Overview
Restaurateur Howin Chui has a knack for reimagining well-established Asian cuisines. At the Chatswood outpost of Senapi Ramen, Chui's collaboration with former Sokyo chef Chase Kojima pioneered an omakase experience centred around noodle soups. At the Kowloon Cafes in both Burwood and Chatswood, Chui conjured startlingly convincing Hong Kong streetscapes serving authentic dai pai dong-style street eats.
Now, Chui has turned his inventive eye towards a genre of food Sydneysiders not only know and love but are often obsessive about: dumplings. Alongside business partners Jacky Huang and Colin Ho, Chui has sought out uncharted territory in Australia's dense yum cha offering and the result is his latest fast-paced venue at Grosvenor Place in the CBD — Yum Cha Project.
(L–R) Waiwing Lau, Vincent Lim and Howin Chui
The restaurant's ambition is to make dim sum a more on-the-go dining option. Instead of the steamer-stacked trollies and leisurely pace of traditional yum cha restaurants, diners will be able to grab their order in takeaway boxes inspired by pizza and burger joints. The menu is all about convenience and comfort eating, with yum cha heroes including classic barbecue pork buns, prawn dumplings, vegetarian dumplings, shallot pancakes, spring rolls and prawn siu mai sharing the menu with fast-food riffs such as cheeseburger spring rolls and Peking duck pizza. Diners can also pimp their meal with a selection of Asian condiments at the complimentary sauce station — another nod to fast-food dining culture.
Signature iced teas are another house speciality, including grapefruit jasmine green tea, lychee jasmine tea and dark-roasted oolong milk tea topped with Hong Kong favourites like egg pudding, lychee coconut jelly and pink blossom agar pearls. Alcoholic beverages are also on the menu including the Yum Cha staples of Tsingtao and Orion Beer.
Once again tapping the skills of Darren Kong from Kong Studios — the creative visionary behind the bright, bold aesthetics at seven of Chui's eight Sydney venues — the fitout is an eye-popping mix of canary yellow tiles and neon signs, including one that proudly asks, "Dim Sum Body Say Yum Cha?". While there is seating for 50 diners, the open-plan kitchen has been built for speed to cope with a high volume of takeaway orders.
"Our mission for Yum Cha Project is to make yum cha more accessible, affordable and convenient, all whilst allowing diners to customise their experience via an on-the-go solution." Howin Chui says. "Through Yum Cha Project, we share our culture and memories for delicious, convenient dining with the community, one dim sum at a time."
Ever the innovator, Chui will also draw on his experience as a nightclub operator to bring some party vibes to The Yum Cha Project. This will include after-work happy hours with live DJs on Thursdays and Fridays to tempt city workers to stay later in the CBD.
Find Yum Cha Project at Shop 3/225 George Street in the CBD, open Monday–Wednesday, 8am–4pm and Thursday–Friday, 8am- 8pm.
Images: Kera Wong