Melbourne CBD’s Best Dumplings
Dumplings are a Melbourne staple, whether steamed, fried, or served in a soup. There are so many options for these steamed or fried morsels of flavour in CBD that you’ll be doing laps around the CBD until everything closes up shop. Read more to discover the best Dumplings In Melbourne.
Dumplings are a Melbourne staple, whether steamed, fried, or served in a soup. There are so many options for these steamed or fried morsels of flavour in CBD that you’ll be doing laps around the CBD until everything closes up shop.
Dumplings stuffed with minced pork and prawns or mushrooms and chives may be found on this list of options. Superb fillings with broth are excellently blended with a thin casing with no holes restricting broth to leak.
In This Article
Here are the Best Dumplings In CBD, Melbourne:
Spice Temple
With the help of his business partners Trish Richards and David Doyle, Neil Perry came up with the idea for the restaurant’s gloomy interior, complete with toffee-hued lighting, plush chairs, and dark wood tables piled high with tableware of various hues of black. As part of the Urban Purveyor Group, Spice Temple was added to the roster in 2016.
Based on Perry’s interpretation of Chinese cuisine, the menu allows diners to explore as much or as little as they like. Sichuan, Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangxia, Guangxi, and Xinjiang are the inspiration for Spice Temple’s food in China. The flavours and textures are influenced by heat, spice, sourness, saltiness, and aromatic and scented qualities and food.
Wine lists are limited to 100 wines at a time, and each drink has been named after a Chinese horoscope sign to soothe and prepare your palate for the following flavour.
The restaurant’s menu focuses on regional mainland foods and flavours rather than Cantonese staples to break apart from the typical Cantonese cuisine, t.
Phone: (03) 929 257 747
Website: crownmelbourne.com.au
Chin Chin
The Asian-fusion restaurant Chin Chin is a hidden gem in Melbourne’s culinary scene. Flinders Lane is the home of the Lucas Group, which has long ruled over Melbourne from its fortress-like fortress. However, although the restaurant is not traditionally considered a “dumpling” destination, the menu is packed with excellent flavour-enhancing alternatives, such as the mighty pork and chive wonton. Winnington’s in hellfire chilli oil and destroying a platter of wontons by yourself is something that everyone in Melbourne should experience at least once.
Contact: +61 3 8663 2000
Website: https://www.chinchin.melbourne
Din Tai Fung
It’s no secret that Din Tai Fung is one of the most popular restaurants globally, thanks to the precise preparation of their dumplings, which ensure each dumpling weighs between 20 and 21.2 grams. CBD emporium has a quiet restaurant on the top floor with booth seating and a view into the kitchen to watch everything going on. Pork Xiao Long Bao is one of the most famous dumplings on the menu, thanks to the attention to detail and skill in making these dumplings.
When Din Tai Fung prepares to open for the meal service, unruly people jam the front desk, seeking answers to the most urgent question: “How long?” Meanwhile, the anointed ones’ buzzers whirr excitedly in their palms. Din Tai Fung, the Taiwanese dumpling master, was founded in 1974 and has expanded to Asia and the United States, with seven locations in Sydney.
Steamers are balanced on towers made of bamboo baskets. The waiters wear clean black and white outfits and have their audio earpieces securely in their ears during the meal. When one of its restaurants was awarded a Michelin star in 2009, Din Tai Fung gained a household name throughout the globe.
Phone: (03) 9654 1876
Website: dintaifung.com.au
HuTong Dumpling Bar
Hutong Dumpling Bar is a genuine competitor in the race to provide the most excellent dumplings in Melbourne. The Xiao Long Baos are exquisite, and they are beautifully constructed and delectable dumplings.
The cuisine is of good quality at a reasonable price. This eatery is a winner when the ambience is factored in. The dumplings are a cut above the rest of the competition. Through the kitchen window, you can observe the cooks meticulously creating dumplings by hand with precision.
