One of the hidden gems of the Illawarra and Berkeley (near Wollongong) is the Nan Tien Temple's Tea House. The temple is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and the architecture is very similar to Imperial palaces found in China. The tea house itself has stunning architectural features such as arches, wooden timber, antique details and makes you feel as if you have stepped off the plane in China.


Whilst they don't advertise it as Yum Cha, Wikipedia gives the following definition of Yum Cha:

"a dining experience which involves drinking Chinese tea and eating dim sum dishes... Dim sum is a varied range of small dishes (a concept similar to tapas) eaten for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea, as part of the yum cha dining experience. Dishes are usually steamed or fried and may be savoury or sweet. They include steamed buns such as char siu baau, assorted dumplings, siu mai, and rice noodle rolls, which contain a range of ingredients, including beef, chicken, pork, prawns and vegetarian options. Typical desserts include egg tarts, sai mai lo (tapioca pudding) and mango pudding. Many dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green vegetables, roasted meats, congee porridge, and soups. Dim sum can be cooked by steaming and frying, among other methods. The dim sum are usually small and normally served as three or four pieces in one dish. It is customary to order family style, sharing dishes among all members of the dining party. Because of the small portions people can try a wide variety of food."

Sample menu from the Dew Drop Inn website includes Yum Cha type dishes as well as Noodle dishes

[ Yum Cha ]

• Spring Rolls Rice noodle, vegetarian mince and shredded or $2.00 each vegetables wrapped in rice paper, and deep fried.
• Curry Puffs Curried Vegetables wrapped in puff pastry and deep fried.
• Combination Platter 2 Spring Rolls and 2 Curry Puffs
• Jade Dumplings
• Steamed Dumplings
• Bok choy and vegetarian mince encased in Gow Gee pastry, served with soy sauce.
• Fried Wonton Vegetable and vegetarian seafood wrapped in wonton pastry and deep fried, served with sweet chilli.
• Veg. Nuggets (per plate) Bite-size pieces of crumbed soya bean.
• Veg. Drumsticks Strips of bean curd rolled into a drumstick, crumbed and deep fried

Also recommend their Laksa which is a HUGE serving and well worth the cost.

[ Noodle Soup or Dry Noodle ]

• Hot Pot Stewed ramen noodle / vermicelli with veg. ball, tofu & vegetables in soup, served in an iron pot
• Tom Yam Pot Stewed ramen noodle / vermicelli with veg. ball, tofu & vegetables in Tom Yam soup, served in an iron pot 
• Curry Laksa Potato, carrot, bean sprout, cabbage, broccoli, snow peas and tofu cooked in curry and coconut cream with noodles.

• Mushroom and Tofu Noodle Soup
• Veg. Mince and Ham Noodle Soup
• Wonton Noodle Soup
• Fried Wonton Noodle Soup

The Dew Drop Inn only sells vegetarian meals but believe me ,you will not be missing out. The flavours are amazing and the setting is so authentic most people think the photos were taken in China.

SPECIAL TEA
Lotus Tea     fragrant lotus bud; looks great and tastes beautiful.
French Rose Tea     a fragrant floral tisane; relax and enjoy the glorious aroma.
Jasmine Tea     hand shaped into tiny pearls which are infused with fragrant jasmine blossoms; subtle and aromatic.
High Mountain Tea     an exquisite oolong from the taiwanese high mountains; reveal a complex and deep aroma with floral overtones.
Amber Tea     oolong leaves with french rose buds; gentle elegant flavour.
Osmanthus Oolong Tea     a chinese classic; green tea leaves with dried golden sweet osmanthus flower; pleasant aroma with a delicate taste.
Japanese Rice Tea     a combination of Japanese green tea and roasted hulled rice kernels; refreshing with a distinctive nutty flavour
Kumquat Tea     fresh kumquat brewed with passion fruit syrup; wonderful taste, soothing and refreshing.
Chai Tea     a well know indian blend; complex, spicy and incredibly tasty; with or without milk.
Black Forest Tea     a heavenly combination of fruit; luxurious flavour.
Lemongrass and Ginger     fresh herbal taste; relieve nausea and soothe headaches and stomach aches.
Organic Chamomile Tea     nourish your spirit and restore your calm.
Lipton Black Tea     with or without milk.

The Dew Drop Inn only sells vegetarian meals but believe me ,you will not be missing out. The flavours are amazing and the setting is so authentic most people think the photos were taken in China.


Dew Drop Inn, Nan Tien Temple

Berkeley Rd, Berkeley NSW 2506, Australia‎
Phone (02) 4272 0600 to make a booking‎

illawarrafoodreviews.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-nan-tien...


View the Tea House website for the full menu
Dew Drop Inn, Nan Tien Temple
Berkeley Rd, Berkeley NSW 2506, Australia‎
Phone (02) 4272 0600 to make a booking‎


Tweet This