A quick and hearty lunch appetite is easily satisfied with yum cha. Once seated at a table, it doesn't take long before a cart rolls by loaded with a variety of food selections to choose from.
Visiting Sydney's Chinatown for yum cha has been my norm in the past, but finding the King Crab House in the inner west suburb of Ashfield serving the diminutive dim sum was a treat.
My stomach was already growling with hunger before arriving at the King Crab House. A quick glance inside shows that only a few tables are taken – a plus for someone looking to be seated quickly and tuck straight in.
After being seated at the table, a waiter brought us a pot of Chinese tea and the waitresses promptly pushed the trolleys over. All the typical dim sum dishes were there – shu mai, har gau (shrimp dumpling), rice noodle rolls, cha siu baau (roast pork bun), chicken feet and tripe.
I'm a seafood addict, so I tend to order any dishes with shrimp or scallop in it. My yum cha buddy, however, has an aversion to seafood and he eats everything else.
Har gau is a must-have for me, and it is the dish I usually eat to compare the dim sum from place to place. Surprisingly, the transparent dough was not thick (just the way I like it) and a good chunk of shrimp was packed inside.
The additional dishes of spring rolls, pork rice noodle wrap, shu mai, baked pork buns, sticky rice and fried vegetable rolls that we ordered tasted about the same as other restaurants.
When my carnivorous partner ordered chicken feet, it brought a little smile to the waitress's face (possibly because he was a Westerner). He found the chicken feet to be "succulent" and particularly flavourful, thanks to black bean and a hint of chilli with garlic.
As I watched him devour the chicken feet, I decided to order one more dish – fried taro cake. Alas, out of all the dishes, this one had probably been on the cart a bit too long and it was no longer hot. A pity, since the taro chunks bits of pork and little dried shrimp inside a freshly seared taro cake would have tasted good.
Glancing around the room, the décor could use a renovation (a total re-carpeting would not go astray), but considering the cheap price of the meal, it's very forgivable. The staff were attentive and service friendly, which helped to give King Crab House enough points for another return visit. Perhaps next time it will be for a seafood meal though, since the establishment appears to be known for its crab – hence the name.
King Crab House is located at 206-208 Liverpool Road, Ashfield NSW 2131.
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