How Expensive Is Yumcha?

Samsungnote10 on 25/04/2021 - 14:24
Last edited 25/04/2021 - 18:21 by 1 other user

So I like Yumcha, not love, have it a few times per year some places it's hard if they don't speak English but that usually means it's better!

Went yesterday to a place that's apparently mid priced we had only the ones in the bamboo containers, none of those large plate specialties.

2 @$7.50
4 @8.50
1@ $9.50
2@ 12.50
=$83.50 for 3 people, (2 of them a small eaters)

We got free tea for some reason, the waitress kept telling us it was free in Chinese/English, 'twas pretty funny. That's almost $30 per head for lunch.

The Chinese place a few doors down, that sells BBQ pork/duck on rice/noodles for $12, looks like a mighty better option!

Food & Grocery

Comments

    • Baghern on 28/04/2021 - 13:34

      You have alcohol right..

      • Kranbone on 29/04/2021 - 13:27
        +1

        Nope, no alcohol. We generally select special dishes for the more expensive stuff (lobster/crab) and that would be at Rhodes Phoenix.

  • Hangryuman on 27/04/2021 - 13:56
    -1

    Sydney CBD we typically pay around $30 per person - which I'm finding a bit expensive so we're going less often

    we used to go maybe once a month - now it's more like once every 4-5 months

    Yum cha ('Drink Tea') aka Dim Sum ('touch the heart') in the US or Cantonese - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dim_sum - is not to be confused with my childhood Dim Sim or Chiko Roll which were deep-fried hard-battered monstrosities suitable only for young people with the munchies.

    I typically mostly choose the bamboo steamers for pork siu mai and prawn har gao - I'm happy to just wolf a couple of plates of siu mai - dipping each in sriracha equivalent chili sauce

    I was once 'shouted' lunch at a yum cha place by a rich Chinese woman who chose all deep-fried dishes - I wondered why - until I worked it out - that way we'd fill up quickly and she'd only have to pay for fewer dishes !

    You know the saying - XXXese all worship the same thing … MONEY !

    • Baghern on 28/04/2021 - 13:35

      deep fried dishes are usually more expensive, she was showing off

  • poochi on 27/04/2021 - 14:56

    Where else can you sample nine different dishes for ~$27?

  • Daemos on 27/04/2021 - 20:31

    In Brisbane, at the places we go, yum cha is around $25 pp…this is for approx 7-8 dishes for 2 people.

    In larger groups with very small eaters it can be below $20pp.

  • CoreJava on 28/04/2021 - 11:20

    Yum cha is ripping you off. Just go an dbuy the dim sim and cook at home

    • John Kimble on 28/04/2021 - 11:21
      +2

      🤦‍♂️ This would apply to almost any restaurant…

  • CoreJava on 28/04/2021 - 11:26

    Go to asian groceries, search for Amoy brand of frozen dim sim. 2 pack and you will be full.

  • Archi on 28/04/2021 - 11:45
    +1

    there are plenty places in sydney that make fresh and freeze your favourite dim sums..

    Ho's dim sum pitt street sydney

    delight dim sum forest road hurstville.

    much better than super market frozen ones.

  • Baghern on 28/04/2021 - 12:32

    Depends on location as well

    We don't know what you got. BUT 9 dishes is not small eating unless you're giants who think its small.

    I notice when we go to the suburbs with 7-8 people, we average $15,

    • mungas on 28/04/2021 - 14:16

      So you starve? Do you pre-eat?

      • Baghern on 28/04/2021 - 18:44

        lets assume they got the cheapest x9 that's siu mai

        4 siu mai per dish

        12 siu mai is not a small meal

        That's more a long the lines of just above average.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/04/2021 - 14:42

    I've had it twice in Sydney. Both times we ate, and ate, and ate, and were still hungry so had to get a hamburger after to stop our stomaches gurgling. I don't know how anyone could feel satisfied eating that way. Particularly when most of it is starch which ignites hunger whereas fat and protein (without the starch) quenches it. It's like going to a party where the only food is tiny CanapĂ©s… you eat all night, leave hungry, and have to make cheese on toast at home because everything has shut. Oh and the wait time between each dish was ridiculously long making you more hungry watching other tables eating.

