When I'm with my mother, she always seems to know the best places to have Yum Cha. And for those of you who don't know what that is, it is the Chinese "lunch smorgasbord" sort of thing... where things are wheeled around on trolleys that fresh from the kitchen, and you essentially just ask for whatever is available on the trolleys!
Sort of like a sushi train, but with trolleys... and people pushing them, and with no sushi.
Anyway, when we were recently visiting in Perth, my mum had suggested that we had to visit Moonflower... in her opinion, it was one of the best new places to have Yum Cha in Perth... and if she says that, then it probably is pretty decent!
The place is pretty newly renovated, but has that same Chinese restaurant feel that I remember from countless family friend dinners from when I was young. Just less dingy and dark, and with much less grubby carpets!
Probably give it a decade or two, and it will be similar to what I remember!
But for the moment, it is quite spacious and really very pleasant... it definitely has a high class feel to it!
... and another memory from my childhood, always running around with the other kids to look at the fish and the various sea-creatures in their tanks! These ones are the non-eating variety...
... ask for what you want from the trolleys! Or ask for a special thing to be made up to be delivered! Be adventurous, or stick to the tried and tested. With my mum, it is a bit of a mix, but she knows that my family will be a touch on the very conservative taste side!
Lovely steamed veggies, crisp and with a nice light sauce. The danger with many cooked veggies is that they can be just steamed for too long, and then slathered with a sauce to cover up the bitterness... but these were just right!
Char Siu... BBQ Pork, this is always one of my favourites! And these were just perfect, juicy and tender... but without very much of the crispy burnt bits that are my favourite. Ah well, it was very good though... just such a small amount though!
Fried octopus, a few steamed dim sims, and sticky rice wrapped in tea leaves. All my favourites... and my kids love these all as well! Everything was just done just right... I know why my mum recommended this so highly now!
Fried Glutinous Rice Balls with dessert filling... yum! I love sticky rice, and when it combined with a sweet filling... the combination of the savoury and sweet is just perfect!
Chinese food can often be associated with being heavy and oily... but that really depends on the place and the quality of the cooking. It doesn't have to be that way, and Moonflower was a prime example of that. With so many Asian places to eat from in Australia now, there is going to be a lot of cheap and disasterous places... so, when you find a good place, you have to stick to it! Even if it is a touch expensive... it is worth it!
Monday 10:30 am–3 pm, 5:30–10 pm
Tuesday 10:30 am–3 pm, 5:30–10 pm
Wednesday 10:30 am–3 pm, 5:30–10 pm
Thursday 10:30 am–3 pm, 5:30–10 pm
Friday 10:30 am–3 pm, 5:30–10 pm
Saturday 10 am–3 pm, 5:30–10 pm
Sunday 10 am–3 pm, 5:30–10 pm
Address: 66 Francis St, Northbridge WA 6003
Phone: (08) 9228 2107
Website: https://www.moonflower.au/
