Yu Kitchen, Chadstone MELB

As the situation of COVID-19 worsens day by day, be it from panic buying to travel bans in place, it is only imperative to keep supporting each other and the local economy (not by panic buying tho!).

Many Asian establishments have been alienated in the process and unfortunately, this resulted in job losses and restaurant closures which makes it all the more important to reconsider avoiding places unnecessarily.

Located above Calia, this restaurant is currently offering a lobster banquet for 4, of which, the sister was extremely keen to try. Priced at $198, we thought the it was reasonably priced albeit portion wise, it is probably more suited for 3 individuals.

 Double boiled winter melon pork rib soup - flavourful and well seasoned.

 Lobster wok tossed with ginger and onion noodle - the highlight of the entire menu. Well presented and adequately prepared.

 Special fried rice - am a big fan of fried rice and loved this dish. Who knew the addition of tiny tobiko eggs would make the dish more flavourful.

 Wok tossed chicken with wild mushrooms and water chestnuts in black truffle - sceptical about the addition of black truffle but was impressed at how fragrant the dish was. Am a big fan of mushroom dishes and this was no exception. Chicken bits were well marinated, juicy and perfectly coated with the black truffle sauce.

 Wok tossed seasonal vegetables - nothing wrong with a bit of fibre in the diet!

Mango and chia seed pudding - not sure if this was a pudding as it tasted more like a sweet dessert soup, popular among Chinese restaurants. Having said that, kudos to the extra effort taken with cubing the honeydew(?). Not overly sweet and very refreshing.

Shanghai Red, Chadstone MELB

A very late Chinese New Year dinner with the potato pal and rather impromptu too. I vaguely recalled having weak arms post weight lifting at the gym and was in need of some sugar asap else my arms will be the root of my grief over the coming days.

After a change of initial plans, we dropped by a new-ish Chinese restaurant in Chadstone and as usual, went amok ordering whatever caught our eyes.

Crab roe and soft tofu stew - an interesting dish that undoubtedly has to go with a steaming bowl of jasmine rice. Tasty it was although at times, the dish had a gloopy texture to it, usually from the addition of cornstarch.

Xiao long bao - no strange to the dumpling scene, this is something that I would like to sample at every dumpling restaurant, if conditions permit :p Well seasoned and filled with delicious broth. A must eat when served hot.

Crispy king prawns tossed in salted egg yolk glace - a really yummy dish despite having a thick outer coating. As per usual, goes well with rice to subdue the saltiness from the salted egg yolk.

Secret Kitchen, CBD MELB

Capping 2018 off with a visit to a much anticipated yum cha restaurant and one that costs an arm and a leg. Booking is quintessential and without one, be prepared to be turned away during peak hours.

Service is evidently prompt as plates on our table is cleared quickly whenever the last piece of dim sum is picked off it. Aside from that, service was disappointing as not only did the waiter/waitress send wrong orders to our table (which we turned away for obvious reasons) but we were told off by a grumpy waitress when we asked for a plate of dim sum that was on her trolley.

She was very vocal in accusing us for being fickle minded with our previous orders when in fact we did not order it in the first place. Language barrier aside, we doubted she would understand if we had explained the situation to her which led us to channelling our concerns to the manager who mostly shrug it off.

Food wise - nothing to rave about as it fared no better than the ones I can get from other establishments and from a price perspective, it was not justifiable. Seafood bits used in the seafood dim sum was slightly more generous in terms of portions but as for the pork dim sums, I would think twice prior to re-ordering.

Fried squid was very dry and had a very chewy texture, akin to being deep fried twice.

Verdict: Albeit having a better dining experience at their branch in Westfield, I was very disappointed with this visit, both in terms of food and service. Dim sum plates can range from $7 to $13.50 which worked out to be at least $2 to $3 more and well, let's just say I would really need to think twice about spending this much here again.

Bao House, Glen Waverley MELB

Kingsway in Glen Waverley is one of the few places that I constantly revisit from time to time due to convenience and I daresay that I have been to each restaurant/ cafe at least twice in my life. When owner Oskar invited me for a meal at his newly opened restaurant, I eagerly jumped at that opportunity.

The restaurant serves Chinese dishes and one can choose from rice or noodle dishes to heartier sharing plates. Ample of seating area if one can find parking on the streets as it can get quite chaotic during meal times.

