Every Saturday at 10am, the roller doors of family-run Sunshine Asian Supermarket slide open, revealing a spread of yum cha favourites: siu mai, har gow, barbeque pork buns, cheung fun, crispy taro puffs, chicken feet, golden egg tarts and plump mango pancakes. And that’s just the start. The Feng family’s been hard at their Dim Sum Saturdays since mid-2024.
Sectioning off the back of their Riverwood grocer, Bill and Winnie Feng – with the help of their three children Anna, Helen and David – create a makeshift kiosk-style shopfront to sell their line-up of handmade yum cha favourites. And queues are waiting.
Winnie leads the Saturday-only family effort. Each dim sum item is meticulously handmade the night before, ensuring everything is ready to be cooked fresh in the morning. There are neatly boxed dim sum in the freezers (available all week) but it’s the fresh, hot dishes that everyone’s here for – prices start at $3 a piece, and the Fengs always sell out.
We think you might like Access. For $12 a month, join our membership program to stay in the know.
SIGN UPThere are no carts to flag down or cards to stamp, but the sheer variety is still overwhelming. And there’s a gentle competitiveness to get there early enough for your favourites.
When I was there on the weekend, for 2025’s first service, I was stumped. What to choose: fried, steamed, or a bit of both? I went with the bestsellers and a personal favourite: just-fried glutinous rice dumplings, plus har gow and siu mai (the two quintessential yum cha dishes, which serve as a pretty accurate temperature check for any dim sum spot). At Sunshine they were plump, juicy and perfectly balanced between sweet and umami.
Sunshine has been a Riverwood staple since 2015, starting as a stop for Asian fresh produce and pantry staples. “My mum wanted us to do something more,” Anna tells Broadsheet. “She was like, ‘What can we do that’s different?’ Because more Asian supermarkets opened in the area.” Winnie decided to add dim sum to their offering, flying to Hong Kong to learn the craft from one of Billy’s friends, who’d worked at iconic Sydney yum cha restaurants like Marigold, Zilver and The Eight.
She refined her recipes, adding personal flair, then headed back to Hong Kong again to master Cantonese-style barbeque meats, which have since become a weekday drawcard at Sunshine. Today it’s Billy that oversees the barbeque, with the store’s existing kitchen transforming into a commercial setup complete with giant steamers and a roaster.
Head in during the week to pick up pork belly, char siu and roast duck, all displayed in the shop window and available by the kilo, or alongside rice and veggies for under $16. Or aim to get there before opening on Saturday, as dim sum regularly sells out by lunchtime.
Sunshine Asian Supermarket
54 Thurlow Street, Riverwood
(02) 9534 8839
Hours:
Mon to Fri 10am–6pm
Dim Sum Saturdays 10am–3pm or until sold out