South China Dim Sum Bar

The bar serves a selection of favourite street food from Southeast Asia and its surrounds. A daily-updated blackboard lists the relatively short menu. The ingredients are fresh, and the soy sauce homemade. We knew our potstickers were prepared onsite because we’d seen them being moulded by one of the chefs. There is a range of dim sum to choose from, including steamed buns, wontons, and summer rolls. We started with beef and vegetarian potstickers: fried dumplings stuffed with crunchy vegetables and thinly sliced beef, and served splashed with the Bar’s outrageously tasty soy sauce. At around R30 for three substantial dumplings, this is seriously well priced food. In fact, you could easily stick to a selection of dim sum – particularly for lunch – but we were keen to try their other offerings. A cold sesame noodle salad with peanut sauce came with thin noodles coated in a rich, silky-smooth sauce with just-cooked vegetables. My laksa lemak was absolutely delicious: a spicy coconut noodle broth containing half a hardboiled egg, steamed greens and bean sprouts, and a plump, juicy prawn.

They don’t have a liquor licence, so bring your own. Do try the homemade lemonade and a range of teas (the oolong went down particularly well).

Orders are taken at the counter and your food is literally made to order: you can watch it being cooked in the kitchen at the back of this very small restaurant. Edmund Hung, a former accountant, and Clinton Ho-Wing, who used to work in IT, wanted to open a restaurant specialising in Southeast Asian street food. Although the restaurant may feel basic, this is a very professional operation, reflecting Hung’s experience in the Canadian restaurant industry.

Décor has been kept to an absolute minimum: chairs are benches or upturned crates, flowers are arranged in jars, and crockery has been replaced with biodegradable plates, bowls, and cups. But for all of that, this is a friendly and buzzy restaurant.

It’s definitely no frills. There’s no credit card machine and you also need to pick up your own ice at the garage. But the food is fresh, delicious, and amazingly good value. If anything, the simplicity of the décor goes to emphasise just how fantastic the food is. Go.

Sarah Emily Duff (Jan 2012)

Pamela McOnie
17-Jan-2012

Wow - the Eat Out review sums up the place exactly! Every item on the menu is made completely from scratch and there is 110% passion involved in each dish. We went through as a group of 10 of us last week and had a magical evening. Each dish was a taste sensation, the ambience is basic - but magical and relaxed - we felt completely at home. We placed our wine in the fridge and simply helped ourselves. I do love the tip about brining ice from the garage - makes great sense. Make sure you bring your own wine as there is no liquor license. Note that it is worth putting a booking in as the guys prepare based on the number of people they expect. So once you have found your favourites - it may be an idea to put the order in before you go! This way you will avoid disappointment. This is a great addition to Cape Town - every city should have a dim sum bar. This was a wonderfully reasonably priced evening out, it was a taste sensation journey. We loved it and cannot recommend it highly enough. Go immediately!

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