If you are planning a trip to Melbourne, then chances are you are hoping to experience everything that this unique city has to offer. This definitely means sampling the local culture, the shopping – and the food.
Melbourne is a destination that is known for its amazing restaurants. However, this does not mean that your palate has to be limited to western cuisine. So if you are feeling adventurous, then you are in the right place.
Currently, Melbourne boasts one of the largest Chinese communities in Australia. So not surprisingly, the city is bursting with wonderful establishments dedicated to the production of authentic Chinese food.
And with so many restaurants to choose from, it can be difficult to limit your choices. Luckily, we have decided to aid you in your search.
So if you are spending some time in Melbourne and find yourself craving some delicious dumplings, we’ve got you covered. We have everything you need to find the best Chinese cuisine that the city has to offer.
In the following article, we have selected 15 of the best Chinese restaurants in Melbourne, so that you can experience the culture and diversity that has made this city the place it is today.
So why not take a look at our top choices and see which one piques your interest…
For the first entry on our list, we have selected a Cantonese restaurant that is known throughout Melbourne for its high-end cuisine and attention to detail. In fact, this establishment is one of the top kitchens in Australia, never mind being amongst the best Chinese restaurants in Melbourne.
Specialising in traditional Cantonese food that has been meticulously prepared, Flower Drum serves all of its dishes on individual trolleys. In fact, the waiters even prepare your Peking duck at the table.
So if you have been searching for a Chinese restaurant that offers dinner and a show, look no further than this wonderful spot.
On a trip to Sydney and unsure where to get your fill of good Chinese food? Take a look at our guide for some inspiration.
Based in the heart of the city, Lee Ho Fook is a Chinese restaurant with a twist. Here a range of delicious dishes are taken to the next level with skill and imagination.
Born from the mind of head chef Victor Liong, this particular establishment is known for its creativity and genius. The chefs take classic cuisines and transform them into culinary masterpieces.
Beyond the usual Chinese fare, a trip to this restaurant will allow you to sample their signature Chinizza. This is a one-of-a-kind Chinese-inspired pizza complete with shallot pancake and buffalo cheese.
Originality and flavour put this firmly on our list of the best Chinese restaurants in Melbourne. At Lee Ho Fook the food displays everything that is exciting about Asian fusion cuisine.
Location: 176 Toorak Rd, South Yarra, VIC 3141 Ph: (03) 9078 1686 Check website above for more locations.
While the name of this restaurant may be a tad misleading (the food is anything but dainty) it makes up for it by offering some of the spiciest dishes in the whole of Melbourne.
Known for their hot chilli and fresh Sichuan peppercorns, this restaurant is not for the faint of heart. Every dish promises to make your eyes water and your taste buds sing. But then that’s exactly what we love about fiery Sichuan cuisine.
Sichuan food is famous for its Hot Pots. If you want to try cooking an authentic Hot Pot (or Shabu Shabu) at home, you need a the right pot. For more information and prices, click here.
However, one of the best things about this establishment is the price, as the food is not only good but cheap and affordable as well. What more could you want?
Add to that the fact that their noodles and wontons are handmade and you have a wonderfully authentic Chinese dining experience.
Moreover, they now have restaurants and fast food outlets right across Melbourne, including in the Food Court of the Chadstone Shopping Centre.
And if you have a hankering for chillies and spice, why not take a look at our recommendations for the Best Sichuan Food in Melbourne?
Could this be the longest menu in Melbourne? Well, if it isn’t, it must be up there!
The good news it that if you’re not sure what to order at Old Beijing, firstly there are plenty of photos to help you and secondly, everything is reliably good.
As the name suggests, this Chinese restaurant delights in bringing the best traditional dishes from Beijing and presenting with a contemporary twist. The result, is hit after appetising hit.
Anywhere that has Peking Duck as a signature is OK by us. At Old Beijing, the bronzed duck skin has the perfect glassy crunch. It’s divine. But then everything we’ve sampled so far as been faultless. From slippery Chicken Wonton with Hot Chilli to Tomato & Egg Flower Drop Soup to X.O. Australian Pipis and more.
Happily, when you’re eating at one of the top Chinese restaurants in Melbourne, returning multiples times to work your way through the extensive menu isn’t a chore. Needless to say, we’ll be back at Old Beijing soon for some more tempting platefuls.
If you want to visit a restaurant that embodies the strengths of Melbourne dining, then look no further than Super Ling.
