A baked pastry rather than steamed or fried — buttery, flaky layers wrapped around a warmly spiced venison filling. This is the other dish that appears on every Yauatcha set menu alongside the scallop shui mai. Multiple reviewers note the pastry is remarkably light and the venison has a gentle five-spice warmth. It bridges the gap between a dim sum piece and European patisserie, which is exactly what Yauatcha does best.
Tips from diners
The puff pastry on this is closer to French viennoiserie than any Chinese bakery item. Eat it while hot — the pastry deflates and loses its flake as it cools.
Yauatcha's most iconic dim sum piece. A thin dumpling wrapper filled with prawn and pork, topped with a plump scallop and orange tobiko caviar. The scallop stays tender rather than rubbery because the steaming is precise. Andy Hayler's 2025 review notes the dim sum wrappers are thin with generous filling. This dish appears on every Yauatcha set menu and every review — it is the reason people come.
Tips from diners
Order at least two portions between two people — three shui mai per serving goes quickly. The scallop should be just-cooked and translucent in the centre. If it's rubbery, flag it.
The scallop shui mai is included in the Theatre Menu at £35.50pp and the Infinite Yum Cha at £45pp — both are better value than ordering a la carte if you're having three or more dim sum dishes.
The benchmark dim sum piece, and Yauatcha makes a very clean version. The translucent wrapper is thin enough to see the prawns through it, and the filling is seasoned with sesame oil. Andy Hayler's January 2025 review scored these 15/20 — the prawns are good quality and the wrappers are consistently thin without being fragile.
Tips from diners
Har gau is the dish that tells you how good a dim sum kitchen really is. Yauatcha's are consistently well-made — thin wrappers, plump prawns. Order these alongside the shui mai to compare.
Wide sheets of steamed rice noodle wrapped around prawns and beancurd, served in a light soy dressing. The texture is silky and slippery rather than stodgy. The rolls are cleanly made without the slimy texture that cheaper versions suffer from. This is a good contrast to the fried and baked dim sum — it's delicate and clean-tasting.
Tips from diners
Get this as your 'light' dish in between richer items like the venison puff and crispy duck. The cheung fun texture is slippery — chopsticks can be tricky, a spoon helps.
Strips of crispy duck skin and tender meat tossed with fresh pomegranate seeds, tart pomelo segments, and peppery cress. The combination of rich, crispy duck against sharp, fruity pomelo is very effective. It works as a starter or a light main course. This dish appears on several of the set menus and reviewers frequently mention it as a highlight.
Tips from diners
This appears on the Prosper set menu (£88pp) alongside dim sum and mains. If you're considering going a la carte, compare prices — the set menus often work out better value for a full dinner.
A main-course-sized dish rather than dim sum. The cod is pan-fried until the outside caramelises and the flesh stays soft and flaky inside. The superior soy glaze is sweet and savoury — similar to a miso-glazed cod but using soy instead. This is the dish reviewers recommend ordering alongside dim sum to make a full meal rather than just snacking on small bites.
Tips from diners
If you're only ordering dim sum, you'll leave slightly hungry. Add the silver cod or the crispy aromatic duck as a main to round out the meal. The cod is the lighter option.
Opened in 2004 as a casual sister restaurant to Hakkasan, Yauatcha was the first restaurant to combine Chinese dim sum with European patisserie. It earned a Michelin star and became one of Soho's most reliable high-end dim sum spots. The interior was designed by Christian Liaigre with full kitchen views, spread over two floors — a low-lit, closely packed underground space and a brighter ground-floor patisserie counter.
Monday to Friday, 4-7pm: 2-for-1 cocktails at £16 paired with dim sum at £12. This is the best-value way to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Soho. You can walk in for happy hour.
The Infinite Yum Cha (£45pp) includes unlimited dim sum, a main, side, dessert, and a glass of fizz. Available weekday evenings 5-8pm. Much better value than ordering a la carte if you're hungry.
Book through OpenTable. Yauatcha gets booked 12-20 times per day on peak evenings. Thursday to Saturday dinner needs advance booking. Weekday lunch is easier to get into.
Request downstairs seating if you want the full atmosphere — it's darker, more intimate, and you can see the kitchen. Ground floor is brighter and has the patisserie counter. Both are good but feel like different restaurants.
Don't skip the patisserie counter on the ground floor. The macarons and petit gateaux are European-style but with Chinese-inspired flavours — they're part of what makes Yauatcha unique. Buy some to take away even if you're not eating in.
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