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Best Chinese Restaurant In Melbourne

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    Chinese food is one of the oldest and most diverse in the world, although it is frequently oversimplified in Australia. Perhaps the most well-known examples of China's regional cuisines in Melbourne are Cantonese and Sichuan. They are, however, only two of "the eight great cuisines" (the others are Hunan, Jiangsu, Fujian, Zhejian, Anhui and Shandong).

    Eating your fill of steamed dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, and glazed BBQ duck is a great way to show your support for the Chinese population here in America. Someone has to do the hard task, but it must be done.

    The term "Chinese food" can be misleading because there are so many distinct regional cuisines in China. Melbourne is fortunate to have a large Chinese population, which has broadened the city's culinary horizons to include dishes like har gao, siu mai, mapo tofu, and Hainanese chicken rice. Therefore, if you don't feel like cooking, here is a list of restaurants (both informal and upscale) to visit.

    So, where are the best Chinese restaurants in Melbourne? Being that it's our job, we've scoured the city to find the best fried rice, dumplings, and, of course, pork buns for you to sink your teeth into.

    Restaurants To Try

    David's

    davids restaurant melbourne

    It is hard to believe that this airy eatery, with its blonde wood accents, has been open for twenty years. This Melbourne staple is run by David Zhou, who draws rave reviews for the authentic rural Shanghainese delicacies he learned to make from his grandmothers. Stop in for some unique dishes like Shanghai belt noodles doused in black vinegar and softshell river prawns. It's hard to believe that the unlimited yum cha is actually real food. Prahran address: No. 4, Cecil Place.

    David's, located in a bright, open space with whitewashed wooden walls and high benches, offers clean, smart, and modern eating with a street-food twist. Amazing decor includes pieces from the Orient Express, plus lush foliage and adorable employees. You may find a variety of lunch specials, including spiced sweet potato salad and delicious beef noodle soup, for less than $12 if you head down their alleyway off Chapel Street. Their seafood is excellent, and the special crab fried rice is always the favourite dish to have when we dine there for supper. Furthermore, yum cha is served on Sundays. Is there any way this could be any better?

    HuTong Dumpling Bar

    hutongbar melbourne

    Did someone say wontons? The burns you could get on your chest from eating these pork-filled dumplings with their pale-yellow wrappers and scorching chilli oil are totally justified. In Melbourne, few can compare to HuTong's quality of work in this field. If you'd rather not need a spoon to eat, the northern-style spinach dumplings and the light crystal dumplings stuffed with shrimp flesh are excellent alternatives. Market Lane, Numbers 14-16, Melbourne.

    HuTong, which has outposts in Melbourne's central business district and in Prahran, is arguably the city's most famous dumpling vendor. You'll have to wait a while to get a table at one of the popular restaurants, but it's well worth it.

    Chinacy

    chinacy melbourne

    Chinacy serves authentic Chinese cuisine with a touch of glitz. Located in the heart of South Yarra's bustling Chapel St, head chef Eugene Yap is whipping up some delicious dishes in the kitchen. Feel free to indulge in the banquet if hunger strikes. Alternatively, there is a selection of both larger platters and fried snacks. You must try the chicken and scallop dumplings and the tempura fish hand bun. Delicious!

    Lee Ho Fook

    lee ho fook melbourne

    As of now, eight years later, Victor Liong's 'New-style' Chinese stalwart is still the undisputed champion.

    Has the word "fusion" ever really disappeared? Was it just old fashion dressed up as something new? Besides, who cares when it's this tasty? At Victor Liong's historic pan-Asian institution Lee Ho Fook, you'll have to ask yourself these weighty issues as you peruse the set menu (and only menu) of little hatted meals on the CBD's graf-scrawled, Tourism Vic Duckboard Place. 

    We're here for the Sunday lunch sitting, where the prix fixe menu covers four courses and around the same number of regions for $80, plus another $60 for wine pairing (expected as much, while the non-alcoholic beverages, especially the fig leaf ice tea, are top-notch). There will be another four courses for dinner, which will cost twice as much, but that's still a ways off and we have to go.

    But for the moment being, we've congregated beneath the tall gabled roof of a bricky room quietly buzzing with long-overdue catch-ups, awaiting direction from the friendly and knowledgeable (though understaffed) floor team. A dagginess permeates the establishment, exemplified by the multitude of people attending to see the matinee of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the toothless lounge jazz that fills the space. Neither is a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination (in fact, they're bonuses), but if you are more of a two-hour package rave bruncher, you might want to keep that in mind. It's friendly, yet very quiet for a party. Of course, there's also the fact that it's Sunday afternoon. Anyway, Geoff, the steampunk version of our helpful waiter, is coming to fill us in.

