The Eight, Chinatown - Review
If you’re in the mood for brunch done a little differently, get yourself down to The Eight restaurant in Haymarket. This popular Chinese restaurant is known for its daily yum cha offering, and is a great option for those looking to get their fix of early morning dumplings in the city.
Situated on the top floor of the Market City shopping complex, this huge restaurant space is usually full to the brim with hungry diners looking for deliciously authentic dim sum. You’ll find the restaurant caters mostly for a crowd of older-generation Chinese Australians, but don’t let that deter you from getting a table. This is real-deal yum cha you won’t want to miss!
If you’ve never tried yum cha before, strap yourself in for a dining experience like no other. Yum cha, meaning ‘drink tea’ in Cantonese, is a traditional brunch time activity originating in Hong Kong, where you enjoy small share plates of dim sum with friends or family. The menu for yum cha is pretty universal, so no matter what yum cha restaurant you go to, you’re guaranteed to find the same dim sum classics.
After getting yourself seated at The Eight, you’ll be promptly served a with pot of tea and a little paper stamp card. Where’s the menu, you might ask? Well, you won’t need one! Sit back and wait for the food to come to you.
Ladies will come past your table, pushing carts filled with little plates of steamed dumplings, fried goodies, vegetables, chicken feet, noodles, congee and desserts. Point to whatever takes your fancy, and the ladies will pop them onto your table and stamp your card. You can eat as much or as little as you like, which is one of the best parts about yum cha, and the small plates make it easy to try lots of different dishes all in one meal.
Our favourite dishes here at The Eight are the steamed sticky rice, pan fried rice noodles with peanut and hoisin sauce, string beans with mince, and garlic chive dumplings. You can order drinks, but we think yum cha is best washed down with the pot of tea on your table. Turn the teapot lid upside down once it’s empty, and it’ll signal the waiter to bring a fresh pot.
The yum cha offerings here at The Eight are some of the best in Sydney. They have a wide selection of dishes, and you can tell they’re cooked fresh, especially since there’s such a high turnover of customers. The food isn’t too oily which is a definite plus, and there’s always a constant stream of carts coming past so you’ll never have to wait long for your next plate of deliciousness.
The Eight is busy around lunchtime for yum cha, especially on the weekends, so make sure you get in early to avoid waiting in the queue.
The Eight
9-13 Hay St, Haymarket NSW 2000
http://www.theeightrestaurant.com.au/menu
(02)9282 9988