The Yacht Chinese Restaurant — Restaurant in Whau

I most defiantly wont be back. I am really disappointed with this place. I have been going here for 6 years and the past 3 visits have been nothing short of terrible. I have found a big black hair in my fried dumpling the time before last but yesterday when I went I was very disappointed. We were standing at the door waiting to be seated for 5 mintutes while two staff members were standing on a cockroach to kill it, when we got seated we ordered our food and it came within 1 and a half minutes, we bit into the 5 dishes we had and 4 out of the 5 dishes were cold. I dont mean luke warm I mean very cold. I brought the waitress over who was speaking english to me earlier to say its cold and to send 2 of the dishes back and she then went to tell me she didnt speak english... 5 mins later I said I want it warm this is old and cold, they then brought back 2 dishes that they quickly put in the microwave, one was rice rolls so they got all soggy and the other was crispy squid so that went soggy also. I said this isn't good enough and it tasted very bad coming from a microwave, eventually they asked if i wanted the manager and I said yes, however they never got him they just went and made two new dishes as they knew they would be the ones looking bad in front of the manager. They were very rude and disrespectful the whole time. I went up to pay and the male who I believe was the manager was texting on his phone for a minute and a half before serving us then made a lady do it, they then over charged us $3, I asked what it was for and they pointed at tea. I said no we didnt have tea as we said no to it when we sat down, she then said of its for service..... I was so shocked and at this point mad. We left after paying for a very disappointing meal and even worse customer service. I most defiantly...

The Yacht Chinese Restaurant in Avondale used to be much busier, often packed with Chinese tour groups enjoying their meals. While the crowds may have thinned, the restaurant still offers a decent experience, particularly for yum cha lovers, though it’s not without its shortcomings.

The yum cha here is good and meets expectations. The variety of dim sum on offer is what you would expect from a Chinese restaurant of this caliber, and the flavors are satisfying. The dishes, such as the har gow (shrimp dumplings) and siu mai (pork dumplings), are well-prepared. However, while the quality is there, I found that the pricing leans toward the higher side, making it not the most affordable option for regular dining.

One thing that stood out during my recent visit was the lean pork congee with century egg (皮带瘦肉粥). Traditionally, this dish is served with fried dough sticks (油条) on the side, adding that nice crunchy texture to complement the smooth congee. However, when we ordered it, we noticed that the dough sticks were missing. When we inquired about it, the waitress informed us that they simply don’t include them. It seemed a bit unusual, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a cost-saving measure. Congee without 油条 feels incomplete, so that was a bit of a letdown.

Overall, the dining experience was enjoyable, though not exceptional. The restaurant does a good job of maintaining its standards, but small details like missing traditional elements can impact the experience. Since I live quite far away, it’s hard to justify returning frequently, especially with the slightly higher prices.

If you’re in the area and craving some decent yum cha, The Yacht is a solid option, though be prepared for a slightly higher bill...

Review for Thursday 7th Jan, 2021.

I've been coming here for a few years and it was always very delicious. However, today marks my last day. They have gone downhill and today's service was shocking. This is what happened today.

I came for yumcha lunch with my partner. We're both asians but we don't speak Chinese, except my partner can understand and speak a few words. While I was looking down at the ordering menu, a waitress had come by and asked me a question in Chinese (which turned out to be "which tea would you like?"). I, who don't speak or understand the language, didn't know someone was talking to me (I was looking down) and didn't respond. The waitress then waved her hand in my face while saying "hello" in English then asked me the question again in Chinese. I looked at the waitress shocked and confused, unable to utter a word trying to process what just happened. I glanced at my partner who then answered the question on my behalf but the waitress looked at my partner, ignored her answer and looked back at me, waiting for my answer as if the waitress only listens to the man at the table? The waitress then finally asked in English if I wanted jasmine tea and I said yes.

After sending in the food order, the entire ordered list of food came out instantly all at once. This means they have every dish (the yumcha dishes only) pre cooked and sitting in their food heater, ready to be served. So basically you're getting food that's been cooked and sitting there for who knows how long, and the food served to us definitely wasn't fresh.

The words "shocking" and "disappointing" is still quite generous for this review.

Turn around and go elsewhere. You, your stomach and your wallet will...