“Today is not so bad, we normally have people sitting outside for lunch” This was the reply I received from the Rosemont Hall owner when I told him how surprised I was that their venue was jam packed at 2pm (almost the end of a lunch rush hour), on Sunday. We love seeing local businesses thrive and from what we can see, the Rosemont Hall is keen to position themselves as the one stop Asian food establishment in the heart of Prospect. Featuring choices such as Chinese cuisine (and Dim Sum on the weekend also known as Yum Cha), Thai cuisine at Sunny’s Shop, which is right next door and another project currently underway at the back of the Rosemont Hall building. Expecting to be open by next year, this will be an exciting new addition to the current venue. You are welcome to guess what type of cuisine this will be but we won’t spoil the surprise. Just planting the seed to let you get excited about what’s coming.

In the meantime, can we just take a moment to appreciate the interior of this hall. The moment we opened the door we were smitten by the fabulous space boasting soaring ceilings, gorgeous medieval church windows and with lots of pillar candles lit to decorate every corner and every table, yes even at lunch time, this venue is the place to be. Who says candle light is for dinner only. We can do a candle light lunch right here at the Rosemont Hall. We took the opportunity to come here to not only get wowed but to also try some yum cha. At first we didn’t know what to expect, but as soon as the food came out, we knew straight away it was going to be good. Really good.

We had the Steamed BBQ Pork Buns which come in a serving of two. Great size and the filling is generous with chunky cuts of pork, so you can really feel the texture.

The Cheeseburger Spring Rolls are also on the menu and I’m sure this is one of the most popular dishes that most people order. They come with aioli dip, and are of course crispy, fresh and full of flavour just like cheeseburger but with the crisp of spring roll pastry.

We also got spoilt when our Shallot Pancakes arrived. It was so easy to fall in love with this dish.

There are a couple dishes that don’t come in baskets. We were treated to delicious charred Kway Teow with roast duck, gar laan and smokey soy. The ‘char’ was there, the flat noodles were cooked well, not soggy or too chewy, just perfect.

From their ‘Small Plates’ selection there was Salt and Pepper Squid. This dish in my opinion is a must to accompany your yum cha experience but I guess it’s also because I am a big salt and pepper squid fan.

Our hearts sang when the Peking Duck Pancake with cucumber, leek and hoisin arrived at the table. To be honest, I’m also the biggest duck dish fan, we didn’t want to get our hopes up but Rosemont Hall nailed it. The duck was great, the taste was just right and the pancake was warm and when you put everything together you cannot stop at one. They offer half (comes with 6 pancake) or whole (18 pancakes)

Another dish we really enjoyed was the Steamed Prawn and Chives Dumpling with housemade chilli oil. We thoroughly enjoyed the texture as the prawns were chunky. You can tell they don’t skimp on flavour so they won’t skimp on ingredients. You get what you pay for.

Another highlight of the day was the Pork and Chives Wonton with chilli and black bean sauce. These are addictive. The black beans on top with fried shallot lifted the dish to a whole new level. We absolutely loved the way it was cooked and will be ordering this one again.

Overall, their options for the Dim Sum hit the spot. And for $44 you get 4 baskets of any choice you like, this is an offer you do not want to miss. Their Beer and Basket only happens on the weekend from 12 until 4pm. Their beer is also a bargain for only $6! But not limited to just beer, they also offer a great selection of cocktails and wine. Make sure you book a table if you don’t want to miss out. Just like their motto ‘A good feed is all you need. With 10 baskets to choose how can you lose?’

Words by Dee Pene from Adelaide Food Authority

WHERE: 106 Prospect Rd, Prospect