Imperial Court Dim Sum

Parking is always a major hassle if you plan to go to Northbridge (Chinatown) to have Dim Sum (点心) as there is simply too much traffic and not enough car parks. You may end up parking your vehicle far away and having to walk quite a distance before you could sit down, relax and have a nice morning tea with your family.

Fortunately there is a place outside Chinatown but still close to the city where you can find good Dim Sum. Imperial Court is located at Como next to South Perth alongside the Kwinana Freeway. The address is 125 Melville Parade, Como and there is plenty of free parking space along this street. It faces the majestic Swan River and by the look of this magnificent view will sure opens up your appetite.

This place open at 11am but people would start queuing for a seat as early as 10.30am! Yes, this is how popular this restaurant is. One important thing to keep in mind is that if you are meeting someone, make sure that they are there on time and queue up together with you because if they are not there you will end up waiting in front of the reception counter and won't get a seat even if you were the first one in the queue. 

This restaurant's special: Brown Rice Flour Roll

Xiaolongbao (小笼包) / Steamed Bun

Century Egg Porridge. It comes in middle size bowl enough for two.

Chicken Feet

Egg Tart (蛋挞) is quite nice but a bit sweet for me. It could be just me as other people seems to like it a lot.

Deep Fried Prawn Dumpling (炸虾饺) is very good because it is less oily, the prawns are fresh and the dumpling skin is not too thick but very crispy.

烧卖，this classic dish is juicy and fresh.

Steamed Prawn Dumpling (虾饺), the skin is so smooth it feels good in your mouth.

The long queue before the restaurant open for business.

 Opens everyday except Tuesday.

Rose Tea Of Winter Warmers

We can basically categorize people into 2 main groups; the tea and coffee group. Very seldom that you will crave for both, you either love one or the other. Personal preferences aside, there are tons of research and debate on which is a better drink in terms of its ‘kick’ effect as well as its health consequences.

Many believe tea is better health wise, but it is only the antioxidants found in green tea that has been tested to be effective in reactivating our white blood cell which in turn boosting our immune system. And there are people who believe that coffee will give them more energy to have a great start in the morning but research on people who drink decaf coffee produces the same result since it is our mind that associates coffee with the ability to give us a boost and not so much the effect from caffeine.

At the end of the day, no one can really tell you for certain which is better. To save us time and trouble, let’s just forget about all those scientific review and simply follow our heart as to which we I like best. I for one am a coffee person who must have at a cup per day. However, ever since I’ve tasted the tea at Winter Warmers; I no longer so sure that I’ll stick to coffee alone!

There are many Winter Warmers outlets in Penang such as at Queensbay Mall, Juru Autocity and Sunway Carnival. The one that I went to is at Gurney Plaza; located on the ground floor facing G Hotel. The interior is decorated with English countryside theme with lots of rose patterns on wallpaper, tea cups, teapots and table cloth. Yes it does feel a bit feminine but soothing at the same time. The settings provide a serene atmosphere for people to lay back and enjoy their English teas.

The only thing I ordered there is their Rose Tea. The rose infused tea smell so nice that its fragrance lingered on in my mind long after I left the place. It is this combination of smell and taste that makes this drink so special. I can never have enough of it every time I go there.   

Of course Rose Tea is my biased recommendation for Winter Warmers but there is actually a wide range of selection for you if you prefer others. They also have Herbal Tea, Hot Milk Tea and Iced Fruit Tea. The tea comes in fine loose leaves form in a pot.

If you seriously are not a tea person and will not try other thing besides coffee, they also have heaps of choices for you. They serve Midnight Kiss Iced Coffee, Milan Iced Coffee, Night Shadow Iced Coffee, Rose Iced Latte, Green Tea Coffee, Rose Coffee, Lavender Coffee, Chocolate Mint Coffee and the more common Espresso and Cappuccino. Food wise, they have sandwiches, scones, cakes, dessert and fresh fruits.