I have two confessions to make.
The first, an apology that I got so carried away with the detail of Big Buns Burgers Ribs and Shakes last week that I forgot to tell everyone who I was writing about. They’re on Grand Plaza Drive and worth a visit.
The second, a guilty pleasure.
In Chinese and some Thai cooking, the mixture of dried onions, dried chilli and shallots is sometimes referred to as “salt and pepper” sprinkled on fried calamari, chicken or fish.
Given the opportunity, I like to sprinkle it on everything.
It’s simple, but it adds a smashing flavour. At Yum Cha Cuisine Logan, the mixture was in abundance with the fried quail – enough to add extra bite to the fried chicken entree, and a little leftover for the fried rice.
Granted, not how it’s supposed to work. But hey, allow me to indulge.
The restaurant presents itself as yum cha, but the menu here is more an a la carte arrangement, offering yum cha-style dishes as entrees, and more traditional Chinese dishes as mains.
Best thing to do if there is more than one of you is to choose a selection to share.
It’s remarkable to think that things like quail, white bait and duck weren’t anywhere to be seen on menus one or two generations ago.
They’re all now commonplace. Here, duck is in a few forms – the more traditional roast duck which is served as a quarter, half or full size, or a version of Peking duck in which the meat is deep fried for duck pancakes and a version of san choi bau.
White bait was cooked in a batter more akin to fish and chips, and is tasty dipped in a soy sauce.
A sign of a good Chinese restaurant however, is one that makes their own dumplings and that’s the case here – meaty pan fried or steamed options, depending on your preference.
On the surface, prices here seem a little on the expensive side, but when you see the size of the dishes, it’s easier to understand.
Food here is designed to share, and some of the $10.90 entrees are big enough for a table of four to nibble on.
Mains are in the $22-$25 ballpark and are the usual Chinese fare – options of pork, chicken, beef or seafood with a range of sauces, all freshly cooked and well presented.
Staff are quick to attend to every need, and there’s an extensive enough drinks menu.
The restaurant is situated in the Hyperdome Plaza.
