Cafe China Review

Run in for yum fun

It was a rainy day and I wanted lunch. I wanted good food, I wanted it fast, and I wanted it under $25 per head.

Who do you call? No one. Go directly to Café China for a Yum Cha. Do not pass go. Do not add any more clichés.

Yum Cha is a Chinese lunch, a social outing, and a fun experience. It's the kind of restaurant I loved as a little kid purely because of its novelty factor, and to the amazement of no one, I love it still.

For those not indoctrinated in the ways of the Yum Cha, here is a brief explanation of how it works. Restaurant staff wheel trolleys around the restaurant carrying various morsels of Chinese food. Every few minutes, if they see your food supply running low, they will stop by your table where you can peruse the selection of tasty bits on the trolley and select the ones you want. You have no risk of ordering something you don't want. The food offered at a Yum Cha is different from regular Chinese food you may order for dinner. It is presented in small bamboo baskets - fried or steamed - in small servings so you can sample as much variety as possible.

Café China, located downstairs at the Rydges Plaza Hotel building, has been offering Yum Cha since opening many years ago. The high calibre of the food and service never changes - I know when I go to this restaurant than I am going to be looked after, have a good time, and still have enough money by the end of lunch to buy a packet of much needed breath mints.

At Café China, Yum Cha functions smoothly thanks to the ever-watchful eye of its owner Harry Sou. Harry is a diligent and skilful host, and he ensures that all patrons are looked after exceptionally well. This is an excellent restaurant to visit if you need a mid-day break from work or if you have a large group of people with differing tastes in food.

A sample of the food I enjoyed during my two hour Yum Cha lunch included won tons, prawns in pastry wrap, steamed dim sims, steamed sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf and deep fried calamari. Two of my favourites, however, deserve special mention. Pork buns (sweet pork encased in spongy dough) is delicious and worth trying. I normally completely rid the trolley of pork buns when it visits my table. And the Chinese sausage roll is also special. It is a baked Chinese sausage wrapped with sweet dough. My dining partner found the taste odd, but I thoroughly enjoyed the unique and fresh aroma. I've never found flavours that come remotely close to those found at a Yum Cha, and I have a hard time trying to describe them. All I can say is they are fresh, light and bursting with flavour.

Café China is also open for dinner, however the Yum Cha style of dining is only available at lunch. The wine list is huge, so there is never a problem plucking a drop from the menu to suit your tastes. The prices start from around $4 per serving and reach $10, but I believe this is worth it for food of this calibre. Don't go to Yum Cha is you are looking for a cheap lunch - this is upper market.

The American Express Restaurant Awards gave Café China the distinction of Best Restaurant in Cairns in 2001 and 2002. It's easy to see why. This is a restaurant that is eager to please, and it meets this target without any pretensions...or clichés.

- Diner Diller

Cafe China	Cairns CBD
Cafe China is open for yum cha lunch and chinese dinner. Owner Harry Sou has extremely high standards and you are assured of a delicious meal every time you visit this authentic Chinese restaurant. Very high quality and excellent service.
cuisines: Chinese features: A la carte, Buffet, Cafe, Licensed, Take Away review: Run in for yum fun (21/3/2003) contact: (07) 40412828 | Grafton Street (Rydges Plaza Complex Cnr Spence St)
Mini Reviews
Irene Chapman	18th Sep 2005
The word Cafe does the establishment an unjustice. It's a great place for discerning chinese food lovers, as well as the beginner trying out non-suburban Aussie chinese food. People with mobility problems can enter the restaurant, but it's a pity the wheelchair accessible toilet is used as a storeroom.
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