Rice Paper Scissors Fitzroy has been hosting yum cha sessions over Spring. Held once a month, they’re an all-your-can-eat affair, and they’re also very popular so bookings are essential. Dishes are a mixture from all three restaurants – the two Rice Paper Scissors branches, and their newest sibling, Rice Paper Sister.

Kingfish Sashimi seasoned with wasabi and soy is a perfect, light way to begin the yum cha feast. A parade of dishes quickly follows suit: Pork Larb with sesame rice crackers, Papaya Salad with dried shrimp, green beans and peanuts, and Pork, Chive and Garlic Dumplings with peanut and chilli sauce. Crumbed and juicy Thai Fried Chicken is marinated in galangal, chilli and coriander root, and delicious when dipped into with sriracha mayo.

Crispy Barramundi has a light dusting of tapioca flour. Plenty of texture comes in from the green apple and roast cashew salad, and the nam jim dressing provides a small hit of chilli. Next is the DIY Twice-cooked Duck Leg Bao with mandarin jam. The duck is a tad underseasoned, and the balance skews a little too far towards the sweet side, but the meat itself is tender, and super crispy skin is always a plus.

Rice Paper Scissor’s tender BBQ Lamb Ribs are marinated in Mekong whiskey and coated in a sweet and sticky sauce. The meat pulls away easily from the bone. Another RPS favourite is the Sticky Pork Belly – twice-cooked pork in a tamarind caramel sauce, topped with a fragrant herb salad. It’s always a crowd-pleaser. The Milk Bun is also a flavoursome eat. The bun is sweet and slightly crisp on the outside, and filled with a fair serving of curried lamb and a bit of mayo.

The first dessert is Sago Pudding, accompanied by coconut ice cream, caramel, coconut bits and puffed crackle topping. There’s not a lot of coconut flavour in the actual ice cream, and it’s also slightly more icy than creamy. One of Rice Paper Scissors’ most famous dessert dishes is the Terrarium, filled with Vietnamese coffee mousse and a peanut and coffee soil. It’s popular for good reason – it’s delicious.

The Spring Yum Cha Sessions are a great way to experience the repertoire of the RPS empire. Here’s to hoping they make a reappearance next year.

Disclaimer: I was invited to Rice Paper Scissors as a guest, however, opinions expressed here are purely my own, and are based on my experience at the time

Rice Paper Scissors
307 Brunswick St
Fitzroy, VIC, 3065
(03) 9486 0066
www.ricepaperscissors.com.au/fitzroy