    If you're feeling hungry in this Melbourne laneway scene, just follow the red neon sign that glows like a beacon. There's a reason why Xinjiang-style lamb shoulder is a featured dish: the spicy, fatty, meaty meat is ridiculously delicious when paired with sumac-spiced fried Gugur bread. This isn't quite a dive bar, but it does serve food (especially once you factor in booze). To be sure, chef Victor Liong's unabashed cooking pushes the limits of convention to create remarkable Chinese food that isn't quite like you're used to. Numbers 11-15 Duckboard Place, Melbourne.

    The cheese tart that is baked, which combines sweet and savoury flavours, is a late-game choice, and a Beijing through Guangdong Peking duck serves as a form of early reinforcement, but if you're not too hungry, the set menu should be sufficient. All of the wines used in the pairings are produced in Australia; specific niche varietals were sourced from Tasmania and Victoria (the Cobaw Ridge big, great moment is coming up).

    One of the first things to appear on the table is chicken skin prepared in the Shandong way, a flawless square of paper-thin rind slathered in cashew cream and sprinkled with spring onions. These silky Belle Bonne bubbles from Tasmania are a wonderful complement to the wine's stunningly rich but soft opening. You may get it as part of the appetiser platter alongside a bowl of drunken pups, pickled mussels floating in heavenly aged Shaoxing wine, and fried bread with charred spring onion and soft curds; the bottle green umami-fest of the latter is worth the trip on its own.

    The Tasmanian Ocean trout rolls that follow are also perfect, with the nasturtiums that decorate them providing a grassy-fresh counterpoint to the thick, gingery white soy cream.Mango pudding studded with pomelo kernels and an assortment of petit fours (including a Vietnamese coffee crème brûlée we would do awful things to relive) sent us on our way, envious of the matinee crowd.

    Probably not, is the response to the preceding queries. Although Lee Ho Fook is not the best place to learn about authentic Chinese cuisine, the Melbourne community has never sought out such establishments, and it is not the restaurant's responsibility to educate the public on such topics. Even in China itself, there are probably many different interpretations of what constitutes "new-style Chinese" among the many restaurants and chefs. Liong's work, which pays close attention to detail, is brilliant and well-balanced, however. Maybe this is the 'New style' Chinese; if so, we could do a lot worse. A further eight years!

    FAQs About Chinese Food In Melbourne

    Australia's Most Popular Chinese Dishes

    • Sweet Pork Bun. 
    • Peking Duck. 
    • Dumplings. 
    • Sweet and Sour Pork. 
    • Hot Pot. 
    • Pipis with Pork and Shaoxing Wine.

    Chinese food has become a national obsession in Australia. However, the Chinese immigration boom to Australia did not begin until the country experienced a series of gold rushes in the nineteenth century.

    As a result, thousands of Chinese citizens, particularly those from rural areas of southern China and the Pearl River delta, flocked to the gold rushes. As a result, 11,493 Chinese immigrants settled in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1855.

    Chinese food was introduced to Australia in the 1850s when Chinese workers were first lured to our shores searching for gold rush prosperity.

    Soon enough, Chinese immigrants were opening cookhouses. These small food shops were naturally popular among Chinese goldmine workers and soon began drawing in Aussie diggers.

    It is relatively easy to obtain authentic and delectable Chinese food in Australia's major cities, provided that you are familiar with the correct places to look. However, the authenticity of the food decreases the further into the countryside one travels.

    Alongside providing food, these enclaves also served as networks for the employment of Chinese people, trading Chinese goods, and procuring Chinese ingredients.

    For example, in the 1930s, people in Australia started going to Chinese restaurants for their dinners or bringing their saucepans from home to order takeout. The menu included chicken chow mein, sweet and sour pork, and chop suey.

    Supper Inn

    super inn melbourne

    There has been a Supper Inn for some time. It's been there for close to 40 years, yet that hasn't diminished its popularity. Come here for some cheap but delicious Chinese food. They stay open until 2:30 am, which means you can go on a drunken Chinese food binge without breaking the bank or regretting it the next day.

