Luyu & YumYum
Level 1, 196 King St
Newtown NSW
Mmmmmmm YUM YUM! Luyu Yumyum in my tum tum.
Yes, this gorgeously authentic, Asian fusion tea lounge and restaurant, tucked away upstairs on King Street, Newtown, had my Earl and I singing: “We will be back!”
Luyu Yumyu’s chef’s, both from Hong Kong, have fused the fresh, vibrant flavours of China and Japan’s most loved dishes to offer an elaborate menu of delicious dumplings and heady mains. It’s also a brilliant menu for vegetarians too with ample veg and seafood choices.
The Earl and I started off the evening with a glass of the 2014 Yealands PGR Marlborough, with a touch of Gewurz. It had refreshing hints of ginger, crisp pear and lychee so was the perfect accompaniment for our meal.
Entrees began with the go-to Chinese duck pancake. Not overloaded with sauces, the beautifully succulent duck was complimented well with fresh cucumber and spring onion. We also tried out the less traditional, 7 Flavoured Tofu dish. Gorgeously cooked popcorn tofu bites so soft and fluffy they melted in your mouth. Covered in seven flavours (a chef’s secret) the nutty, black sesame and red pepper definitely stood out and made these little morsels moreish.
Before moving on to the popular dumpling menu, we chatted to Luyu Yumyum’s manager, and our menu guide for the evening, Melinda, who mentioned that the range of dipping sauces, from chilli to soy, were completely made from scratch and had diners requesting to purchase them! And we totally agree, a big thanks to the chefs for the tastiness in these sauces (Sadly not for sale).
We dove in to taste a selection of the light, fresh dumplings. And what a selection to choose from! 11 options of tasty bursts, packaged up neatly in a waif thin, beautifully cooked rice or flour dough wrapper. The three that really stood out for the Earl and I:
1. The Caviar, filled with sweet carrot and prawn and topped with a salty, rich burst of caviar; these were my favourite dumplings of the night.
2. The Earl preferred the Magna (Hedgehog) dumpling. A vegetarian option; these dumplings packed a punch with three variations of mushrooms creating a full, robust, nutty flavour.
3. And the hard to choose third favourite of the night, the Mr Luyu “Starburst”. If not only for it’s dynamic, colourful fruit infused casing, but it’s surprising pop of Mr Luyu’s homemade broth that tenderised and permeated the chicken hiding inside. These were a delight!
The main menu is designed for sharing and for two people we would recommend getting two to three dishes (with entrées or dumplings before, this is ample. Remember it’s an insult to Chinese chefs to leave food on your plate!). We’d recommend getting two dishes with a meat or seafood base, and one of the veggie options, leaning very much to the blanched, crisp, fresh, Morning tea seasoned vegetables. Served with another chef special sauce, the most we were able to discover was that the broth the vegetables are coated in contains vibrant lemonade cordial! (Stunning).
Mama’s Chilli Chicken was an absolute delight that I would love to attempt to re-create in my own kitchen one day… (Or just go back for more of!). The delight in this dish was the honey, sesame coated walnuts. Again, something I’d love to buy a bag of to snack on. Accompanied with sweet blanched beetroot and balanced by a kick of Serrano chilli, this dish was definitely a favourite for the evening.
We also shared the Peppered argyle beef. Full again of fresh, crunchy vegetables including baby corn, asparagus and chilli’s, this tender, blackened beef dish was soaked in a ginger and black pepper sauce that heated up the soul.
And for the vegetarian’s or seafood lovers, the Steamed Fish (barramundi for this evening), was cooked to tender, flake perfection, submerged in a broth brimming with salty soy, ginger, shallot and chilli. Incredibly vibrant and fresh – this is a dish that muddles all the right flavours and has my taste buds tingling just writing about it.
All in all, an absolute delight, high regard to the Chefs and so much love for the obvious passion that is infused in their food. Luyu Yumyum is the perfect place to dine before a DENDY movie or Enmore show, or to while away an evening sipping from their fragrant tea menu or dining on delish dishes and cocktails full of flavour. It has an expansive, open plan, modern dining room, seating around 80 – 90 people, and a private banquette room seating up to 25 people. Great for larger groups dining from one of the three set, banquet menus.
The Earl and I would like to thank all the team at Luyu Yumyum for their hospitality, stunning service and attention on the evening. With special thanks for Melinda, Dave and Jenna who served us throughout the course of the evening.
Luyu Yumyum open hours for dine in and delivery:
Monday to Thursday: 12-3pm / 5.30-10.15pm
Friday to Saturday: 12-3pm / 5.30-11pm
Sunday: 12-4.15pm / 5.30-10.15