For over 21 years, the Wing Wah restaurant was located at the iconic Wing Yip Centre in Nechells. 2019 has brought a new lease of life and this year Wing Wah relocated to a brand new, stylish premises in the heart of Chinatown, Birmingham. Menus continue to showcase beautifully-crafted dim sum and a la carte dishes suited for every taste and preference.
I’m always being asked where is the best place to go for afternoon tea in Birmingham. Thankfully after trying the new Dim Sum afternoon tea experience at Wing Wah, I can now add a firm favourite to the list. It’s a little bit different to the others as you wouldn’t usually expect the words ‘dim sum’ and afternoon tea to go together, but funnily enough it works. This was my first visit at the new restaurant and can honestly say the entire experience was not only a beautiful experience, but also faultless in terms staff service (it was a bustling Sunday when we arrived). We found out before we left that Sunday is a popular day to eat Dim Sum!
Before any food was brought out, a cocktail specially created by Birmingham legend Robert Wood was placed before us. “Easterly Winds” is inspired by a warm spring day with a strong essence of blossoms and greenery. Notes of fruity lychees, chrysanthemums and soft peaches made sipping it rather enjoyable. The colour and decoration is definitely a focal point.
While we waited for the food to arrive, I asked for a pot of Lemon & Ginger tea which pairs well with the overall theme and flavours of the food. As the tea was piping hot I found it hard to pick up my drink within the first 5 minutes as the cups don’t have handles, but it’s a sacrifice worth making.
The afternoon tea comes in three stages. First arrives the steamed basket of dim sum with my personal favourite being the pork & prawns. Dim sum is literally translated to mean “touch the heart” and that it most certainly did. And my stomach. Every person tries one of each dim sum which is more than enough to satisfy. An abundance of colours and deliciously silky textures of the steamed buns dominates the table. I also need to improve on my chopstick skills because it was quite pathetic considering Chinese food is my ultimate favourite on the entire planet.
Once the dim sum was devoured, the three-tier stand of happiness arrives. What surprised us most was the Molten Bun which resembles a mushroom. Do not be fooled – the inside is sickly sweet and oozes a delicious golden stream of Salted Egg Custard. To accompany this is BBQ Pork Puffs, Crispy Salmon Rolls, Egg Custard Tarts and Minced Prawns in Pastry. What I admired most is that the afternoon tea is not pretentious and instead, directs its efforts towards flavour and texture. I absolutely loved the Crisp Salmon Rolls, they were indeed messy but oh so satisfying.
Last to arrive was two individual portions of Seafood Rice infused in Yuzu Juice. I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed the rice, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw that it was infused with citrus but it made the savoury bites that tiny bit more deliciously sweet. It was a growing love and I ended up enjoying the rice so much I asked to take the rest of my portion home. Emma doesn’t waste food.
The afternoon tea is available until 5pm every day except on Wednesdays, when Wing Wah is closed. As we visited on a Sunday, we were surrounded by families indulging in other hearty meals and a plethora of dim sum, so if you want to go with an atmosphere, Sunday is a great shout. A huge thanks to Wing Wah for feeding our forever hungry stomachs and for treating us like fabulous guests on the day. They took the time to explain what was arriving at the table and you can tell they take pride in every bite of food they serve.
8 Wrottesley St, Birmingham B5 4RT
If you’re looking to visit, expect to pay £18.99 per person with Chinese Tea or £24.99 for Chinese Tea & Cocktail Fizz. Please note, I was invited to Wing Wah as a guest and my afternoon tea experience was complementary.