melbourne cantonese

Mya Tiger

ST KILDA

Enjoy an authentic Cantonese banquet with a view, set above Melbourne’s iconic Esplanade Hotel. Pair duck pancakes, spicy pork chilli wontons and sesame prawn toast with a fusion cocktail. Yum Cha Sundays here are a highlight.

Gold Leaf Eastern Restaurant

BURWOOD EAST

For lunch, take your pick from any of the roaming yum cha carts that pass by every few minutes, or dig into an à la carte dinner featuring black bean sauce-slathered prawns or seafood in clay pots.

Lucky Chan

SOUTHBANK

Daily yum cha, live seafood from the tank and crispy fried noodles are all designed to share at this Cantonese restaurant. Take a seat in the courtyard for a view of the Yarra through bamboo stalks, while sipping jasmine tea or a Singapore Sling.

Secret Kitchen CBD

MELBOURNE

You can’t walk past the live seafood tank – one of the largest in the city – without doing a double-take. This Cantonese joint specialises in fresh seafood and seats up to 150 people. Aside from the seafood, the rest of the menu has the usual dim sum favourites. You might eat Peking duck pancakes, fried rice in an omelette pouch, and steamed buns decorated like piglets.

West Lake

MELBOURNE

A Chinese institution, West Lake has weathered the test of Chinatown's high turnover rates for decades. There’s excellent all-day yum cha, then tasty classics like scallops in XO sauce and stir-fried vegetables until well past midnight. Late-night cravings? Satisfy them here.

Pacific House Restaurant

RICHMOND

You might have seen the crimson Peking ducks hanging in the window. This affordable, bustling Cantonese barbeque and seafood restaurant is a Victoria Street institution. Rotating specials are handwritten on the wall, but don’t go past the Peking duck pancakes and char siew (barbeque pork).

Benyue Kitchen

ABERFELDIE

This southern-Chinese family restaurant – by Lau’s Family Kitchen alumni – serves crowd favourites like lamb spring rolls, fluffy crab omelette and Peking duck. Plus, there are plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes.