From dumpling and noodle bars in shopping centres, to back-lane institutions that have been packing in diners for decades, lovers of Chinese food are spoiled for choice in Melbourne. And while many of these eateries add special offerings to their menus when Lunar New Year falls, this is food to be shared all year round.
With its perfectly unreconstructed décor and a cohort of staff as polished as the lustrous timber-work, the Drum could be mistaken for something frozen in time. But don’t be fooled. You can set your watch by the quality of its Cantonese classics – superb crisp-skinned chicken, Peking duck served with care, an Bultarra saltbush lamb brisket claypot, and outstanding crab. 17 Market Lane, Melbourne; flowerdrum.melbourne.
Follow the red neon sign that shines like a beacon beckoning the hungry down this very Melbourne laneway landscape. Choose from a tasting menu with highlights such as Sichuan-style pickled Spring Bay mussel with nasturtium vinegar and fennel flowers and Lacquered duck, or explore the dinner menu with the likes of Cumin spiced lamb rack with roasted peppers and pickled onions. Watch out too for the Lunar New Year specials. This is no cheap and cheerful canteen but chef Victor Liong’s unapologetic cooking prods the boundaries of tradition for memorable Chinese food not as you know it. The drinks menu showcases Australian wines by the bottle and glass and there is a small range of non-alcoholic drinks to choose from. 11-15 Duckboard Place, Melbourne; leehofook.com.au.
This dark and seductive den of Cantonese cooking still has plenty of fire in the belly, more than a decade after it first opened. Spice is the M-O here, with chilli spiking seafood and meat in dishes from China’s many and varied regions. But there is still much on offer for more temperate tastes. Dishes are designed to be shared which allows diners to sample a greater spread of dishes, and leave room for dessert which may be as functional as it is flavoursome in the form of a soothing parfait ‘wagon wheel’ bursting with chilli-numbing caramel, chocolate and peanut. Crown Complex, Southbank; spicetemple.com.au.
Did somebody say wontons? These slippery bundles of pork swaddled in pale-yellow wrappers, made fiery with chilli oil, are entirely worth the collateral damage they can inflict on your shirtfront. HuTong’s work in this department knows few rivals in Melbourne. If you prefer things a little easier to convey from bowl to mouth, the northern-style spinach dumplings and the airy crystal dumplings packed with prawn meat are more than worthy. An outpost of the original city restaurant is located in Prahran. 14-16 Market Lane, Melbourne; hutong.com.au.
Some like it hot. The good folk of Sichuan in southwest China certainly do, inflaming their distinctive hotpots and stews with the smouldering burn of dried chillies, garlic, vinegar and peppercorns. Thankfully, the menu at Dainty Sichuan isn’t entirely incendiary, you’ll also find gentler fare from finely-pleated Chinese dumplings plump with pork to seasoned Sichuan duck with soothing cold noodles. 176 Toorak Rd, South Yarra; daintysichuanfood.com.au.
While Din Tai Fung restaurants may be found in shopping centres across the world, they offer so much more than just watered-down chain food. The precise dumplings are made like works of art – pleated 18 times then steamed for three minutes and delivered to your table piping hot. Order the spicy pork and prawn dumplings with a hit of ginger and you’ll find yourself ordering another round in less than three minutes. Or expand your meal by ordering from the appetisers, noodles, fried rice, soup and wok dishes. Level 4, 287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne; dintaifung.com.au.
The shattery-crisp crust on the barbecued pork rolls remains a revelation at the Melbourne home of the Hong Kong-based Michelin-starred mothership, but there are plenty of other reasons to visit this buzzing joint. Like the translucent spinach dumplings – an edible work of art – or the big flavoured pig’s liver cheung fan and the slippery vermicelli roll filled with shrimp in a sweet-edged sauce. From noodles to the deep-fried section, everything on the tick-a-box menu comes in at under $10, making it the perfect place for a quick office lunch or a proper feast on a shoestring. 206 Bourke St, Melbourne; timhowanaustralia.com.
It seems Mama really does know best, especially when it comes to dumplings. This family-run Melbourne favourite is tucked inside an arcade in Chinatown and serves up traditional recipes from Yantai on China’s Shandong Peninsula. Seafood may be a specialty of this budget-friendly haven, but for a more parochial dish, locals may want to opt for the seafood and chicken-filled Melbourne or Aussie Lamb pot stickers. Or think outside the dumpling wrapper and go for ShanDong specialties such as pork-stuffed fried lotus roots or extra-large bao. Eat in, or take away dumplings, pot stickers and buns to make at home. Shop 7-8 Mid City Arcade, 200 Bourke St, Melbourne; facebook.com/shandongmama Mid City, 7/200 Bourke St, Melbourne; facebook.com/shandongmama.
Housemade siu mai kicks things off, all plump prawn and pork meat snug in yellow wonton wrappers. Next is Peking duck, dry-aged for days and roasted until the skin is perfectly crisp and flesh tender, before being wrapped in a silky pancake with crisp cucumber and sticky hoisin. Larger plates include land, veg and sea proteins, but the most impressive, and perhaps easily overlooked, dish is the char kway teow in which fat rice noodles are covered in a bounty of veg and meaty textures. Benyue Kitchen’s brilliance lies in its simplicity – fresh ingredients, cooked moments before they hit your lips. 365 Buckley St, Aberfeldie; benyuekitchen.com.au.
You would never guess that this busy, light-filled, blonde timber restaurant is 21 years young. Run by David Zhou, this Melbourne institution is famous for its rural Shanghainese cuisine, with many of the dishes passed down from his great-grandmothers. With a menu that is not bound by starters and mains, dishes come out of the kitchen as soon as they are ready. Head in for fare you won’t find anywhere else, from smoked duck legs to Shanghai belt noodles slathered in black vinegar. The all-you-can-eat yum cha is a deal too good to be true.There is also a version for vegan diners. 4 Cecil Place, Prahran; davidsrestaurant.com.au.
Singapore by way of Lonsdale St, this hawker franchise replicates the Michelin-starred original with an authentically functional fit-out and the Hong Kongstyle soya chicken rice that put it on the global food map. The crisp-skinned chicken in its secret marinade is a juicy, complex delight; customise with noodles if rice isn’t your thing, or grab a half or whole chook to go. The simple Canto-style menu offers the same minismorgasbord of choice with roast duck, wonton soups and a few tofu and vegetable dishes, while the crackle-hatted roast pork is guaranteed to give the chicken a run for its money. 157 Lonsdale St, Melbourne; hawkerchanaustralia.com.
