The Panda Yum Cha
Shop 3390, 55-61 Talavera Rd.
Macquarie Park, Sydney
Having eaten here for dinner previously and been very impressed, we decided that trying their yum cha seemed like a very sensible idea. After all, yum cha is on their actual name. We were right! It turns out lots of others know this too as it’s hugely popular, yet the flow of customers in, eating and out seems to move very well.
We started with these delicious mushroom dumplings. The green wrappers really stood out but the filling was even more impressive. It was a really bold mushroom flavour that surprised us in a good way. We loved these.
Keeping with the steamed dumpling theme we then had some prawn had gows and some scallop and spinach dumplings. Both are old favourites of ours. A quick dip in the ever present garlic chilli sauce and they quickly disappeared down the hatch.
Some people find these prawn noodles hard to eat. We get that because they are. That said, they’re delicious and well worth getting. The light soy sauce they come with goes nicely too with the chunky prawns and flat noodle.
The bbq pork pies were delicious. In fact, they were so good we had seconds. The pastry was light and flaky and the pork filling was sweet and tasty. It was the perfect mix.
Simply described as crispy calamari, this dish was again another lovely surprise. The batter itself was so light, almost tempura-like and the calamari was beautifully tender. It had a gentle dusting of spice that added a little zing.
It was then time for - a few more dumplings. The first had a chicken filling inside a crispy yet glutinous pastry that we totally love. Then there were the taro dumplings that were coated in a type of pastry floss. We’d gladly have both again.
Of course we had to have dessert - even though we were very full already. Custard tarts are a must - especially for M’Lady. She insists on two herself, but as this was a serving of three it meant there was an extra for Sir! They were still warm when they arrived at the table too. The shortcrust pastry had delicious custard and they were eagerly devoured.
Mango pancakes are another dessert “must have” at yum cha. These sweet pancakes were filled with sweetened whipped cream and mango slices. It’s always a great mix and these were very tasty.
Some people struggle to find The Panda Yum Cha. If you’re looking inside Macquarie Centre then you’ll fail. It’s actually on the outside of the centre but there are signs inside leading you there. Alternatively just ask someone. This is a place worth finding.
The Panda Yum Cha is a great place to grab yum cha. The food is tasty, arrives quickly and the service is efficient and friendly. This place ticks all the boxes.