278 - redux: yum cha tier list 🥟🫖
it's yum cha time
Hey there, !
If you haven't been around for long, then you might not have seen this (controversial) post when it first came out around tiering popular yum cha dishes. I still strongly believe in these, but I have heard many MANY opinions for and against them.
Hit reply if you want to join the judgment, or send me your own tier lists! Unless you're trying to defend chicken pies in which case chuck that opinion in the trash 🥰
Yum Cha is a key Asian experience - a version of Chinese brunch where you drink tea, choose stuff from trolleys to eat and generally have a good time. A lot of people have really specific experiences and habits that develop through yumcha (in terms of what they eat, and their preferences), which I think are very family-based, and I wanted to share with you guys what dishes I love at yumcha.
What better way to introduce you to this than A YUM CHA TIER LIST.
Let me know your thoughts :D
C tier - the dish is not good, I wouldn't order it at yumcha if I could help it
- Beef balls - these suck. It's like a meatball, but worse.
- Xiao long bao - controversial, but I think you shouldn't go to yumcha for this; go somewhere that specifically does XLB if you really want them, as they'll be nicer, fresher, and more delicious there.
- Salt and pepper squid - often too tough as it's been on the trolley for a while
- Taro dumpling - the texture sucks
- Chicken pie - why are you getting CHICKEN PIE at yumcha?!
B tier - the dish is good, but depends on circumstance whether I'll get it or not
- Pork ribs - one of Steph's favourite foods at yumcha which has grown on me over time - it's good, but it has a lot of bones that make it less worth it to eat
- Beef tripe - and beef stomach as well! Really nice texture, but not everyone I eat with will want to eat it (and not everywhere offers it). It's okay, but it's not the main attraction of yumcha.
- Siu mai - probably a function of how I grew up, but we never used to get siu mai - we'd go for the other, better tasting dumplings :D
- Sticky rice - including the version wrapped in bamboo leaf; it's delicious, but I'd probably choose other things over it so that I don't fill up #asianefficiency
- Tofu Fa - the dessert with tofu and sugar syrup - it's DELICIOUS but the ratios are often off - too much tofu vs the syrup. Really hard to keep that ratio going so shrugs it goes in B tier.
A tier - the dish is very good, I would get it in a heartbeat if asked (photos from here on because these dishes deserve it, and also I'm lazy for everything before this)
- PHOENIX CLAWS (Chicken feet) - a happy example of Chinese marketing, the product actually fits the hype. It's mainly in the sauce, but the collagen in the fingers and just sucking the meat off the bone is absolutely delectable.
- Salt and pepper whitebait - it's just fish chips. Like, it's fish, that's fried into a chip-type consistency and is satisfyingly crunchy, yet soft in the middle.
- Haam sou gok (Fried glutinous rice dumplings) - another along those lines, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. The hard shell on the outside collapses into a superbly flavourful centre of pork and sauce, and combines inside your mouth for a beautiful marriage of textures.
- Char siu bao - classic, beautiful, BBQ pork that is steamed in a bao. If you get a baked version, or one that's in a cute pig design, it goes to A+ tier :D
- Radish cake - the texture and flavour of a radish cake is very unique - it's kind of like a jelly but fried on the outside. The little bits of shredded radish, spring onion, and other ancillary ingredients, bound together by rice flour and water; a recipe honed to perfection over years.
S tier - the dish is must-have at yumcha - if for some reason the yumcha place doesn't have it (i.e. if they've run out, or don't offer it), I might not ever return there again
- Egg tart - the PERFECT savoury dessert. A crispy, layered shell filled with an egg custard centre - a mini-pie that perfects the union of buttery goodness with eggy flavour. You cannot leave without having one!
- Har gao (Prawn dumpling) - the titan of yumcha dumplings is popular for a reason - the prawn on the inside, the sticky, chewy skin on the outside...I mean, just that skin itself could be enough for me, but the texture and taste of prawn dumpling just gets me to the S tier.
- Cheung fun (Steamed rice noodle) - I found out recently that beef cheung fun is not a normal order, but it's my nostalgia food as it was something we would always get at yumcha; nowadays, I go for the prawn cheung fun. The slippery, delicious rice noodle paired with the soy sauce helps delivery a small package of succulent meat, whether it's beef, prawn, or char siu.
- Lou sa bao (baked) (Molten custard salted egg buns) - this is my mum's favourite dessert, and it's my second-favourite. It's a salted egg yolk + custard bun, and has a texture like 'molten lava' - it squirts out when you take a bite and lavishly coats your mouth as you eat it. If you're lucky enough to get a baked version of the bun, the extra crispy, crunchy top elevates the experience to an SS tier.
Chat soon :)
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✔️ Real Life Recommendations
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Where should I go for Yumcha in Melbourne?! - there are lots of places - here are some I like:
- [UPDATE 2025] Man Kee in Bulleen - they do some great dim sum!
- Secret Kitchen (at least, the Doncaster one)
- Gold Leaf
Pro tip: The best number of people to go with is any multiple of 3 people as most dishes come with 3 items (3 dumplings, 3 cheung fun etc.).
Pro pro tip: Just go to Hong Kong.
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What should I look out for? - treat it like brunch! Go for an earlier session where they'll have more food, and it'll be fresher. Try lots of different foods - don't just get 12 of the same dish; that's not what yumcha is for! If you're adventurous, ask them for a Pu-er tea (seriously bitter but delicious when eaten with yumcha foods).