Cha Hong Kong Eating House is bustling with diners at lunchtime, though it is a weekday. Cha (not to be confused with the restaurant Cha Cha Cha) is located in Hebbal, in Phoenix Mall of Asia. It aims to bring the cuisine and culture of Hong Kong style tea houses to Bengaluru.
Hong Kong is dotted with tea houses that serve yum cha. The family-style establishments buzz with energy as carts emerge from the kitchen, stacked with bamboo steamers. ‘Yum cha’ translates to ‘drink tea’ as this Cantonese style of dining involves drinking green tea and eating a range of dim sum dishes. The tea houses are usually open in the morning or afternoon, and are popular in all Cantonese regions, including Hong Kong and the Guangdong province.
The decor of cha has wooden accents and pops of green | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Admittedly, being located inside the mall gives Cha the high energy atmosphere of a tea house. Since it is just beside the food court, it is also a good place for a spot of people watching. High chairs, oriental instrumental music and quick service add to the ambience.
As soon as we sit down, the server pours green tea into small ceramic cups. Diners are served unlimited refills of the tea, which is great to wash down the dishes with, and also works as a palate cleanser.
As is tradition, multiple bamboo baskets are placed on our table to kick off the meal. We try a variety of dumplings: truffle and purple yam, asparagus and water chestnuts, crystal dumplings, chicken and coriander, and bok choy wrapped chicken. The clean flavours and the different types of fillings are delicious. The dumplings are served with an array of dips and sauces. But the casing for a few of the dumplings is too chewy and thick, which takes away from the experience.
Bok choy wrapped chicken dumplings
Cha also has a small eats section, from where I order the turnip cake – tasty cube-shaped cutlets made of radish and flour that are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with fried garlic on top, which adds a depth of flavour. Try the unusual angel hair veg dolls, which are dumplings with a cream cheese filling and, on the outside, deep fried thin vermicelli noodles. It reminds me of an old-school Indo-Chinese dish – crispy threaded chicken. The textures on this one make it delicious.
I pair my dim sum with a a Zen garden cocktail, a blend of sake, soju, passion fruit puree, and pomelo with a base of Hibiscus and mint tea. It complements the turnip cakes excellently. The drinks are conveniently small so you can have a couple with your meal. Diners can also opt for sake and soju shots, priced at a very modest INR 180.
Mains at Cha have a lot of staple Asian options. Dan dan noodles, ginger capsicum fried rice, chicken in black bean sauce and other such crowd favourites. But what stands out for me are the wonton noodle bowls, with broth, green veggies, moong beans sprouts and about five or six fried wontons. The broth is rather plain, but they give you sauces so you can customise it as you want. The noodles turn out to me just the right level of bouncy and chewy. Fried wontons added a crunch to the dish, and over time they soak in the flavour of the broth too.
The purple yam dumplings are a visual delight
To end the meal there are Indo-Chinese dessert options such as Darsaan with ice cream and deep fried ice cream.
Cha captures the busy charm of a tea house, albeit with dishes that are a little more Indianised. With its humble pricing and quick service it makes for a great pitstop in the middle of a shopping spree or movie date at the mall.
Cost for two ₹2,000. At Hebbal. For more details, call: 9739581752
Published - June 12, 2024 11:30 am IST
