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Oriental Tea House

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Old-world grandeur is fused with a modern aesthetic in this converted Victorian pub, founded by restaurateur and tea expert David Zhou. Oriental Tea House is a light, airy space where you can indulge in the true meaning of yum cha, sipping house-blended teas while enjoying small, freshly prepared, Shanghai-style dishes. There are no trolleys here - although weekends do see the traditional yum cha experience being offered. At other times, these flavoursome morsels are offered a la carte, ensuring they reach your table fresh and steaming. Take your pick from traditional fare such as barbecue pork buns, sesame prawns or even chicken feet.

Dumplings, of course, take pride of place, from translucent, delicate baby pea leaf dumplings, to the immensely popular fried chocolate dumplings, which surprises with a sesame seed shell that encases a hidden cache of warm, melted chocolate. Eagerly anticipated new items on the menu include a sweet spring roll filled with orange and dark chocolate and soft, white chocolate dumplings. They also take their tea drinking seriously here. Helpful waiters are happy to guide you in a choice of tea to complement your food, from therapeutic herbal blends to tea-based alcoholic beverages. Retail therapy is also offered in the form of more than 80 types of tea, many of which can be sampled in the restaurant. To extend the all round experience, there is an in-house doctor trained in Western and Chinese medicine allowing a toast “to your health” to seem a very valid one.

Angela Costanzo, May 2008