A year on, and the mod-Canto styles of Andrew McConnell’s Chinese restaurant in a pub have settled into a comfortable groove.

The dining room – as to be expected of a McConnell venue – is as sleek, colourful and stylish an interpretation of a Chinese restaurant, as head chef Perry Schagen’s cooking is elegant.

The standout dish is mapo tofu with all its tingling heat and numbing nuance, just one highlight among many on a menu that is a refined ode to the classic Chinese restaurant.

Fried wontons sing when swiped through a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Rice cakes topped with lap cheong and best-in-class spiced quail segue into bigger plates of whole flounder and cumin lamb that lead into DIY bao. It’s familiar stuff, but done with the modern McConnell flair Melbourne has come to expect.

The extensive wine list is filled with fare-friendly drops, while changing taps keep the beer interesting and the pub spirit alive. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, spin the lazy Susan with the whole family for yum cha. No need to watch your elbows, it’s trolley-free zone, where ample staff are on hand to ferry baskets filled with plump sui mai and steamed pork buns, along with honeycomb tripe for the brave. If that wasn’t enough, there are retro-tastic prawn toasts and an XL fortune cookie for dessert.

Must eat dish: Mapo tofu
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