Sunday Yum Cha

I don't go to yum cha as much as I would like to, last time probably 3 or 4 months ago. Today I meant to join Pete and bring my workmate Jay along, for another flying adventure on the Cessna 172 around the coast, but we've changed our mind with gustly wind heading our head from the south. Instead, we headed out way to Chatswood and had Yum Cha instead at Chequers in Mandarin Centre. While waiting for Jay outside Chequers and saw this article cut out from SMH rating the top 5 yum cha place in Sydney with Sea Treasure at Crows Nest came first, Marigold and Silver Spring came 3rd and 4th, and Chequers came 5th. Not sure how old this rating is, but I do like yum cha at Marigold, Silver Spring and Chequers. I find Marigold has more authentic variety like chicken feet and cow tripes things you don't see very often. Silver Spring has better value, they even come with a All you can eat dim sim for around $18 per head I think which is a real bargain. Chequers is small, but is closer to where I live which is convenient rather than have to head into city, and they do have nice dim sims full of flavour. Jay is the regular, so he should know better than I do.

Everything has its own etiquette, here are some etiquettes I think is necessary when you go for yum cha:

1. If you've organised a group for yum cha and they haven't arrived, wait outside and don't just go in and tell the waitress how many people you have and got the table and sit there all by yourself for hours, it will only make you look like a kiasu fool.
2. Since we all know the peak hour is after 12pm, highly suggest to go around 11am or 11.30am. Not just that, they normally push dessert trolleys around 12pm so they can get as much customers out as possible for others waiting outside to have a table which means if you come around 12pm, you will have to wait for another half an hour before u get some decent dumplings.
3. Decide what kind of tea you like before sitting down, instead of everyone asking each other and look fucking stupid.
4. When ordering, ORDER WHAT YOU WANT when the trolley comes. Don't let the one who sits outside closer to the trolley to make decisions. You either miss out what you really want, or he normally will order what you don't like. I've had experience ordering chicken feet and ended up no one dared to touch and I had to eat them all, fuckers.
5. To refill your pot of tea, lift the tea lid and reverse it or just half tilt on the side so the waiter knows it needs refill.
6. DON'T RUN TO A TROLLEY few tables away just because you see something that you like. That's just fucking rude!
7. If you are waiting for something you want and hasn't come but the dessert trolley just pass through you, GRAB IT! Because normally you will never ever get the want you want and at the end you will end up with nothing!
8. Bring camera along, if you see someone eating the noisiest or making weird facial expression while chewing the chicken feet, snapshot it and post it on the blog!
9. Don't fight for the bill. If agree to pay evenly, sort it outside after someone settle the bill.
10. After the meal, let the garlic breathe stinks the whole house.