Carrot, water chestnut and sugarcane drink - very refreshing and served us well after a rather hot day in Melbourne.

Ginseng chicken soup - Ironically, the hot weather did not stop us from having hot soup for dinner. Light consistency, boosting a mildly pleasant chicken aroma to it.

Prawn dumplings - I am a big fan of dumplings and this was right up my alley. Generous filling and comes served in a soup or dry version.

Black pepper beef fillet claypot rice - Claypot rice is one of those dishes that I rarely have in Asia because the idea of having a scorching hot meal in an already hot country was not appealing. Oskar convinced us to try his claypot dishes and boy, did we not regret it at all.

The crispy rice texture complimented the soft pieces of gravy covered beef fillet well, giving it a coincidental contrast in textures and flavour. One of my favourite dishes for the night and one that I would highly recommend to anyone coming here.

Gai lan with oyster sauce - we all need some roughage, yes?

Coconut jelly - Oskar surprised us with this for dessert and it was a good way to end our meal. Light, refreshing and full of coconut essence, this may be a popular item during the hot summer months. The sister happily scrapped the coconut for the extra bits of coconut flesh.

Baowei, Forest Hill MELB

Upon return back to Australia, it was clear that my taste buds were craving for familiar Asian flavours and with that said, I steered clear from anything that is not from that category. So when the family decided on heading out for a meal, I managed to "convince" everyone to have dumplings.

I have heard good feedback about this restaurant and as per usual, curiousity led me here. Service was a tad chaotic although we were seated fairly quickly, having only to wait for perhaps 8 minutes.

Baowei steamed juicy pork buns - may not be as luxuriously stuffed compared to those found at Din Tai Fung but still tasty nevertheless. Filled with the right ratio of meat and broth.

Chicken meatball noodle soup with tomatoes and vegetables - reminded me of ABC soup with chicken meatballs but hey, it's mum's decision (and meal) at the end of the day.

Pot stickers (pan-fried dumplings with chicken and prawns) - I like how each piece of dumpling was not dripping in oil and arrived piping hot at our table. Brownie points for having good dumpling wrappers too aka not too thin nor thick.

Stewed beef noodle soup with vegetables, tahini and garlic sauce - beef pieces were a little dry and would fare better if it had some moisture to it. Can't say I would highly rate their noodle dishes but on the flip side, I did enjoy the al dante texture of their noodles. Possibly homemade?

Steamed dumplings stuffed with chicken and prawn - so I did go overboard on the dumpling massacre and did not regret ordering another plate of it. What I found interesting is that Baowei's dumplings did not leave a greasy aftertaste on my palate or lips and so, I can somewhat deduce that perhaps they do not compromise on the quality of their ingredients?

New Royal Garden, Mount Waverley MELB

Cannot remember when was the last time I had yum cha but yesterday proofed to be one of those days where it was quintessential to, with a cup of hot tea on hand. Having never been here before, I booked a few days in advance. However, for those who prefer walk-ins, the waiting time is not long.

Service is efficient although I do personally think that there is less variety here compared to other establishments. Overall fare tasted standard to me, bonus points for not feeling the need to rush to finish whilst dining.

Grain Asian Cafe, Box Hill MELB

Very rarely do I make my way to Box Hill, being that location wise is, it isn't the nearest spot to get to and parking may prove to be a challenge for most especially during peak hours.

Weary and deflated post a week of long work shifts, I manage to pull myself out of bed at 8am on Saturday and drove the sister to Box Hill, in search of festive goodies. Rewarded I was for this early attempt and after collecting our groceries, we had time for late breakfast.

Unexpectedly, the waitresses here are very friendly and had smiles plastered all over their faces throughout their shifts. A feat that I find rare in Asian outlets but nonetheless, a pleasing change of atmosphere.

Akin having breakfast in a Hong Kong cha chaan teng, set meals are available in addition to the usual lunch fares.

For $8.50, I had the steamed rice pancake with barbequed pork and a bowl of pork and century egg porridge.  The pancake's texture was rather thick but would certainly keep my tummy quiet for a few hours. Porridge was smooth and had a mild savoury flavour dispersed through it. Brownie points for the addition of bite sized pieces of century egg and pork.

I have ordered myself a glass of hot soy bean separately, a perfect way to end the meal with.

The peckish sister ordered a plate of roast duck on rice and had to takeaway half of it. Yes, definitely value for money.