Landmark Chinese Restaurant

3.3 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  2     

I recently ate yum cha at the Landmark with two colleagues and it was an enjoyable experience, so I decided to take my wife there for dinner for her birthday.

Big mistake! The yum cha restaurant and the dinner restaurant are so different that they might as well be on different planets. We ordered the set-piece banquet for two. The food was only so-so, the portions were small and the service was sloppy, off-hand and appallingly slow.

There was a delay of about twenty minutes before the first of the food arrived, which was surprising because the restaurant was barely a third full (in hindsight, not a good sign at 7 pm), and chicken and corn soup, prawn crackers, curry puffs, and spring rolls are stock items requiring minimal preparation.

The soup arrived before the appetisers, but no matter. However, the waiter slopped the soup over himself and my wife, then withdrew, leaving her to clean up as best she could. There was nothing to particularly like or dislike about the soup or appetisers. They were competent enough, but, after having had the yum cha, I was disappointed.

The teapot was “incontinent” in that neither of us succeeded in pouring a cup of tea without significant dribbles. As staff changed table cloths on the tables around us, all revealed extensive dark brown stains on the table tops, so I suspect that all the teapots are similarly defective.

After about a half hour wait, the dishes were finally cleared away and the main course arrived. The special fried rice was a bit dry but acceptable (“special” seemed to be code for “we sprinkled five tiny prawns on the top”). The sizzling steak special chinese style had a distinctive flavour that did not appeal to my wife, but I found it interesting.

The special seafood combination was disappointing, the prawns were flavourless, the calamari was tenderised rubber with no discernable flavour, the scallops were pleasant, the fish had a strong and not particularly pleasant flavour like rotting seaweed, and the vegetables were quite good.

We ended a long wait for the main course dishes to be cleared by asking one of the staff to do so. We had to ask for dessert to be brought, athough when it came (coconut jelly and ice cream), it was quite pleasant. Not so pleasant was the dish that mine was served in. It had chipped edges at two places (about 1 cm long and 1 to 3 cm deep), that would not have passed muster with any health inspector.

Each operation seemed to be done by a different member of staff, all of whom were off-hand and disengaged. The slow service was clearly not attributable to any staff shortage. Only one party arrived after we did and, by the time main course arrived, there were more staff on the floor than parties of diners, but the staff were more preoccupied with clowning around amongst themselves and setting tables for tomorrow’s guests than with attending to existing guests.

I am fairly familiar with the restaurants in Sunnybank and a casual walk around the restaurant precinct reveals that most are dealing with a full house at 7 pm (the Landmark is one of only two where the number of guests is not obvious from the outside), so I made a reservation, but I need not have bothered.

On reflection, I should have realised that being only a third full at 7 pm was a sign that most other diners had already drawn the conclusion that we were going to be drawing, namely, that a number of far better eating experiences are readily available within a 200 metre radius of the Landmark.

After we paid the bill (they wanted a 3% surcharge on Amex, but were happier with Mastercard), we asked to speak with the senior staff, who had to be summoned from a back room and whom we had not seen at any other time of the night.

The conversation with the senior staff was cordial enough, but futile. He seemed to have no real understanding of the role of table service in making a successful dining experience or that it might be a good idea for a restaurant senior staff to spend some time on the floor to see that things were being done properly, rather than cloistering himself in a back room.

As we departed, the senior staff offered to “really look after us” on our next visit and seemed to be unaware that the probability of another visit is vanishingly small.

Oct 31, 2010 

4.5 Below Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  3      Value  4     

Having lived in Melbourne and comparing Landmark to the likes of Shark Fin Inn or Westlake in Melbourne. I really think the Yum Cha is not that great. I believe its popularity is due to the lack of competition in Brisbane. Having been here couple of times, I don't think the food here is all that good and the service is also pretty bad (like all Sunnybank restaurants).

Oct 13, 2010 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  9     

I am a self-confessed yum-cha addict and moving to Brisbane left me with severe withdrawal symptoms, until I discovered Landmark in Sunny bank. The yum cha range is excitingly plentiful and very tasty. Unlike other yum cha restaurants in the city the food is actually circulated in various carts to patrons, instead of presented on a picture menu like burgers at Mc Donalds.

The restaurant is always busy, so the food turnaround is quick, ensuring that the dim sum is always hot and fresh. Also if you are in a rush, you can bypass the trolley wait, and visit a few side stations for favourites such as BBQ Pork, fried calamari, and egg tarts. So yum!

The restaurant decor is minimalistic Hong-Kong glam, which is surprising since it’s located in suburban shopping mall, and a nice departure from the worn and dated yum cha restaurants in the city. The service is efficient though not friendly, with solemn-faced waiters at the ready to clear plates and bring you drinks - typical of most Asian eateries, which deter lingering and want you to eat then leave! (But come back again!) (Which I do!).

I took my family there for the first time a month ago for my dad’s birthday. I paid $176.00 for 7 adults. They loved it so much they’ve been back 3 times without me!
Hint: Book or get there early! The lines can get out of control and larger parties will always be seated quicker than pairs. Only Pet Peeve: The sweet bean curd needs to be smoother and hotter.

Sep 28, 2010 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  8     

Best yumcha in town. 100s of Asians can't be wrong, expect daily crowds queueing outside if you don't get there at 1030 am (opening time for yumcha). Otherwise, take a ticket from the manager, who officiates the seating from a podium, or make a booking beforehand.

Since the refurbishment in mid 2009, the restaurant is much bigger and grander. A yumcha restaurant to rival Sydney's best.

Feb 03, 2010