A slight bump or puncture is all it takes to shatter the delicate shell of those Xiao Long Baos, which makes them very delicious. Despite this, the dumplings stick together rather nicely. The beef filling inside is flavorful and of high quality. The highlight, however, is the soup or broth that is used to fill these dumplings. When you eat them, the flavours simply erupt on your tongue when you eat them, filling your lips with deliciousness.
People who claim they can get cheaper dumplings in the neighbourhood should honestly consider the excellent quality of HuTong dumplings. In addition, the atmosphere here is fantastic. The atmosphere in the upper portion is lovely, and the service is quite attentive. The shredded pork served here is excellent. When served with rice, the twice-cooked pork is a delight. The noodles at Hu Tong are likewise amazing.
Phone: +61 3 9650 8128
Website: https://hutong.com.au
China Red
What are the happy individuals in line at China Red waiting for with its emblem depicting two faces smiling simultaneously? There is a corner window with brilliantly lighted views of the dumpling makers and noodle throwers as they effortlessly spin, twist, and spit out the dough balls in the line. It’s part of the Hu-Tong dumpling empire, tucked away in the middle of the CBD arcade strip.
Touch-screen ordering is shown once you’re inside. In other words, interactive media brings your desires to life at every dining table, displaying vibrant visuals and recommendations as they scroll by. In Melbourne, this is the first of its sort. It enhances the eating experience.
With many dark wood tables and elaborate latticework, The bottom floor is brilliantly illuminated with many dark wood tables and intricate latticework. However, the second dining room is located down a flight of steps. There is a raucous commotion in the kitchen, poorly lighted and filled with laughter. There may be dumplings on display above, but you’d be forgiven for thinking a dragon was lurking in the basement.
Phone: (03) 9662 3688
Website: china-red.com.au
Flower Drum
Flower Drum’s service is a finely planned ballet that some waiters have refined for more than 20 years. Once you enter the Market Lane foyer, you’re never out of someone’s sight.
To get to The Flower Drum, go through the red door on Market Lane, then ride the elevator up to the first level to discover one of Melbourne’s most famous restaurants.
Located in Chinatown for almost 30 years, the globally recognised restaurant has been a beacon of success because of its trademark dish, Peking duck. Your perfectly-dressed server will bring you a freshly roasted duck wrapped in a thin homemade pancake to your table every day. Canton-style cuisine is brought to life with delicacies like the tiger abalone roasted in its juices and the drunken squab served in its sauces and smaller dishes like the Sung Choi Bao and the Lamb Spring Rolls.
Even though visiting this posh restaurant will strain your pocketbook, it’s the best place to eat authentic Asian cuisine. Visit for the alluring, dimly lit ambience and the dependably excellent cuisine and service they provide.
Phone: (03) 9662 3655
Website: flower-drum.com
Ruyi
A Ruyi (which translates to “as you wish”) is a spiritual artefact or talisman in Chinese culture that symbolises good fortune. During the Cultural Revolution, the red guards stole Sheng Fang’s family’s Ruyi, an artefact handed down through the generations of the clan. Ruyi results from a joint effort between Fang and his wife, Qian Qian Luo-Fang, who set out to find their Ruyi and include their ideas about what that means.
Paul Hecker of Hecker Guthrie has toned down the traditional Chinese colour pallet to more subdued reds and yellows and their trademark Ruyi green colour. The fixtures and fittings follow suit, with handcrafted concrete and wooden lighting from France, natural wooden seats and stools imported from Milan, and antique ’70s tiles from Brunswick stores. Melbourne ceramic artist Andrei Davidoff handcrafts Ruyi’s dinnerware in similar tones, particularly for the restaurant, and the minor discrepancies between them add to the naturalness of the eating experience.
Two chefs in the kitchen who formerly worked at the Michelin-starred Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club will test your taste buds. It’s impossible to tell that the wonton dumplings are gluten-free because of the light strawberry sauce that covers the prawns (almost). Dessert lovers won’t be disappointed with their inventive take on the classic banana cake topped with frozen milk and ice cream cooked in the pan before being served.
