Riverside Cantonese, Cardiff dim sum review

I’ve been keen to check out the dim sum at Riverside Cantonese for yonks.

Having previously enjoyed the Riverside's dinner menu and heard good things about their dim sum, I booked in for a restorative lunch following the excesses of my work Christmas party.

A large pot of Jasmine tea (£2.40) provided vital rehydration.

Special cheung fun (£3.70) contained a delicious trio of fillings - plump king prawns, sweet and savoury char sui pork and spiced minced beef. However, I found the casings a little on the gloopy side. 

Char sui buns (£2.50) were enjoyably soft and fluffy and filled with more of that delicious char sui pork in a sweet barbecue sauce. 

The golden casings of a trio of fried chicken and pak choi dumplings (£2.60) were the best part of the dish - the filling itself was a tad chewy. 

Har gau (£2.60) were good, the crystal dumpling cases with a generous quantity of prawns.

Siu Mai (£2.60) weren’t the prettiest versions I’ve seen and the minced pork and prawn filling was a touch bland. 

Siu lung bao (£2.50) meanwhile had none of the soup filling for which they're known. 

Dim Sum at Riverside Cantonese was enjoyable but I wasn’t blown away. Perhaps I ordered badly or we caught the kitchen on an off day on a dreary Tuesday lunchtime. 

However, at a tenner a head including drinks, it’s hard to question the value for money.

Address - Riverside Cantonese, 44 Tudor Street, Riverside, Cardiff , CF11 6AH
Telephone - 029 2037 2163
Web - http://www.riversidecantonese.com/

Thai Asian Delish, Cardiff Central Market review

Cardiff Central Market is ready for a culinary upgrade.

Just a few new street food stalls would draw in the punters who otherwise give this beautiful Victorian building a miss.

Take the Grainger Market in Newcastle where stalls now sell Chinese dumplings, Turkish mezze and freshly cooked seafood or St Nick's Market in Bristol where Grillstock ply their trade.

With JT Morgan butchers and Ashton’s fishmongers in the building, there’s cracking produce right on the doorstep. And let's not forget Cardiff Bakestones' tidy Welsh cakes for dessert too.

With the recent opening of Thai Asian Delish, there’s a sign that things are on the up.

Their great value food is delicious and the ladies who run the stall are super friendly.

However, they need to sort out their ordering system. On a busy weekday lunch, I was served ahead of three people who ordered before me, my order was checked three times and someone asked for a refund because their wait was so long.

If these service issues are resolved then Thai Asian Delish is the kind of place which would make Cardiff Central Market a destination.

Massaman curry (£4.90) was packed with tender chicken and soft potatoes in a richly spiced peanut and coconut sauce. It was accompanied by fluffy rice. 

Chicken Pad Thai (£4.90) was a great version of its type - loaded with meat, the firm noodles were bathed in a tangy tamarind based sauce and topped with crunchy peanuts. 

Green papaya salad (£4.90) meanwhile was everything it should be - citrusy, sweet and fiery hot with the savoury hit of fish sauce.

However, an accompaniment of bland and stodgy sticky rice and a couple of slices of cucumber was surplus to requirements. 

On a separate visit, I perched on one of their stools and ordered a Penang chicken curry with rice (£5.60). A well spiced curry, it contained loads of chicken and coconut cream.

Lunch at Thai Asian Delish was delish. I'd definitely recommend a visit - for now just make sure you're not in a rush. 

The Details:

Address - Thai Asian Delish, Cardiff Central Market, Saint Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1AU