    Din Tai Fung

    din tai fung melbourne

    Dumpling superstar Din Tai Fung can be found on the penthouse level of Emporium, allowing you to combine two of life's greatest pleasures: retail therapy and tummy rumblings. Logic dictates that dumpling expert Din Tai Fung would be the one to build this Chinese paradise, and so he did in 1974 with the opening of his first restaurant in Taiwan; today, his empire spans the globe with thousands of locations in Asia, the United States, and even Sydney. You can take it as read that he knows what he's doing. Pork dumplings stuffed with crabmeat and roe are a thing of beauty. The fried rice and pork buns come highly recommended as well.

    You may find Din Tai Fung restaurants in malls all over the world, but don't be fooled—they serve far more than your typical chain fare. Dumplings are pleated 18 times, steamed for 3 minutes, and served boiling hot, much like a work of art. If you're ever in Melbourne, stop by level 4, 287 Lonsdale St., and try the spicy prawn and pork dumplings with a pinch of ginger; you'll be less than three minutes later ordering a second round.

    Simon's Peking Duck

    simon's peking duck melbourne

    Simon's Peking Duck serves some of Melbourne's best Peking Ducks at rock-bottom prices, despite the slightly misspelt name. Simon Lay, widely regarded as the "godfather" of Chinese cuisine in Melbourne, Australia, passed away in early 2017. However, his descendants continue to operate the company, and the duck is still delicious. A whole tender duck, homemade pancakes, fresh spring onions, crispy duck skin, cucumbers, and a special plum sauce are all part of two different "Peking duck" dinner offers. The duck bone soup with bean curd that comes with the banquets is still our favourite dinner for two in all of Melbs, and it's free.

    One Noodle Friendship

    one noodle friendship melbourne

    You'll find all of your traditional Chinese favourites here in addition to the restaurant's signature dish, which is hand-pulled noodles served in rich broths. You may be drawn back for more than the fried rice, dumplings, and seasoned pigs ears on the menu once a week by the welcoming atmosphere. The fact that everything is so stereotypical Chinese (let's just say the interior design won't be featured in Vogue Living) just lends credibility to the idea that One Noodle Friendship is real. Plus, the word "noodle" is just so much fun to say. Absolutely order a dish made with pigs' ears; you'll be pleasantly pleased.

    Shandong Mama

    shandongmama melbourne

    The average arcade decor and understated plating of the food at this hole-in-the-wall dumpling shack don't exactly scream "smash hit" at first glance. Instead, we put it down to the potency of mackerel dumplings. There are plenty of tasty options, but the mackerel is where it's at, whether it's served boiled or potsticker-style with a crispy bottom. The fish is beaten into a mousse and infused with ginger, coriander, and chives. 7/200 Bourke St., Melbourne's Mid-City.

    Dumplings

    dumplings1

    Dumplings galore, as the name says. Nonetheless, don't fall for it. These aren't the same as your average steamed pork or fish packages. Cheeseburger dumplings, fish and chip dumplings, and rending beef dumplings are just a few of the ways the guys at Dumplings have reimagined the classic dumpling. Is it not your cup of tea? Having no worries is fine. They have the required pork and ginger gyoza skins in addition to the traditional delicate prawn and chive harrow and a cracking shitake mushroom for the veggies.

    Dolan Uyghur

    dolan uyghur melbourne

    Literally no one has heard of this place. It's very bad, because centrally located Dolan Uyghur is a wonderful part of town. Small restaurant that serves Uyghur food, an underappreciated style of cooking from the north-west of China. You can get a lot of food for $20, including steamed buns, sweet tea, raw potato salad, and heaping bowls of hand-pulled chewy noodles doused in sauce. Dolan Uyghurs can be found in the Central Business District as well as in Carlton, Springvale, and Box Hill. Consequently, if you're sick of the same old thing, you should give this one a try.

    Tuan Tuan

    tuan tuan melbourne

    Creamy congee, Macanese delicacies, and sweet and savoury snow buns can all be found in this Hong Kong-style eatery, opened by the same people responsible for Chinatown's Dessert Kitchen.

