So what’s all this excitement about this new dim sum tea house in the cityIJ For one, it is a Michelin-starred restaurant and has come all the way from london to make its presence felt; two, it is one of the very few in Delhi. Part of the HKK Hospitality Group of london (which includes HKK, Hakkasan and Sake No Hana) and brought to India by KA Hospitality, Yauatcha is a modern take on the traditional Chinese tea house that first came up in london in 2004. It’s said to have earned its Michelin star within the first year of its opening.
Incidentally this makes it the fourth Michelin star restaurant in Delhi. The Capital got le Cirque and Megu at the leela Palace, both widely acclaimed New York restaurants, over the past two years and recently, Akira Back at the JW Marriott hotel in the Aerocity near the airport. Yauatcha at Ambience Mall in Vasant Kunj is different in terms of its placement in a busy upmarket mall. An unlikely place to have one, many point out.
Actually, the place is quite bustling in the evenings. The décor is clean with functional leather chairs working well with tables (some of which are placed too close for comfort) accentuated with spot lighting (which is quite nice) that lends colour to the place. An expanse of open kitchen where the guests can see the master chefs at work, add to the drama the place genuinely requires. A bar right in the middle of the restaurant breaks the monotony and turns the other side into a more private zone, that is quite in demand. The cooking style is Cantonese and true to tradition, the choice really wide to cover vegetarian and non vegetarian segments. The restaurant claims to offer more than 40 types of dim sums and traditional delicacies like shui mai and cheung fun. Really strong recommendations are pumpkin and pine nut dim sums, truffle edamame dumpling, crispy duck roll (wrapped in phylo pastery) and vegetable chive dumplings. For those who love sea food, must try is prawns cheung fun — crisp and fresh. Be prepared to work well with your chopsticks. With the kind of choices available, you will hardly get time to put them down.
Yauatcha also offers interesting main course in terms of wok preparations and soups. And what is the fun of being in a tea house if you don’t get to indulge in the aromatic brew. The extensive tea menu at the restaurant offers a selection of the finest green, blue and white teas — some pure leaves and others great flower infusions. The signature is the Four Seasons Oolong tea that falls in the blue category. It’s pure delight for all those who love their cuppa.
Keep some to give company to the dessert. It’s a perfect accompaniment to their chocolate hazelnut mousse, mango mascarpone gateaux and chocolate mandarin tart. Pure delight. Price wise, the experience at Yauatcha is a tad on the heavier side, given the portions cannot be termed as really generous by Delhi standards. Whether, it’s be able to give stiff competition to the others in the category, only time will tell.