YUM CHA – its translation is “drink tea”, but it is so much more than that to me. My Dad is from Hong Kong, my Mama (Grandmother) is from Canton – the birth place of yum cha! To me – Yum cha is about family, it’s about catching up and enjoying a delicious meal with friends and loved ones –the noise, the atmosphere - it’s as close to the hustle and bustle of the streets of Mong Kok as you can get in Auckland. Growing up in the 80s, there were really only a handful of yum cha joints in Auckland – you had your staples in Otahuhu (where the first Chinese settlement was) there was Sunworld in the city and that one opposite Vic park that every Chinese person will remember! You paid about $15 for the yum cha buffet, which was surely 50 metres long, and you were entertained by amazing Cook Island dancers while you feasted away on dim sum! These days, there are so many more options for yum cha! The quality and taste is just superb….. I must say though, what makes me most proud, is that yum cha as a cuisine - is now recognised, accepted & loved in Auckland by so many different ethnicities, age groups and other demographics – it truly makes me proud to be Cantonese in Auckland. Trust me when I say….. I’ve tried a lot of yum cha in the world, in NZ and in Auckland – and Grand Park is truly the best!