Phone: (03) 9090 7778
Website: ruyi.com.au
Tim Ho Wan
This particular Tim Ho Wan – the one on Bourke Street with the line that snakes around the block to the point known as “two hours’ wait” – does not have a Michelin star. Mak Kwai Pui started his Hong Kong dumpling shop in 2009, and that’s where you’ll get the real deal.
Sugar-dusted buns packed with a jammy flavourful BBQ pork filling may seem like Hong Kong’s response to the Frankenfood trend, but they are rather tasty. They’re baked rather than steamed, and the light, flaky pastry works well with the sugary coating.
There are various more traditional dumplings, such as the eye-catching transparent ones filled with spicy spinach and some shrimp. Nuggets of barbecued pork drizzled in a sweet-soy sauce with an unnamed mystery ingredient are served over vermicelli rice noodles. While calm and efficient, the waiters don’t like to spill any trade secrets, and some ugly duckling beef meatballs on strips of bean curd are a culinary revelation with their ginger crunch and fresh coriander. Because the filling is mainly custardy egg white, the customary post-spring roll recriminations are less likely to occur after eating spring rolls.
The city’s busiest dumpling restaurant, this two-story Chinatown jewel is a dumpling lover’s paradise. There is a chaotic first level with scattered seats, bright pink walls, and hurried waiters with steaming platters of scorching hot dumplings in their hands as the enormous red door snuggled into the historic front opens.
As the name implies, Shanghai-style Chinese meals (and vegetarian alternatives) make up the bulk of this restaurant’s menu. Oyster sauce splashed on Chinese broccoli and steaming Shanghai fried rice are excellent accompaniments to dumplings.
Phone: (03) 9663 1878.
Website: https://www.timhowanaustralia.com
Mr Huang Jin
Located in Chinatown, this two-story dumpling shop is undoubtedly the city’s busiest dumpling eatery. There is a chaotic first level with scattered seats, bright pink walls, and hurried servers with steaming dishes of scorching hot dumplings in their hands. Once you’ve placed your order, you’ll be able to enjoy steamed or fried dumplings at your table within minutes. All of the possible fillings and combinations are on hand, and you wouldn’t have considered a few.
Chinese broccoli slathered in oyster sauce and served with steaming Shanghai fried rice are both excellent accompaniments to your steaming hot dumplings.
In addition to its vibrant environment and convenient BYO policy, Shanghai Village’s success stems from its quick service, affordable cuisine, and dishes of 15 dumplings for around $10. An ideal venue for pre- or post-work meetings and festivities, Shanghai Village’s central position in Chinatown makes it perfect for prepping for a night on the town or a fast dinner before going home
Phone: (03) 9663 1878
Website: https://www.zomato.com/melbourne/mr-huang-jin-1-cbd
ShanDong MaMa
It’s common knowledge that the only things you’ll find in Melbourne’s historic downtown retail arcades are a few discount apparel businesses and glittery phone covers. However, ShanDong MaMa is hidden away in an alleyway arcade in Chinatown. Ying Hou and her mother, Meiyan Wang (known fondly as “Mama”) own a seafood restaurant in Yantai, a fishing town on the Chinese Shandong Peninsula.
ShanDong’s fish dumplings live up to the province’s reputation for seafood delicacies. The fish, chives, coriander, ginger, and spring onion are all homemade in the packets. They pair wonderfully with a fresh cabbage salad, the house-made “Daryl Noodles,” and a soothing cup of pu-erh tea to soothe your tummy. One of the city’s most excellent vegetarian dumplings is the zucchini-stuffed kind (vegan).
Traditional Chinese diner decor, with light cream walls and freshwater plants, is maintained throughout the restaurant. Although long lines typically develop at the entrance, the personnel move them rapidly.
Phone: +61 3 9650 3818
Website: https://www.facebook.com/shandongmama/