Review: Yum Cha

Tell us about your first impressions when you arrived.
There are two Yum Cha locations, but the main one, set on the second floor of a commercial building in Central, has an open-plan and tons of natural sunlight, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows that stretch the length of the narrow room. It doesn't look like your typical Chinese restaurant—there aren't many Chinese motifs, and the brick, stone, and rose-gold accents would feel equally at home in New York City's Meatpacking District.

What was the crowd like?
Lunch can be extremely busy with small groups—mostly friends catching up, or colleagues enjoying their lunch hour. The crowd skews young, thanks to the Insta-famous dim sum.

What should we be drinking?
Black tea infused with red dates, toasted buckwheat tea, chrysanthemum—these hot beverages are different from traditional Cantonese restaurants. Soft drinks and cocktails are also on offer.

Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.
While many are drawn to Yum Cha for its Instagram-friendly dishes, such as char siu bao (barbecued pork buns) shaped like cartoon pig's heads and lau sha bao (molten custard buns) that look like emoji faces, the gimmicks don't detract from the quality of the food. The lunch menu goes far beyond dumpling territory (although there are plenty of those, both traditional and novel), with small plates like slow-cooked pork knuckle and a diverse range of greens, including some organic choices, which is an uncommon but welcome sight at a Chinese restaurant in this city.

And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?
At peak lunch hour, the staff are incredibly rushed, but once you flag someone down, any questions about the menu will be easily answered.

What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?
Yum Cha is a fun departure from the typical dining experience, thanks to its chic decor and cute dim sum designs. But the pace of service during peak hours can make the place feel anything but calm.