If I'm eating lunch in Rundle Mall I'll generally pick one of two places: Miss Mai for pho or banh mi, or Tea House Yum Cha. It's not the best yum cha I've ever had, it's not even the best yum cha I've had in Adelaide, but it's still one of my favourite lunch options along Rundle and I've always been happy with the food.
The system doesn't quite work in a food court setting; I think this is their major downfall. I usually order bbq pork buns, prawn rice noodle rolls, and xiao long bao (they call them Shanghai juicy dumplings--they're dumplings with a soupy liquid inside them). Unfortunately the xiao long bao always seem to take quite a while, and it means I usually get given one dish at a time. It's difficult to keep on track with the progress of your whole order while you're also trying to eat your current dish before it gets cold. It's made even harder when it's busy and it's difficult getting a seat nearby.
But seriously, the last time I had a bbq pork bun from Rundle Mall it was a gluggy bun filled with a grey solid mass or pork--not what you have in mind. Tea House Yum Cha does everything right and I've always found everything to be tasty. They definitely don't do everything the best, and there are a few bits and pieces I would change, but for price and location I praise the fact that they've set up shop in Rundle Place.
If you're after quick-ish yum cha without heading to Gouger Street/the Central Market then I stand by Tea House Yum Cha. read more