Scones and small sandwiches are tried-and-true parts of a classic English afternoon tea, but the Cantonese tradition of tea and dim sum (yum cha) is a cracking combo we don’t see all that often enough in the Saudi capital yet. Luckily, Yauatcha is showcasing it to diners with finesse with the daily afternoon tea.
Experiencing the art of drinking tea and eating dim sum at the little sister of famed Chinese eatery of Hakkasan is an ideal entry point for patrons as it certainly sets the standard.
You could take your tea inside the darker, more intimate interiors next to the open kitchen, but the terrace with the cherry blossoms and views through the architectural windows from the upper level of the Mode Al Faisaliah mall just makes sense. Also, the cake stands really pops on the patio. (More on that later.)
The Yauatcha afternoon tea is served daily from noon to 6pm, and comes in quite reasonably at SAR250 per person given the high-end venue.
A cold hibiscus mocktail welcome drink starts the tea. You have a choice of three teas with your dessert that dance from English to Chinese, and light and strong offerings.
The classic steamed dumplings start the meal (har gau, Chilean seabass, seafood black truffle dumpling). Traditional baked options come next, and are all equally crispy. By this point, any thoughts about crustless cucumber sandwiches from a typical English afternoon tea are likely long gone when there are venison puffs and lobster dim sum to pick from. This is what yum cha is all about.
If you don’t consider any afternoon tea complete without a cake stand, you get a very unique royal blue Perspex circular one with desserts.
Desserts extend from Asian to English to further into French patisserie, especially with the crunchy raspberry profiterole and lemon crème with sablé Breton. Sweet-tooths are satisfied with fruity combinations as well as richer chocolate options including a petite hazelnut, yuzu chocolate bag with Yauatcha logo that you can even carry by the edible handles onto your plate.
The afternoon tea is totally separate from the Yum Cha brunch, which is only available on Fridays and Saturdays. The brunch is SAR270 per person with a minimum of two guests. Both offer classic steamed and baked dim sum, but at brunch you get a different mocktail, a main course and side dishes. With the Yauatcha afternoon tea, there are many more miniature sweets and that beautiful cake stand. Additionally, you can enjoy the Yauatcha afternoon tea any day of the week. How about today?
It’s dainty and it’s dim sum.
SAR250 (per person). Daily, noon-6pm (afternoon tea).
