A Dim Sum Treat Ah Yat Abalone

Bamboo baskets, hot oolong fragrant tea, and the gentle click of chopsticks are just part of the authentic experience at the legendary Chinese restaurant Ah Yat, which has recently opened a branch in Bali. Ah Yat is now operating 25 restaurants in many major Asian cities, so has certainly come a long way since its first restaurant opened in Beijing 20 years ago. Bali is the latest Ah Yat venture in Indonesia, following great success in Jakarta and Surabaya. Walking into the restaurant, which is located near the reception area of RIMBA Jimbaran, I experience serenity, unlike more typical Chinese restaurants. A pretty waitress in a red cheongsam welcomes us into the stylishly sleek restaurant where the lazy susan is the only marker that we are in a Chinese restaurant. She gives us a long list of dim sum to choose from and I want them all: Having dim sum is a serious business in my family, and has always been an important ritual, a way to be together and catch up in a leisurely fashion.

In random order I try the Shredded Chicken Porridge with Century Egg which has a really nice texture and solid taste, the Steamed Rice Sheet with BBQ Pork which is fabulous, an exquisitely crunchy Deep Fried Taro Dumpling, and marvellous Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce. On the next round, the waitress serves us green Steamed Crystal Dumpling with Chives, tasty Steamed Dumpling Scallop and last but not least, fragrant Steamed Glutinous Rice Wrapped with Lotus Leaf. A special mention needs to be made of the best XO sauce which I dip everything into. I rarely tasted anything so addictive before. Baked Mini Egg Tart is one of the desserts that we just manage to fit in before finally giving up and waving our flags. With our tea cups constantly refilled and plates cleared away, we relax and chat. The next thing we know it is almost 3pm and time to end our decadent, all-youcan-eat mid-week lunch. It is wonderful to be able to experience these delightful small treats in our otherwise
hectic working day. Eve

Ah Yat Abalone Seafood Restaurant @ Rimba Jimbaran | Jl Karang Mas Sejahtera | P +62 361 846 8468 300 | Open 11am – 3pm, 5.30 pm – 10pm