Whether you consider yourself a plant-based eater or not, there’s no denying that the vegan and vegetarian fare served at CBD restaurant, East, is some of the best in the City. Set at the base of the Sudima Auckland City hotel (opposite City Works Depot), East was started by lifetime vegetarians the Jhunjhnuwala family who, armed with a love for Asian cooking and a desire to create an eatery that focused on taste as much as it did on sustainability, assembled a team of experts to help bring their vision of an entirely vegetarian venture to life.
Now, the East kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef Stuart Marsden (his impressive culinary history including stints at Woodpecker Hill and Finn’s Beach Club in Bali) and Head Chef Vincent Yan (boasting extensive experience at 5-star hotels across Hong Kong and Macau, where he became a master of Cantonese cooking) who, alongside their talented team, create exceptional food that marries mouth-watering, complex and vibrant Asian flavours with innovative, plant-based ingredients. And while East’s stellar reputation continues to grow, the restaurant is about to expand its unique offering once again, with a new Sunday experience, promising to reimagine Yum Cha as we know it.
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From this Sunday, the 3rd of September, East will launch Auckland’s first-ever, entirely plant-based Yum Cha service, giving the delicious dining tradition we all love a delectable, vegan twist. There, we’ve been told to expect flavoursome renditions of classic Dim Sum dishes like Char Siu Bao, filled with flavoursome, sticky jackfruit and Sheng Jian Bao, in which wood ear mushrooms make for the perfect pork replacement. East has even called on a team of master dumpling makers to exclusively handcraft a number of the dumplings on the menu.
A few crowd favourites will be on hand too, like East’s Spring Onion Pancake and its Xiao Long Bao Soup Dumplings (both of which we can wholeheartedly endorse as some of the tastiest dishes in town), as well as a selection of satiating sweet treats to end any meal on a high note, from Deep Fried Sesame Balls to Mango Tapioca Pudding.
Running every Sunday from 12pm until 3pm, East’s new vegan Yum Cha is the perfect way to wrap up the week. Offering food that doesn’t sacrifice quality to flavour; food that (thanks to the skill of the people creating it) treats plant-based ingredients with the same depth and complexity you would expect from a more conventional Yum Cha menu, this new service is an absolute must-try, and is set to make East our new favourite Sunday destination. Spaces are limited and bookings for Yum Cha are already starting to fill up so we suggest securing your spot with haste.
Yum Cha Hours:
Every Sunday (starts 3 September), 12pm – 3pm
