It always boggles my mind that in Australia, yum cha – which literally translates to “drink tea” – has not very much to do with tea. Instead, it’s used synonymously with dim sum – the little plates that come around in endless trolleys and steamer baskets.
But differences aside, there is always one constant: you never only order just one dish.
Braised Chicken Feet
Har Gow (Prawn Dumplings)
Century Egg Congee
Prawn Rice Noodle Rolls
Radish Cake
Prawn Toast
Char Siu Bao
Siu Mai
Steamed Pork Ribs
Scallop topped with tofu
Sweet Tofu Curd
Prawn and scallop dumpling with shark fin and prawn roe
Of the incredible spread we ordered, the piece de resistance really was the Prawn and Scallop Dumplings with Prawn Roe. Imagine a super fresh prawn dumpling, complete with the translucent skin, but luxuriously topped with prawn roe that delightfully pop in your mouth. Most times, I always find that prawn roe in cooked products tend to be a touch overcooked, but in this dumpling, it was just perfect, retaining that elusive crunch that I love.
Other dishes that were noteworthy included the Steamed Pork Ribs. Flavoured with salted black beans, these ribs were tender yet toothsome, and came off the bone easily without falling off. The Tofu with Scallop featured a medallion of super soft egg tofu topped with minced prawn and a circle of scallop, before being delicately steamed to retain all of the delicate flavours and textures. The Prawn Toast – not something I usually order because I’ve been burned too many times by bad prawn to toast ratios – was surprisingly good, with thick chunks of prawn, and crispy without being too oily!
The food was definitely worth the travel, even if the service was a little absent. We were after a particular dumpling, and had to order it a few times to get it. When we ordered Char Siu Bao to take away, we had to (again!) speak to a few people – most of whom forgot about us – before we even got the containers to pack the buns in. And the restaurant wasn’t even full.
But really. If you go on the Chinese-restaurant-is-based-on-food-not-service philosophy, I would highly recommend going for a yum cha session at Gold Leaf!
Now, does anyone know if this is the same menu as the Gold Leaf in Springvale?
Gold Leaf
Level 1 Star Circus Harbour Town
Docklands, VIC 3008
Phone: 03 9670 1128
Website: http://www.goldleafrestaurant.com.au/docklands/
