Standing beside the bustling streets of Olaya is the mood of an untroubled ambience of Yauatcha Riyadh.
After more than two years since they opened their doors to the Riyadh restaurant scene, Yauatcha maintains its passion of bringing world-class and authentic Chinese flavors and dishes in the Kingdom while incorporating both elegance and comfort.
Yauatcha continues to cling on to the traditional essence of local Chinese dim sum and teahouses while they innovate and update their menu to further fascinate the Riyadhi taste.
Part of such innovation to their culinary roster is the addition of Executive Head Chef, Tan Boon Wee or “Chef Wayne” as he is fondly called. Chef Wayne, who hails from Johor, Malaysia, carries with him over 22 years of experience and training including two globally renowned five-star hotels such as Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and Atlantis Hotel in Dubai.
Executive Head Chef, Tan Boon Wee or “Chef Wayne”
“I am incredibly excited to join Yauatcha Riyadh, one of the leading Asian restaurants in the Kingdom,” says Chef Wayne, “I look forward to working with the talented culinary creatives at the company to bring our restaurant to even greater heights.”
Along with his arrival are new must-try inclusions in the menu. As we were warmly welcomed by the cheerful and courteous chef himself, we chose the path of following his lead through the new items he wanted us to try.
We started with non-alcoholic spirit-based cocktails, the Gin Mule and Yauatcha Whiskey Sour which were refreshingly perfect for the summer followed by steaming hot dim sum, the Venison Puff, filled with tender and tasty pulled venison meat enclosed in a soft and light puff pastry, and the newly-added Golden Squash Dumplings, which instantly reminded us of Hong Kong street food, a vegan dumpling filled with squash and mushrooms wrapped in golden dumpling skins naturally colored with squash extracts.
For every Yauatcha experience, a plate of Crispy Duck Salad should not be missed. The crispy-fried duck, which was braised for three hours, lay underneath a bed of fresh greens, juicy pomelo and pomegranate, giving a hearty flavor when combined and captivating our taste buds.
As for the main course, Chef Wayne enthusiastically recommended some of the fresh additions from the menu which he brought along with him. The Crispy Prawn with Cashew are mouth-watering coated prawns deep-fried to perfection making each piece crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The Mala Roasted Chicken is a plate of half-portion boneless roasted chicken glistening through the dimly lit restaurant with luscious mala sauce on the side topped with sprinkled shallot shreds. For extra enticement, make sure each bite of the chicken comes with the sauce.
Aside from the two new additions, Chef Wayne suggested the Singapore Vermicelli using his own recipe. Amazing how food can transport your senses to a different place as this dish did not just instantly bring us to the Singapore hawker centers, but also showed a clear reflection of the hands-on working experience of Chef Wayne in Singapore.
Finally, for dessert, another new addition from the menu was the perfectly-balanced Strawberry and Lychee Slice. The cake slice, layered with matcha sponge, strawberry and lychee mousse, is served with a scoop of passionfruit sorbet on the side blends flawlessly and effortlessly cleansed our palates.
It was an unparalleled dinner and we will certainly be back for more. We are also interested to try their set named “Jade,” specially made for discerning, vegan diners. The set includes several dumplings made of golden squash, wild mushroom, and edamame truffle; Crispy Fried Okra, Salt and Pepper Golden Tofu, and Pak Choi. This set will definitely intrigue and satisfy the vegans of Riyadh.
The combination of traditional and modernity is their distinct mark in the growing food industry. The goal of maintaining the perfect balance between an exceptional dining experience and their brand’s essence is what makes Yauatcha remain true to their word.
Yauatcha Riyadh
Mode Al Faisaliah
Olaya District-Prince Sultan Street, Riyadh
Opening Hours:
12:00 PM – 11:30 PM (daily)
Contact No.: 920006555 / 011 836 7999
Website: https://yauatcha.com/riyadh/
Instagram: @yauatchariyadh
