Yumcha Heroes — Restaurant in Berlin

Happened to find myself in the near downtown area of Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg) around lunchtime and had an interest in a dim sum lunch. Several dim sum eateries in the northern area of Berlin (just outside of the Mitte-Zentrum) are either no longer open for lunch service (unfortunately not updated on their Google+ restaurant pages) or else did not open their doors even during their posted hours (ie. arrived 1245 and the signage and lunch menu posted in the front window all said they'd be open on that day at 1200 but were closed).

After some online telephone searching and a bit of driving I was in range of Yumcha (another word for what is colloquially known as 'dim sum' elsewhere), parked and arrived at the restaurant. I nice looking place from the street with an front patio/porch area that can be opened/closed depending on the weather/season. Entered and was quickly seated at a table for two. The main dining area is quite tiny, so be prepared to share space with neighbouring tables which was ok, give it a bit of authentic Hong Kong flare. It took me a bit of time to get through their menu, trying to remember what it was that I would want to order when the waiter Andrew came back to take the order. Perhaps small fill-in-menus (on small slips of numbered papers) might be helpful, I don't know - but it's what I'm used to elsewhere in Canada/US dim sum restaurants. Andrew returned, took my order for a glass of ginger tea with honey (a subtle flavour but had to wait quite a bit for it to cool down - eventually asking for a second glass to hold the first one in as it was a regular tall tumbler-style with no handle). Several dim sum dishes were ordered, with help from Andrew with explanation of ingredients and comparison of one type of dumpling versus another.

I had the opportunity also the visit their restroom/toilet area which was quite interesting as it is hidden behind a false wall/door on the back wall of the dining room. Inside were two toilet stalls and a small efficiency sink. It was quite a marvel of space-saving design as only the Germans could envision but did the job as intended.

While I was waiting for my dishes (ordered about 6-7 types with intention to take some home with me) I noticed the dining room filled up quickly with new patrons so that by approximately 1330 it was almost completely full, with others sitting out on the enclosed front porch. I particularly enjoyed their Sui Mai with red roe garnish - so much that I ordered a second dish to take-away. Also a nice extra-large BBQ pork dumpling filled with barbecued pork pieces in a nice sauce - no filler of pork fat, etc.. this was ALL PORK, a nice surprise. The other big dumpling I ordered with cabbage was not a favourite, I could not get over the sauerkraut use as cabbage - probably would have preferred larger chunks instead - and the tofu pieces were not my cup of tea - to each his/her-own I suppose; it would be ok for a vegetarian most likely. I cannot comment on the pricing, maybe it was normal for Berlin - dishes being around 6-8 Euros each. People are thin so they are not ordering nearly as much as I did for lunch, the bill came to approximately 50 Euros and I took 4 dishes home with me in environmentally-sustainable paper boxes (although they are made in U.S.A. which isn't so sustainable to transport to Germany) and a nice paper bag, no plastic used!

The waiter Andrew and I had a nice rapport. I struck up a conversation, asked a bit about him, etc and had a nice chat. He was very attentive to my table, brought the dishes quickly and cleared the empty bamboo steamers and plates efficiently. It was a good experience and his personability was pleasant. He actually came over mid-meal to ask if everything was well, not something I am used to while dining in Europe. That was a nice touch. I told him I'd get around to leaving a Google+ review which is why I asked for his name, so that the owners/manager would know that he provided excellent service.

If I'm in the area and hankering for dim sum, Yumcha Heroes will be on my shortlist for...

Being a pretty big dumpling fan and having tried long March canteen in Kreuzberg, I had pretty big expectations for this joint. Sadly this restaurant just falls short of being really good. That being said it's not a bad place given the fact that the service is bloody fast and is a pretty good option for a quick bite.

I reckon it falls short on taste at the end Of The day. The combinations are quite enticing to the palate but once you take that first bite you tend to Ponder on where did all the flavour go.

The menu is pretty small giving you ample options to order from and not get overly confused. They do offer a small variety of cocktails but try them only if you are daring enough as they are extremely potent and packs a big big punch, e.g the ginger cocktail was literally loaded with everything ginger and a splash of alcohol, yes just a splash.

To summarise, this joint does not have an lasting effect on you. Probably a good beginner first time experience to the dumpling world but would not recommend it for the experienced palate and dumpling fanatics. On the other hand due to their extremely fast service this would be a good option for a quick bite and then off to wherever you need to go without giving much thought to the flavour...

Disappointing Dumplings given the rave reviews of this place.

My favourite food is dumplings and I have to say I’m very surprised at the good reviews here. They’re not awful but I feel this place is massively over-hyped. Not worth the money or time we waited for them to arrive.

We ordered delivery. Tried a large selection of the various meat dumplings and spring rolls.

The flavouring of the meat was nice enough, I will say that. However, every dumpling was way too meat heavy. There was no good balance of vegetables in the dumplings. Plus They’re very large dumplings, which is probably good if you’re hungry. The dumpling dough is also thick and heavy, so all in all, they felt bloated and very stodgy to eat, especially when we wanted to try all the different flavours. We couldn’t finish them and my partner finishes most things. The Shanghai dumplings were the most disappointing as they had no broth in them that they were supposed to… only more big lumps of meat. Which meant that the whole order ended up being pretty dry. The sticky rice wrap was dry and barely any filling and definitely no mushrooms within the tiny amount of meat and sausage.

I won’t be recommending or eating...