Maple House
Editorial
One of the most elegant Asian eateries in town, Maple House's immediate appeal lies in its aesthetics. Glass panes wrap around this top-level, corner location in snazzy North Adelaide Village. The gleaming tiled entry introduces a split-level bar area and tres chic chandeliers sparkling throughout. A ceiling recess in the expansive dining room is filled with luminous ice-blue light. In contrast, navy blue-upholstered chairs appear dull during daytime dining, but take on a richer look at night. Chairs aside, white linen tablecloths and napery in permanent residence maintain the elegance (a brave move considering the frenzied yum cha sessions). Stately pillars flank the stairs to upper-level dining with cosy corner nooks. Tastemakers will appreciate the dignified decor but become regulars because of the menu's substance.
Yum cha fiends will swarm like bees around a hotpot in this spot that offers the treats seven days a week. Owner Hoi has the wheels in motion to get those fun trolleys patrolling around, so in the meantime you get to tick off your favourites from the impressive checklist. The steamed selection includes prawn and pea shoot dumplings, “snow white” chicken feet, bean curd skin rolls and tripe with ginger sauce. Fried options offer salt and pepper squid tentacles, and Chinese radish cake. Barbecue pork buns compete with the heavenly steamed egg custard version and rice rolls tempt with fillings such as golden mushroom chicken. Weekend yum cha is made extra special with combination peanut dumplings, century egg and salty egg congee, and shredded duck with jellyfish. Do not ignore the a la carte menu. Prawn-stuffed crispy chicken, steamed coral trout, taro duck, prawns in the shell with dry garlic and salted fish and chicken fried rice demonstrate why.
Roz Taylor, March 2009
User Feedback
Gina
September 04, 2009
My family dined here the other evening and what a beautiful restuarant with friendly staff, wonderful flavoursome food at excellent prices. We will return again!
LX
December 21, 2010
Watch your change at this place. Two of us ordered drinks separately at the bar and the smartly-dressed girl behind the bar took a $50 note to pay for the first drink, but wouldn't give change for the first drink until the second one was ordered. The second drink was ordered and a $50 note also given. The girl then went out the back of the bar and returned with $20 change each. We went to put this away and then questioned if the drinks were $30 each. The girl conveniently had two $10 notes on the bar (where all the other money is kept) and flipped the notes over to us without an apology. We caught her trying to short change us by $20, surely this is a profitable scheme indeed. Now onto the food, had the $40 banquet which was disappointing considering the cost.
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