Asian ecstasy

So Yum – the name that really says it all...

It’s the start of a new year on the Chinese zodiac; the Year of the Golden Rabbit. It’s a year in which one can reportedly catch one’s breath and calm one’s nerves – quite fitting for those who chose a decadent evening of dining out at the chic So Yum in Hyde Park over joining in the hustle and bustle on the streets of Cyrildene.

Stylised cherry blossom wall panels, black paint and the odd splash of lime green and turquoise boldly set the tone for the decadent cuisine that escapes So Yum’s kitchen.

Renowned for their menu, a delicate culinary art involving individually wrapping bite- sized meat, seafood and vegetable fillings in a thin, translucent pastry that is either boiled, steamed or pan-fried, So Yum’s starter menu alone requires an adventurous palette and a very hearty appetite.

The spinach and cream cheese is a delicious gooey mix of flavours that comforts and delights, but the Hong Kong pear is by far the most exotic on the menu. Once you’ve bitten through the crusty, spicy exterior of this potato dumpling, you’re greeted by a tasty duck, prawn and chicken filling.

If you’re in the mood to start with something lighter, So Yum also offers a flavourful soup, an unassuming prawn and a warm, nourishing chicken (basil chicken in a fluffy white bun).

Moving on to the main courses – an Asian meal is hardly complete without a good stirfry of some sorts. While So Yum does make a mean chicken cashew nut stirfry, their hot and spicy “bang bang duck” is bang bang delicious, as is their tender sizzling beef hot plate with sweet soya and black pepper.

The chef’s talents extend even further than this, though, as proved by the succulent steamed whole soldierfish fillet. It was cooked to perfection, perfectly moist and flavourful, and complemented by a choice of a soy ginger, lemon chilli or sweet and sour sauce.

For diners with an inch of appetite to spare, So Yum’s custard rabbit- shaped dumplings sprinkled with coconut are the perfect way to turn the flavour wheel from spicy, salty and sour to sweet. Or, quite surprisingly and untraditionally for Asian cuisine, the restaurant also happens to make one of the best pavlovas in Joburg.

The Year of the Golden Rabbit ends on January 22 next year, so that means if you haven't let So Yum's slick facade suck you in just yet, you still have quite a few months left to embrace the decadence on which this zodiacal cycle began.

This article was first published in CitiVibe in The Citizen on Tuesday 8 February 2011.

So Yum is situated in Hyde Park Shopping Centre. For more information phone 011-325-5360 or e-mail soyumhp@soyum.co.za.