Star House

LOCATION
Opposite Adelaide’s famous Central Market.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAA
Yum cha is a fun foodie addiction. On weekdays city office workers clock-watch for time to scurry out of their business burrows into their nearest yum cha haunt. On weekends, devotees of the dumpling languish in being able to wonton the day away. No need to hurry – unless you want to get a seat at one Adelaide’s best yum cha venues, Star House.

With space for 150 bottoms, and three sittings of them on weekends, this is the best time to go. It is dining exhilaration sharing a room of rowdy people all on a yum cha high. This Chinese theatre presents a passing parade of rattling trolleys packed with goodies. Summon what lids you would like lifted off the wicker baskets. In wafts of steam an endless array of goodies are revealed – pork buns, rice rolls, prawn dumplings, sticky rice and ever-reliable chicken feet.

Consider the main menu offerings too, for they are darned good. Check out the live seafood tanks holding platinum cards worth of crustaceans and premium fish. Manager Tao eagerly runs through preparation options with you. Lobster can be steamed with Chinese cooking wine over egg whites. The latter take on the flavour of this royal beast as its sweet, salty juices infuse into them. Chef Kim also does a half and half presentation with ying yang of lobster – half with the rich indulgence of butter and cheese – and the other served as the healthful simplicity of sashimi? Do not be fooled by the boring sounding ‘mini pumpkin’ dish. Tao informs this innocent vegetable comes cooked to your table stuffed with the likes of sea cucumber, scallops and abalone thank you kindly - surprise!

Roz Taylor