    Wonderbao

    wonderbao melbourne

    The fluffy, whiteness of bao is hard to resist. There's really no reason to consume meat when vegetarian options are just as delicious as the meat ones. To round out a perfect day, grab one of these and stuff it with fried silken tofu, cilantro, and crushed peanuts. Did we mention that at around $3 for a bun, they're cheap? Melbourne, Australia, Shop 4, 19–37 A'Beckett Street

    Tim Ho Wan

    tim ho wan melbourne

    You can enjoy a good meal of Hong Kong-style dim sum for $20, earning it the nickname "world's cheapest Michelin starred restaurant." The pork buns are the restaurant's most famous item, but the spring rolls stuffed with shrimp and egg white mousse are also excellent. The address is 206 Bourke Street in Melbourne.

    Spice Temple

    spice temple melbourne

    Five years after it initially debuted, Neil Perry's dark and sensual lair of Cantonese cookery still has plenty of fire in the belly. Seafood and meat dishes from all throughout China, from the coastal to the inland, are spiked with chilli peppers. Dishes with a high level of heat are clearly labelled in red, but the menu still has plenty of options for those with a lower tolerance for heat. In order to try more of the menu, it is recommended that you order half portions of each dish and save room for dessert, which could take the form of a chilli-numbing parfait "waggon wheel" bursting with caramel, chocolate, and peanut to satisfy your sweet tooth while also serving a practical purpose. The Crown Building in the Southbank district of Melbourne.

    You should make your date take you here since the food is fantastic, the atmosphere is dark and sensual, and chef Neil Perry is in charge of the kitchen. Spice Temple, located in Crown, is one of those restaurants that, despite its constant bustle, manages to make you feel like you're the only one there. The menu features dishes from all throughout China, which is unusual for Chinese restaurants, and is full of Perry's trademark flair. In case you find yourself at a loss for words, don't worry; the bartenders have named their cocktails after constellations in the Zodiac. 

    Panda Hot Pot

    panda hot pot melbourne

    Panda Hot Pot, an international business with its first Australian location in Sydney, serves spicy do-it-yourself soup with an array of 80 toppings under the watchful eye of a 1.5-ton steel dragon.

    Regional cuisines are rarely lumped together. While Chinese immigration to Australia dates back to the middle of the nineteenth century, it is only in the last few years that we've seen restaurants in Melbourne serve foods from less well-known Chinese regions. Plus, they continue to live primarily in Chinese enclaves like Springvale and Box Hill.

    Chinatowns around Australia once thrived on beef in black bean sauce, spring rolls, and sweet and sour pork. They are still commonly ordered as takeout, and for many people, the local Chinese restaurant is the prefered location for the once-a-year celebration feast. However, in recent years, Australia's eating scene has undergone a revolution, with Chinese food taking centre stage, notably in Melbourne.

    Conclusion

    The term "Chinese food" may be misleading because China has many regional cuisines. Melbourne's Chinese community has introduced new flavours such as har gao, siu mai, mapo tofu, and Hainanese chicken rice. Chinacy serves exquisite Chinese food. HuTong is the town's most famous dumpling shop. Victor Liong's "New-style" Chinese stalwart is the greatest.

    The four-course prix fixe menu covers similar regions. Chef Victor Liong surprises with great Chinese food at this not-a-dive bar (especially once you factor in booze). All wines were Australian, focusing on Tasmanian and Victorian specialist types. Din Tai Fung is on Emporium's top floor. Melbourne lost Simon Lay, the "godfather" of Chinese food, in 2013.

    Peking Duck offers Melbourne's best Peking Duck at reasonable prices. Melbourne's Mid-One City's Noodle Friendship has several dumplings. Mackerel dumplings are great cooked or potsticker-style. Melbourne duck bone soup with bean curd is our romantic lunch. Try Dolan Uyghurs if you're bored.

    Hong Kong-style dim sum lunches cost $20. Red-labelled hot foods are available for those with low heat tolerance. Spice Temple is so intimate that you may forget there are other individuals in the restaurant. Chef Neil Perry's menu features dishes from across China, cooked in his style.

