Unpretentious yum cha house by the folks from Hong Kong.

Who can live without yum cha? They obviously haven't lived enough. In Melbourne, you will be hard-pressed to find yum cha without all that expensive frills you don't need, coupled with some contemporary twist you clearly didn't ask for and of course, my biggest pet peeve when dining in the city: too much seasoning. Andy's Yum Cha House, set in the northern suburb of Essendon, is a modestly-sized eatery that serves down-to-earth yum cha selections. Helmed by a team of Hong Kong settlers, you can be assured it is as authentic as it gets.

Lining up the usual yum cha suspects

I probably represent a more Southeast Asian palate in saying this: in general, the yum cha selection here is very evenly-seasoned and not overly sweet or salty (a precious balance attained, as opposed to most of the rest of the highly-acclaimed restaurants). It sure feels like home. When you are here, do not miss out on the steamed pork buns which are fluffy on the outside and very generously stuffed with pork meat fillings inside. Other must-haves obviously include the har gow, scallop dumplings and xiao long baos - but of course, you order them in succession without hesitation and then feast on them like there's no tomorrow. That's how I do yum cha, eh?

A repertoire of staple fried bites

Sipping on the fragrant tea with a sweet aftertaste as you dine on the indulgently fried and savoury selections from Andy's Yum Cha, is the best way to enjoy it. I don't particularly advocate too much fried stuff, but how could you resist the salt fried chicken ribs? I love the touch of spiciness that really added dimension to the dish. The flat prawn rolls is a different take to the usual fried dumplings that I've encountered, remember to dip it with the sauce provided! The fried pork dumplings is the ultimate sinfully well-loved dish ever. Proceed with caution and enjoy!

Andy's Yum Cha House
13 Napier Street, Essendon