The 5 basic tastes we humans possess; sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami allow us to experience wonderful culinary journeys, and what better way to do so on a Sunday morning than through yum cha. The thriving Sydney yum cha scene leaves Sydneysiders spoilt for choice, but here on the north shore, you can’t go wrong with our Chatswood Restaurant ‘King Dynasty’. Take a trip through Chinese food with these 5 fairly distinct yet equally delicious dishes.

1. Sweet: Mango Pancakes

In our humble opinion, mangoes and cream is a better pairing than strawberries and cream. This Sydney yum cha staple is subtly sweet, oh so juicy, and dreamily pillowy. There is a reason why it is so popular at our Chatswood restaurant.

2. Sour: Black Fungus in Vinegar

The black fungus mushroom cap is thin, membranous, and quite plain, which makes it quite versatile when cooking Chinese food. When simply blanched and cooled, it becomes a perfectly crunchy vehicle for carrying the lovely sourness of black vinegar.

3. Salty: Deep Fried Combination Pie

I mean, how can you ever go wrong with deep fried food? The fried glutinous rice encasing of this yum cha classic makes for a crispy outer surface and chewy inner lining. The salty inside filling is a mix of juicy pork pieces and Cantonese spices.

4. Bitter: Fried Rice Noodles with Beef & Bitter Melon

Whilst it has a bit of a bad reputation, bitter melon can be a truly delightful addition when paired with the right ingredients in Chinese food. When tossed in a wok with beef and egg noodles, its bitterness has an ever-present yet subtle undertone against the flavourful meat.

5. Umami: Prawn Rice Noodle Rolls

Prawns and soy sauce are one of our favourite flavour pairings at our Chatswood restaurant. They are present in several fried rice and fried noodle dishes, but the most popular dish that they feature in is the prawn rice noodle rolls. The simplicity of the flavours allows this classic umami pairing to show its true, delicious colours.