    As for eating the feet of something that spent its life walking in its own guano (poop mixed with urine)… Yech! I can understand in countries where/when food is scarce, but here!?

    Better off waiting until Mr Chen's drops to $2.50 a pack, stock up the freezer until you have a good selection of the different varieties, and buy a bamboo Kmart steamer ($8 the last time I looked). Coles had a few varieties for $2.50 last week and I think WW has them on sale this week unless it ended last night. Last week was the first time I tried their Dim Sum (steamed not fried) and it was really good. One box was about 300g I think and it plus a couple of their small steamed spring rolls was nearly enough to satisfy… unlike yum cha because you're eating a few tiny bits at a time so never get a chance to stop feeling hungry.

    • Baghern on 28/04/2021 - 18:47
      +2

      OMG its the Warren Buffet of Eating…

      Always eat at home its cheaper…!!!!!

      • [Deactivated] on 29/04/2021 - 00:47

        Not sure how the Buffet reference links up, but as for eating at home… that's what I meant. For $2.50 per person (or say $3 with the couple of added spring rolls), it's not worth the hassle making it yourself. Particularly when those Mr Chen dim sum were SO GOOD.

        • Baghern on 05/05/2021 - 14:48
          +4

          You're comparing two different things.

          People are talking about eating out and you're comparing to eating at home.

          Its like people complaining about how much alcohol costs at a bar compared to picking it up from a bottle shop.

          You can do both, but if you wanted to drink at a pub, you need to compare against pubs only…

  • Skramit on 28/04/2021 - 16:24

    Just wait til you discover Northeast China Family dumpling restaurant in Melbourne. For ~$40 my colleague and I can order 60 dumplings to share and be full to the gunnels. Prefer it any day over yum cha shenanigans.

    • Samsungnote10 on 28/04/2021 - 17:18

      Dine in?

      • Skramit on 28/04/2021 - 22:01

        Yep

    • JimB on 03/05/2021 - 10:54

      That's typically of the dumpling places.

      I adore the cheap $10 pan fried pork dumplings- Ping's Dumplings is my to go.

      However, you can't really compare normal dumplings to yum cha.

      That's like comparing your local ALH pub's steak to a Blackmore's rib eye at Rockpool. Both enjoyable but one is far superior.

  • love2buy on 28/04/2021 - 17:22
    +4

    Yes yum cha is so expensive nowadays. Nobody fight for the bill anymore.

  • luckbox on 29/04/2021 - 09:46
    +1

    Go to the burbs, we had yumcha recently in Sydney's west for ~$170 for 10 people

  • Lexan on 29/04/2021 - 09:49

    Yum cha uses a lot of MSG. That's why thier food tasted so good.

    • Knightelf on 29/04/2021 - 11:49
      +2

      What's wrong with MSG? It's in literally everything (including many of the dishes the fancy hatted restaurants serve).

    • stwongy on 01/05/2021 - 05:52
      +1

      msg is gods gift to this planet

  • Knightelf on 29/04/2021 - 11:53

    I read through this thread and realised the world post COVID has not changed - still full of whiners (I much prefer winers and diners).

  • stwongy on 01/05/2021 - 05:51

    I guess it depends where you go, if you go to a smaller place or somewhere in the suburbs it will usually be cheaper. Usually signs are if it's like an up market one (nice decor), aesthetics and more modern (more English services), higher price. But factors like location go into play.

    I don't know about how much you eat but I guess maybe coz you're a guy you will eat more. The best price I'd encountered was about $50-$55? for 2 people.

    I think Zen at Ramsgate RSL is pretty good, price was pretty good. Dimsum was pretty fresh according to my mouth and I'm kinda picky. Service good too.

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