The contents of this blog are matters of opinion formed over one more visits. There has been some artistry applied and metaphors and similes should not necessarily be taken literally. All meals are independently paid for - the author has no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Xiaomi means “small rice” in Mandarin, a name perhaps more fitting for this purple rice yoghurt specialty store than the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer (on whose product all of the photos on this blog have been taken).
Xiaomi Yoghurt’s restrictive opening times have meant that despite the many many times we have eaten out in Kingsford it has been very rare for us to see it open. I took the opportunity one evening to grab a mango tea yoghurt ($8) for myself and some purple rice yoghurts for my partner (4 for $20) and her friends and colleagues in the Prince of Wales intensive care unit.
I really enjoyed the mango tea yoghurt. It had heaps of thick fresh mango at the bottom, with a good mix of yoghurt. I particularly enjoyed the strong tea flavour in one layer of the drink. My only regret is that I drank it through the straw whilst driving in my car, and thus I wasn’t able to appreciate all of the layered complexities present in the drink.
My partner liked the purple tea yoghurt. She’s somewhat of a connoisseur, and found it no worse than its competitors but at a better price.
Zensation Tea House is a nice little two person operation in Waterloo. It is a mix between a teahouse, dim sum restaurant, and tea shop. The interior is decorated in a very cosy manner with all sorts of different tea related decorations and displays. There are a number of different seating options available, and a few different booths in different styles.
The attention to service from the middle aged Chinese man and woman and the toy poodle Goldie made our experience a real treat. We could tell that the lady was manning both the restaurant and the store by herself to start, but she fielded all her customers deftly and with a very kind manner.
We were given a bowl of sunflower seeds to eat while we waited. This was some kind of next level targeted nostalgia bomb as my grandmother and mother would eat these nonstop. (Still alive, teeth not so good now).
The food served was on par on quality with a regular yum cha restaurant. What was special was that they allow you to mix and match your dim sum for the same price. We were able to order 18 pieces of assorted dim sum for only $42, which is quite special. It’s really nice that as we dine as a couple we were able to get 2 each of a bunch of different things, compared to if we had gone to a normal yum cha place and had to get 3-4 of each thing we ordered. This meant that we were able to have much more variety! It would even be very feasible to go alone and get one of each type of dim sum for a cheap price.
A deeper dive into selected dim sum. Most were very good. The har gao was good. The siu mai, both chicken and pork/prawn varieties were good, the chive and prawn was good. The lo mai gai was good. The custard bun was good. The only complaint I have would be about the scallop and prawn dumplings which felt a bit flour-y, and the vegetarian dumplings which were mostly just not to my taste. All in all though very authentic.
Goldie, the shop dog, was not for eating. I got to pet him.
Water was filtered and chilled. We didn’t go for a tea session as we were in a bit of a rush and didn’t have time to stay. Tea was around $9-12 per head for unlimited refills, so we thought we would save this somewhat pricey pleasure for a different time.
I can really recommend Zensation Tea House in Waterloo, both as a nice date, a prolonged tea drinking session, and also for a solo diner keen to have an assortment of dumplings rather than just 4 of 3 types.
The first thing you notice when you enter Long’s Flavour is not Long’s flavour but rather Long’s smell. The smell that permeates the restaurant is one of authenticity, a stale, old-cigarette-like smell that transports the diner instantly back to a dingy room in China. This is something I would’ve found quite disturbing as a child, but the somewhat unpleasant smell just flicked on all the right nostalgia receptors in my brain.
Long’s Flavour Signature Chicken (Steamed)
I had Long’s Flavour Signature Chicken (steamed, $18.80), as it was the most highly recommended dish of the restaurant’s few die-hard 5-star Google reviews. As the gentleman (who was the only person staffing the restaurant at the time) went back into the kitchen to make my order I heard the familiar sound of button beeps followed by a humming. I do not wish to defame by postulating and leaping to conclusions as to the source of the aforementioned sounds, but it is true that microwave cooking can be used in a number of traditional cuisines to add efficiency and speed without hurting the quality of the meal.
Long’s actual chicken itself was warm, juicy, soft, and tender. It had a strong Hainanese chicken vibe, which was further strengthened by the delicious ginger and shallot and chilli sauces that were provided. The steamed bok choy provided a nice, fresh and healthy component to the meal that my mother would have approved of. My host asked me a couple of times if I would like to have rice with my meal and I’m sure that if I did the meal would’ve been even more Hainan than it already was.
“The Best Dumplings in Kensington” is a big claim to make for this small, pan-fried-only dumpling restaurant. While I can’t directly refute this claim given I’ve never had dumplings at any other Kensington restaurant, I can tell you with certainty that their dumplings are not the best in the Randwick-Kensington-Kingsford Anzac Parade area (that crown is currently worn by the Northeast Restaurant in Kingsford).
I had a selection of dumplings and Chu’s fried chicken wings.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT – Egg, Chive, and Prawn; Chicken and Mushroom; Crayfish and Pork; Pork, Chive, and Prawn
Each type of dumpling is offered in 6 or 12 piece portions, and only come pan-fried. They were on average not bad – very juicy and with fresh ingredients, but a bit underflavoured for me (which is unusual).
The Egg, Chive, and Prawn dumplings (6 for $9) and the Pork, Chive, and Prawn dumplings (6 for $9) both had large and generous pieces of prawn inside which provided a good mouthfeel and taste. Both could’ve used a bit more flavouring, however there was ample soy sauce and vinegar for adjustment to personal taste.
The Chicken and Mushroom dumplings (6 for $8) were also mildly flavoured – I had this meal two days ago and it is not memorable at all.
The Crayfish and Pork dumplings (6 for $13) were a bit more expensive given the addition of seafood. These tasted vastly different to the other three, with a strong spicy flavour.
The chicken wings (6 for $9) were moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. They were deep fried in a thin but very eggy batter and dusted with a seasoning similar to that used in Taiwanese Fried Chicken. These wings were different to any other wings I’ve had before, and definitely a highlight. The guy who came in after me also asked for wings, and after a brief conversation in Mandarin between the guy at front of house and the lady in the kitchen it was revealed that they only had 5 wings in stock. He was told that they had sold out of chicken wings and opted for some diced fried chicken instead, although I wonder if he would’ve been happy to have just five wings (he was alone, after all) at a discount. We’ll never know.
VERDICT Does Chu’s Dumpling House really have the best dumplings in Kensington? I don’t know – I guess they’re the best I’ve ever had in Kensington, a low bar as they’re also the only I’ve had in Kensington. I think that despite what I suspect is a bit of hyperbole Chu’s Dumpling House is still worth a visit. Their dumplings are fresh and juicy, and their chicken wings are different and special. I only wish they did their dumplings boiled.
We happened across Square Handmade Bread after eating at Luckfood Fish Dumplings in Waterloo. It is a small bakery with modern facilities offering high-priced luxury breads as well as some desserts on a pre-order basis. Most breads were $15.80 per loaf, coming to $16.04 after credit card fees. They also serve coffee made from Grounds of Alexandria beans.
We ordered a loaf of garlic bomb bread – garlic bread loaf with cream cheese filling.
The square garlic bomb bread was quite good. It was not like a normal garlic bread, more sweet than salty. There was a lot of cream cheese filling, which I thought was actually to its detriment. I more enjoyed the crusty, less flavoured anterior, than the greasy creamy interior.
While good, I didn’t feel like this small half-loaf sized bread was worth $16.04. I concur with Robert H’s review in Google Reviews in this regard. For this reason, I am giving a 3/5, which could easily be a 4 if half the price.
