Han Palace - Yum Cha

I caught up with some friends for Yum Cha. Kidman had organised it for Han Palace. None of us had gone back there for ages. It was chosen as that was the most central location for everyone. From when I was last there at least one and a half to two years ago, it was rather quiet. The food was ok with the main attraction being that it was cheap.

How things I have changed. We were all shocked when there was a huge crowd waiting to get in at the change of seating time of 1pm. Luckily, Kidman had booked beforehand so we were ushered in and seated while others jockeyed to get tables. A crowded restaurant usually means two things. The food is good since there is a constant rotation of fresh stuff, and you tend to have to wait as the trolleys take a while to come to you. We didn't mind the waiting part we were there to talk anyway.

As usual, I got everyone to pose for photos and took them when they weren't ready. Here is Jaslene and Kidman.


Jacky and I weren't entirely ready either when Kevin took the photo.


And a shot of Kevin eating away.


I have to say, the new management have really revamped the food. It actually tastes good now. Staples like "har cheung" (prawn wrapped in rice noodle, left), "woo tow gok" (mince wrapped in taro and crispy pastry, middle) and "char siu guen" (roast pork rolls, right) were actually good.


They also had the more Asian specialties such as Chicken Feet, Tripe and Tendons. All three had good flavours.


Other staples like "har gow" (prawn dumplings), "bao" (buns) and various other dumplings were all good. The desserts that we tried of Green Tea Cakes with Red Bean, Gluttonous Rice Cakes and Mango Pudding were godo too. Only the Tapioca and Mango dessert was a bit disappointing due to the mango being totally frozen. We joked that they must have accidentally left it all in the fridge or the cold tub they were serving it from had a hidden freezer inside.

Anyway, the place was noisy as any good yum cha place should be. The service was good as far as yum cha goes. Our tea pot was refilled constantly and the staff fulfilled every request we had such as rearranging the tables and orders for food.

Price wise, it's still good value there. The meal only cost us $17 each, not bad since everyone was full and we ordered a lot of prawn dishes. Now that I know this place is quite good, I have to join the throng of people and visit here more often on weekends for yum cha.

Overall Rating: 14/20, The food is good and the prices is very fair.

Scores: 1-9: Unacceptable, don't bother. 10-11: Just OK,some shortcomings. 12: Fair. 13: Getting there. 14: Recommended. 15: Good. 16: Really good. 17: Truly excellent. 18: An outstanding experience. 19-20:Approaching perfection, Victoria's best.