By Ms. Taste
What Aussie wouldn’t love a schooner with their dim sum?
This is the whole premise behind Ruby L’otel’s weekend ‘Feed the Family Yum Cha Menu’. The stylish new bar in Rozelle takes yum cha to a whole new level with its outdoor garden restaurant which serves up an impressive variety of dim sum served the Aussie way.
Chicken Broth Hot Pot - $4 per person
Ruby L'otel
But don’t come here expecting your prawn dumplings to be like the ones at East Ocean. What you will get is dim sum served to suit the aussie palate – salt and pepper squid with tangy lemon dipping sauce, fried prawn won tons and ‘do it yourself short soup’. While I can’t really see my parents wanting to come here for yum cha, I know several friends who will. Ruby is also family friendly (I know! A family friendly bar!), kids love new experiences – especially when there’s face painting and balloon animals thrown into the mix.
Yum cha table setting with menu
Yum cha here doesn’t come on rickety trolleys, it is cooked fresh to order. The prices aren’t cheap though – a trio of dumplings will set you back at least $7 or $8, which is probably on par with the top notch yum cha joints. For two people, it’s just a tad too expensive to come as a regular but nice for a catch up with friends – especially if you want to avoid the hassles of getting a park in the city.
Black tea
Four sauces - soy with ginger, chilli, Nobu style miso and xo sauce
What I liked best at Ruby was the chicken broth hot pot. While the broth is very light in flavour (no MSG by the taste of it), it springs to life when the vegies, dumplings and soy are added. It’s all a matter of personal taste and having the freedom to make your own short soup is pretty special.
Salt and Pepper Squid with White Pepper and Lemon Sauce $12
Asian Greens with Tamari and Lemon $12
Mr. Taste and I are very big on steamed dim sum. While we enjoyed the Crab and Spinach Siu Mai, the Prawn and Scallop Dumplings were a little disappointing. The skin was quite thick and the filling wasn’t as saucey as we would like. I did enjoy the Pork Soup Dumplings though – it can’t compare to Din Tai Fung but the flavour is wonderfully balanced and not too salty.
Crab and Spinach Siu Mai $10
Steamed Prawn Dumplings $7
Steamed Scallop Dumplings $7.50
Pork Soup Dumplings $7
Although I was slightly surprised to find that there wasn’t much of a dessert selection, my favourite Mango Pudding was on there. It was slightly gooey but beautifully fresh and very different to the ones I’ve had at yum cha. I’m not sure it’s worth the $7 price tag though – my dad makes me feel guilty enough when I pay $4 for this little treat at yum cha (why order dessert when you can order another dumpling!).
Mango Pudding $7
If you’re looking for a relaxed way to enjoy yum cha without the hour-long wait – then do give Ruby a try. It’s not the best yum cha in town, but it sure inspires us to experience new ways of enjoying the popular weekend ritual.
Ruby L'otel Garden Restaurant
Note: Ruby L’otel’s ‘Feed the Family Yum Cha Menu’ is available from 11 am through to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Ruby L’otel
68 Victoria Road
Rozelle 2039 NSW
# 02 9555 1900
www.rubylotel.com.au
Open Sunday to Tuesday from 11 am to 10.30 pm and Wednesday to Saturday from 10 am – 12 midnight
Thanks to Katie at Magnum PR for organising our tasting at Ruby.
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