Go yum at Yauatcha

With the Chinese New Year around the corner, Yauatcha at the Ambience Mall in Vasant Kunj has come out with a special menu to treat the taste buds of those who enjoy authentic Cantonese cuisine.

With a fare that promises to take one’s tongue on a journey through the heart of China, Metrolife decided to sample their offerings and we were not in the least bit disappointed.

The evening began with a serving of a ‘Black Pepper Duck Puffs’, succulent duck in a deep fried shell with a thin bed of carrots and onions cut so fine that they oozed the quality of a Michelin star chef. The duck melted in the mouth after one broke through the crunchy outer shell and got our gustatory cells gasping.

This was followed by a ‘Shanghai Siew Long Bun’, a wee chicken dumpling wrapped up neatly in a bundle. While it looked like any average dumpling one might expect at a restaurant (not the ones that look like tadpoles on street stalls) it proved to be a more balanced affair than the duck.

What made this little dim sum stand out was the fact that despite being a tiny little parcel, it was able to hold in an unbelievable amount of juice in the filling without bursting at its seams. What it did for us was confirm that good things do indeed come in small packages! These were washed down by a refreshing ‘Lychee Martini’, a divine concoction from the barkeep that we recommend to all who go there.

A visit to Yauatcha without having one of these is like going to China and not seeing the Great Wall. While we sipped on the Martini, the Chef sent out our personal favourite from the appetiser stable which was a ‘Pork Char Sui Bun’.

Delectably diced pork in a sticky sweet sauce with just a hint of spice, enveloped by a moist steam bun, it was a match made in heaven for us. This was the kind of dim sum one might consider taking to meet their family. We do not exaggerate.

With the appetisers swept away, Metrolife turned its attention to the main course. The ‘Kung Pao Chicken’ paired with ‘Fried rice with sweet corn and asparagus’ proved to be a delightful experience, with the freshness of the asparagus brilliantly playing second fiddle to the crunch from the cashew in the chicken that was seasoned to perfection.

The barkeep recommended a drink they call ‘Lalu’, which reminded us of a Long Island Iced Tea’s oriental first cousin to go with the main course and it was a just recommendation.


The star of the evening, however, was the dessert which was listed as a ‘Chef’s special’. We wanted to be surprised but instead were overwhelmed when our server stepped out with a decadent Raspberry Delice, accompanied by a couple of Raspberry Mandarin Macaroons that simply catapulted the entire meal into the stratosphere.

With a beautifully set jelly in the middle of the ‘delice’ and a bed of chocolate and hazelnuts hiding beneath, the textures that greeted our palate were some we could hardly have fathomed when we walked in. No doubt in our minds that a trip to Yauatcha this Chinese New Year will be an unforgettable one, for all the right reasons of course.