China Club

How do we rate the most popular yum cha in the city? 2 Reviews

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The last time we walked into China Club, there was something missing. The spotlessly laid tables were all present and correct, as were the Chinese watercolours and slightly outdated velvet lampshades scattered about the place. And the impeccably turned-out waiters were all helpfully in attendance too.

But either all the punters were hiding in a secret room for VIP members, or the China Club fraternity was having an emergency general meeting somewhere else – perhaps in the noodle bar next door? We finally breathed a sigh of relief when the diners arrived in steady streams alongside plate after plate of excellent, authentic and superlatively flavoursome Chinese food.

Today was different, however. Today we could hear the chatter and clatter of animated afternoon diners before we’d even set foot in China Club. Today we had to make a reservation in case we missed out on a table for two at noon. Today we almost got run over by a trolley as we walked in. Today was yum cha.

The traditional Chinese lunch was alive with that fine fellowship of brunchers and dim sum devotees that has made China Club the most popular yum cha in the city. But as we settled into deep-crimson cushions and savoured the first of our expertly wrapped steamed har gau crystal shrimp dumplings, we began to understand why. Quite simply, the food was great.

The siew mai continued where the har gau left off with more translucent wonton dumplings tightly packed with succulent minced seafood and meat, and topped with a glistening crown of crab roe. In contrast, the char siew bao was a doughy white ball of steamed bread housing a small chunk of sweet honey chicken. And the heavenly beef balls with cabbage rolled off the trolley and onto our plates in a halo of fragrant steam.

We’d been grabbing plates and steam baskets as they arrived, so it didn’t seem out of place to start slurping the thick and satisfying velvet chicken and sweetcorn soup, or snaring clusters of crispy fried noodles with spicy sautéed chicken with our chopsticks in between courses of dim sum. And the free-for-all continued as a freshly restocked trolley of fried offerings came to a halt at our table.

The crispy fried seafood spring rolls and deep-fried seafood wantons were suitably crunchy, fresh out of the oil and stuffed with flavour, but the deep-fried sesame glutinous dumpling was definitely an acquired taste – particularly if you’ve developed a penchant for sautéed bathroom sealant. Likewise, the chilled papaya and white fungus wasn’t for the faint hearted – the fruit was pert and juicy but the fungus was tasteless and just a little odd.

Thankfully, a more conventional bowl of lychees and vanilla ice cream was on hand to lead us to a piping-hot pot of green tea, and then the door from whence we came. It was past three o’clock, yum cha had been and gone and China Club was empty – until the next yum cha, of course.

• Previous reviews
  • 17 March,2009- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 26 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence
  • 12 March,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 07 February,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 29 April,2006- reviewed by Time Out Dubai
  • 29 December,2005- reviewed by Matthew Lee
  • 01 June,2004- reviewed by Rob Orchard
  • 01 February,2004- reviewed by Rob Orchard
  • 01 July,2003- reviewed by Rob Orchard

Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.