Tucked away on a quiet East End side street, this oasis of calm serves up decidedly untraditional vegetarian yum cha for lunch every day (including weekdays). Some options like pan-fried radish cake laced with soy sauce barely need to change, while others gain a whole new complexion. But even the most dedicated carnivores will find something to like on a menu that includes dumplings stuffed to bursting point with spinach, Chinese cabbage and mushroom and fluffy char siu bao filled with lotus, yam or red bean paste. 17-19 Bent St, Adelaide; zenhouse.com.au.

Get past the unusual location in an old Irish pub and you’ll discover one of Adelaide’s most authentic yum cha experiences. The Guinness signs and green furnishings have been swapped out for lacquer chairs and lanterns, and on weekends diners feast on juicy siu mai, crispy salt and pepper squid and tubes of cheong fun rice noodles stuffed with prawn meat and doused in sweet soy sauce. If you want it all, the good news is that it’s also one of the few places that provides an all-you-can-eat option. 401 King William St, Adelaide; citizenrestaurant.com.au.

The place to go if money is no object, this Gouger Street institution offers an even more extensive (and expensive) selection of yum cha than Ding Hao. The menu runs to 100 offerings including dessert, and if you manage to nab a table you’ll find yourself choosing from trolleys filled with steaming dumplings, crunchy yam puffs and pillowy char siu bao buns packed with glistening barbecue pork. And if you want to step things up a notch, the premium seafood offerings like whole barramundi or mud crab will impress even the most jaded diners. 1/31-39 Gouger St, Adelaide; @starhouse31.

This OG spot recently moved a street over from its original location thanks to the Central Market redevelopment, but it’s still packed every weekend morning with good reason. You can order from the menu or wait to see what the staff bring around on trays heavily laden with Cantonese classics such as soup-filled xiao long bao and gloriously fresh prawn and snow pea shoot dumplings. Just make sure to save room for a bowl of divine mango pudding with condensed milk afterwards. 36 Wright St, Adelaide; facebook.com/pages/ding-hao.

If you don’t feel like searching for a park near the Central Market on a Saturday morning, make things easy by heading to this suburban favourite. There’s plenty of room to spread out once you get inside, and despite its popularity the service is quick. All the greatest hits make an appearance on the menu but the perfectly pleated prawn and scallop dumplings are a clear favourite, as is the lightly fried radish cake with XO sauce that packs a serious punch. 173 Henley Beach Rd, Mile End; littlecanton.com.au.