, if you are wanting to know the taste, it simply just tastes like chicken to be honest just very less meat and much softer than your usual chicken breast texture.

'Minced Pork w Coriander and Peanuts Dumpling' is a dumpling that packs many different flavours in one all based on the minced pork with the hint of coriander and peanuts for extra crunchiness allows this dumpling to be delicious.

'Xiao Long Bao', also know as Shanghai Dumplings which is famous for their soup inside the dumpling which is the main highlight. The flavoursome and hot steaming soup will come out everytime you try and pop this into your mouth. An advice would be to not bite half way and instead try to put it into your mouth as a whole. By biting halfway, you will be sacrificing the soup pouring out and not being able to taste it. Eat it as is or dip a part of it into the soy sauce before eating it.

'Steamed Prawn Dumplings' isn't something I would choose to be my favourite but is always chosen everytime we go out for Yum Cha. Not sure if it's just because it is filled with prawns inside covered in a thin dumpling skin steamed to hotness or what..

'Bok Choy in Oyster Sauce' was just like what it is called, asian greens slightly cooked and served with oyster sauce. One thing I have to point out was that they should really cut it more proportionally as some stalks were way too big and you definitely won't be able to chew nor bite it in any way.

'Steamed and Pan Fried Pork Buns' was your typical pork bun with the mouth watering sweet Pork Char Siu filling however as you can see, the main part of the bun has been steamed with the top being slightly pan fried which allows you to enjoy the bun with the tad smokiness.

'Tripe' isn't something everyone will love because of its texture however its flavour is something you will love if you like your simple seafood being cooked and steamed in chilli and ginger as well as garlic topped with spring onions.

'Lo Mai Gai' which literally means Chinese sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf filled with Chicken, mushrooms, Chinese Sausage and scallions while some places also have them with all that plus salted egg and/or shrimp. A staple Yum Cha dish to order yet again, gives you a delicious goodness all wrapped in a lotus leaf all steamed up. When it arrive on your table, you are able to smell and have the aroma coming out as well as all the steam.

When you slowly open the lotus leaf up, be careful as it may be very hot and the steam may just heat it so ever more. This dish usually comes in 2 as one portion when you do order and is usually isn't placed on the trays but instead you would need to tell one of the waitresses if you would like to order it. If you want to have a bit of dishes here and there but not sure if they will fill you up, then be sure to order this. The only thing that people may not be used to is one, the sticky rice with fillings in them and two, the fact that this is all wrapped in a lotus leaf. But I do assure you, when you have tried this at least once, you may come back and have it again the next time you do have Yum Cha with family or friends.

The filling of minced chicken and chinese sausage works well along with mushrooms allows it to be a light dish but feels heavy afterwards. The flavours of the meat is quite aromatic having a soy sauce based and the sauce has also been absorbed by the sticky rice allowing the rice also having a subtle flavour.

'Chee Cheong Fan' is always one of my favourites to order when having Yum Cha, especially the BBQ Pork filling It is basically soft thick rice noodles with fillings such as BBQ Pork or Beef or Prawn or Vegetables and soy sauce poured all over it. The way you eat this is not by eating it as a whole but instead try and cut them up into let's say 2 or 3 pieces each to be able to eat it conveniently and easily shared.

'Egg Tart' is always a favourite amongst diners when having Yum Cha. There are also Mango pancakes or Coconut puddings available for dessert if you're wanting something cold. The Egg tart wobbles as it should and the pastry has dozens of layers which I do prefer rather than those pastry base.