Bringing A Dim Sum Tea House Concept To Waikiki

Venison Puff ($8.80). Photos courtesy of Yauatcha

Like a well-oiled machine, the creative culinary minds behind Yauatcha Waikiki have the Chinese dim sum tea house running on all cylinders in advance of the restaurant’s highly anticipated opening Wednesday, Feb. 15.

Harmony, tranquility and peace play key roles in Yauatcha’s layout and decor. The 8,600 square-foot restaurant is located in the revamped International Market Place on the third level’s Grand Lanai and features both indoor and outdoor dining areas with multiple seating options for upwards of 270 guests. The innovative dining experience, which provides a modern take on the traditional Hong Kong tea house, is ideal for lunch, a celebratory dinner, pau hana cocktails and get-togethers with friends and family.

Jasmine Tea-smoked Pork Ribs ($22)

The new dining destination offers an extensive dim sum menu, a patisserie, expansive tea menu and eclectic mixology program. Under the guidance of Hakkasan Group executive chef Ho Chee Boon — a Michelin-starred culinary wizard with nearly 30 years of experience — the menu at Yauatcha allows friends and family to gather over tasty dim sum, wok dishes, tea and cocktails.

The restaurant presents authentic Cantonese dishes with a modern influence and offers a wide range of steamed, baked, grilled and fried dim sum such as Scallop Shui Mai ($11.80): steamed, wheat flour dump-lings stuffed with a variety of fillings. The artful dumplings feature a base of minced prawn topped with a scallop, wrapped with egg flour skin pastry and garnished with silky orange tobiko caviar.

Prawn and Bean Curd Cheung Fun ($10.80) is sure to be a hit among local diners as the fresh, steamed rice flour pastries are rolled around a variety of fillings and served with a sweet and light soy sauce. The menu also features Venison Puff ($8.80), flaky puff pastries that are baked, stuffed with meaty fillings and topped with sesame seeds; the sweet-and-sticky venison is marinated with black pepper and char siu sauces to incorporate distinctive, bold flavors.

An ample assortment of larger menu items also are available, including Jasmine Tea-smoked Pork Ribs ($22), Chinese-style pork ribs that are simmered in a rice wine sauce flavored with ginger and cardamom, then smoked until caramelized and tender over jas-mine tea leaves with Chinese herbs. Stir-Fry Penang Kwetio Noodle with Prawn, Scallop and Peanut ($22) offers an alluring blend of thick, flat rice noodles that are stir-fried with succulent prawns, scallops, egg and beansprouts in a blended soya sambal sauce that ties all the tantalizing flavors together.

To complement the cuisine, the drink menu is comprised of 38 types of tea assembled by director of restaurant projects Yannick Augy, as well as cocktails inspired by director of beverage Constantin Alexander featuring Chinese ingredients as well as a broad wine and Champagne list. Yauatcha Waikiki boasts its own patisserie where Chinese heritage and modern European cooking techniques have inspired the pastry team. Led by executive pastry chef Graham Hornigold, the patisserie offers an array of delectable and made-to-order macarons, petits gateaux and chocolates for guests to enjoy in house or take home.

Live nightly deejay entertainment helps to enhance the lively atmosphere Thursday-Sunday evenings from 6 p.m. Ample parking is available with discounted validated rates, including the first hour free; valet parking is also offered.

For more information, reservation options and to peruse Yauatcha’s menu, log on to yauatcha.com/waikiki. Also, check out Yauatcha Waikiki on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@YauatchaWaikiki).

Yauatcha

International Market Place, located on the Grand Lanai, third level,
2330 Kalakaua Ave., Waikiki
739-9318
Sunday-Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
yauatcha.com/waikiki