East Ocean, Haymarket, Chinatown

Siu lung bao soup-filled dumplings $6.00 for four

Okay so this is now the fifth post on Chinatown's East Ocean, but who can pass up a bit of yum cha food porn on a Monday morning?


Har gow prawn dumplings $5.20 and
Fung jao chicken feet $4.20

It was only two of us for yum cha on a Sunday, and we stuck to our regular favourites like har gow steamed dumplings, packed with prawns, and sticky gelatinous chicken feet or fung jao, a dish that requires patience and chopstick dexterity.


Ham soi gok combination dumplings $4.20 for three

The golden footballs known as ham soi gok are light and crunchy, perfectly tacky in texture beneath the blistered surface, a modest mound of tasty pork mince within.

We sup delicately on siu lung bao [top photo], tiny dumplings filled with a teaspoon of pork and sloshing with sweet pork broth within. The secret to their production, apparently, is to fill the dumplings with frozen soup, which of course converts into liquid once they are cooked. It's always a precarious first bite however, wondering whether that first burst of hot soup will end up scalding your tongue or, better yet, splashing all over your clean white shirt.


Cha leong deep-fried crullers in rice noodle $5.20

Cha leong are the only disappointment on this occasion. Deep-fried crullers, or Chinese bread sticks, are wrapped in silky soft sheets of thin rice noodle. The complete contrast in the two textures--crunchy meets silky--can be utter bliss as the soy soaks into both and the spring onions add some bite.

Today the crullers aren't as crispy as they could be, a little softened already which makes the dish rather sad and forlorn.


Daan tart custard tarts $3.20 per plate

The daan tart, thankfully, are a good as ever. So much so that M insists on grabbing a huge excess of them just to take home for family (they're never as good at the Asian bakery).



A classic Chinese custard tart has layers and layers of fanning flaky pastry (I've never been big on the shortcrust version) and a filling that is bright yellow, eggy and sweet. The sheen on these tarts is always mesmerising and I can rarely resist these beauties, even if I do feel that familiar queasy aftertaste of lard (mmm... lard).



There's always an obligatory inspection of the tanks filled with fish and crustaceans, and the human fish tank as well... or rather, the glass-walled kitchen area where dumplings are manufactured with lightning speed, and the smiling man with the meat cleaver chops shiny-coated roast ducks and caramelised strips of pork char siu.



East Ocean
Entry either from 421-429 Sussex St or
86-88 Dixon St, Haymarket, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9212 4198

Related GrabYourFork posts:
East Ocean
East Ocean yum cha, October 2004
East Ocean yum cha, August 2005
East Ocean dinner, Feburary 2005
East Ocean dinner, April 2006

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