    Content Summary

    • Chinese food is one of the oldest and most diverse in the world, although it is frequently oversimplified in Australia.
    • Cantonese and Sichuan are the most well-known examples of China's regional cuisines in Melbourne.
    • The term "Chinese food" can be misleading because there are so many distinct regional cuisines in China.
    • Melbourne is fortunate to have a large Chinese population, which has broadened the city's culinary horizons to include dishes like har gao, siu mai, mapo tofu, and Hainanese chicken rice.
    • Therefore, if you don't like cooking, here is a list of restaurants (informal and upscale) to visit.
    • In Melbourne, few can compare to HuTong's quality of work in this field.
    • HuTong, which has outposts in Melbourne's central business district and Prahran, is arguably the city's most famous dumpling vendor.
    • Chinacy serves authentic Chinese cuisine with a touch of glitz.
    • As of now, eight years later, Victor Liong's 'New-style' Chinese stalwart is still the undisputed champion.
    • There's a reason why Xinjiang-style lamb shoulder is a featured dish: the spicy, fatty, meaty meat is ridiculously delicious when paired with sumac-spiced fried Gugur bread.
    • This isn't quite a dive bar, but it does serve food (especially once you factor in booze).
    • To be sure, chef Victor Liong's unabashed cooking pushes the limits of convention to create remarkable Chinese food that isn't quite like you're used to.
    • Numbers 11-15 Duckboard Place, Melbourne.
    • All the wines used in the pairings are produced in Australia; specific niche varietals were sourced from Tasmania and Victoria (the Cobaw Ridge big, great moment is coming up).
    • You may get it as part of the appetiser platter alongside a bowl of drunken pups, pickled mussels floating in heavenly aged Shaoxing wine, and fried bread with charred spring onion and soft curds; the bottle green umami-fest of the latter is worth the trip on its own.
    • The Tasmanian Ocean trout rolls that follow are also perfect, with the nasturtiums that decorate them providing a grassy-fresh counterpoint to the thick, gingery white soy cream.
    • Although Lee Ho Fook is not the best place to learn about authentic Chinese cuisine, the Melbourne community has never sought such establishments. The restaurant is not responsible for educating the public on such topics.
    • Even in China, there are probably many interpretations of what constitutes "new-style Chinese" among the many restaurants and chefs.
    • Come here for some cheap but delicious Chinese food.
    • Dumpling superstar Din Tai Fung can be found on the penthouse level of Emporium, allowing you to combine two of life's greatest pleasures: retail therapy and tummy rumblings.
    • Logic dictates that dumpling expert Din Tai Fung would be the one to build this Chinese paradise, and so he did in 1974 with the opening of his first restaurant in Taiwan; today, his empire spans the globe with thousands of locations in Asia, the United States, and even Sydney.
    • You may find Din Tai Fung restaurants in malls all over the world, but don't be fooled—they serve far more than your typical chain fare.
    • The duck bone soup with bean curd that comes with the banquets is still our favourite dinner for two in all of Melbs, and it's free.
    • You'll find all of your traditional Chinese favourites in addition to the restaurant's signature dish, hand-pulled noodles served in rich broths.
    • You may be drawn back for more than the fried rice, dumplings, and seasoned pigs ears on the menu once a week by the welcoming atmosphere.
    • The fact that everything is so stereotypical Chinese (let's say the interior design won't be featured in Vogue Living) just lends credibility to the idea that One Noodle Friendship is real.
    • The average arcade decor and understated food plating at this hole-in-the-wall dumpling shack don't exactly scream "smash hit" at first glance.
    • Instead, we put it down to the potency of mackerel dumplings.
    • Cheeseburger dumplings, fish and chip dumplings, and rending beef dumplings are just a few of the ways the guys at Dumplings have reimagined the classic dumpling.
    • Dolan Uyghurs can be found in the Central Business District, Carlton, Springvale, and Box Hill.
    • Creamy congee, Macanese delicacies, and sweet and savoury snow buns can all be found in this Hong Kong-style eatery, opened by the same people responsible for Chinatown's Dessert Kitchen.
    • Melbourne, Australia, Shop 4, 19–37 A'Beckett Street. You can enjoy a good Hong Kong-style dim sum meal for $20, earning it the nickname "world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant."
    • Five years after it initially debuted, Neil Perry's dark and sensual lair of Cantonese cookery still has plenty of fire in the belly.
    • Seafood and meat dishes throughout China, from the coastal to the inland, are spiked with chilli peppers.
    • The Crown Building in the Southbank district of Melbourne.
    • Spice Temple, located in Crown, is one of those restaurants that, despite its constant bustle, manages to make you feel like you're the only one there.
    • The menu features dishes from throughout China, which is unusual for Chinese restaurants and is full of Perry's trademark flair.
    • While Chinese immigration to Australia dates back to the middle of the nineteenth century, it is only in the last few years that restaurants in Melbourne serve foods from less well-known Chinese regions.
    • However, Australia's eating scene has been revolutionised in recent years, with Chinese food taking centre stage, notably in Melbourne.
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