Known for its unique approach to Chinese cuisine, this restaurant takes traditional Hakka food and gives it a gastronomic twist before serving it up with style and simplicity.
Complete with comfortable decor and Bruce Lee film posters, this restaurant is unique among the entries on our list. Even better, it offers one of the most inventive dishes in the city – mapo tofu jaffle. Yep. You read that right.
Editor’s Note: We have heard that Super Ling is currently closed. We will let you know when you learn more.As this is the case, why not check out this spot instead…?
You see, when their website states that they ‘are passionate about delivering an unforgettable hot pot experience’ they really aren’t kidding.
Firstly, Chinese hot pot is rather like a DIY fondue of proteins, vegetables and noodles that you cook yourself in a soup base simmering away at your table. At Panda Hot Pot, with broths ranging from the House Signature Sichuan Spicy Soup Base to Fish Maw and Chicken Soup Base and more than 80 additions to pick from, the choice if quite astounding.
Secondly, the venue. Both the restaurant in Carlton and Carnegie are something else. Rich with Chinese decorations – from lanterns to screens to incense burners – and vibrant with lucky red and gold – be prepared for a sensory overload. And then there are the performances. Whilst you eat you may be serenaded by traditional instruments or entertained by a burst of Peking Opera.
Finally, if you venture over to Panda Hot Pot in Carlton, there is even a huge metal dragon hanging from the ceiling. It really is quite a sight!
So if you’re ever been curious about Sichuan hot pot, you should book a spot at a Panda restaurants for a truly memorable meal. This is definitely one of the top Chinese restaurants in Melbourne.
Location: 151 La Trobe St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9650 8887 Check website above for more locations.
The next time you pay the Emporium’s spacious third-floor food court a visit, don’t forget to stop by New Shanghai. After all, it is arguably one of the best Chinese restaurants in Melbourne.
Known for its delicious and authentic offerings, this particular eatery boasts a wide menu of pork-filled wontons, chilli oil and peanut butter chicken. Sometimes it’s the little things that make Melbourne the place to be.
If you pay this next restaurant a visit, you will probably find yourself staring through the glass walls of its visible kitchen entranced. Here you can watch as a team of professional chefs make and cook their signature dumplings.
Known for its wide selection of delicious offerings, this restaurant is probably most notable for its soups and wontons. Stand-outs include pork-filled envelopes and moreish bowls of salty broth.
Ideal for sad and rainy days, this restaurant promises to perk up your spirits in no time.
Location: 382-384 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: 0460 822 222 Check the website for more locations
When you eat at Lanzhou Beef Noodles, you are not given a menu. Instead you have to make your selection before walking through the front door.
If you go up to the busy counter without a dish in mind, you could throw a spanner into the restaurant’s flawless system, which works to produce some of the best noodles in the whole of Australia.
While the spicy noodles are considered to be one of the best offerings on the menu, we personally enjoy the braised beef noodles. These come floating in a large bowl of broth.
Dumplings are such a great creation! If you find yourself in the Queensland capital and feel like a treat, take a look at our guide to the best dumplings in Brisbane.
Established by the Dainty Sichuan Group, this infamous noodle bar is not afraid to add some much-needed spice to its selection of dishes, which can range from rustic charmers to culinary masterpieces.
So if you want to pay this establishment a visit, we recommend taking a glass of milk, because you’re going to need it. Famous for its fried chicken and noodle soup, this is one eatery you don’t want to miss.
If you have been searching for a Chinese restaurant where you can undo your belt and eat the night away, then we have found the perfect place for you.
Known throughout the city for its delicious and moreish dumplings, this restaurant does not shy away from large portions, with the menu offering a wide variety of hearty meals.
All you have to do is order some soup dumplings and you will want to stay for more, before rounding off the night with a slice of their infamous sugared pork belly.
HuTong also has a sister restaurant over in Prahan – HuTong Dumpling Bar. You can find information on it on the HuTong website above.
Dumplings! Dumplings! Oh dumplings! If you can’t get enough of these tasty parcels of joy, see our guide to the best in Melbourne.
There’s nothing better than authentic Shandong cuisine and this next restaurant offers some of the best in the whole of Melbourne.
Owned and operated by a Chinese-Australian family, this establishment prides itself on its homemade dishes and is known for its wide selection of tasty dumplings.
However, it also offers other authentic meals such as mackerel served with chives and fresh ginger. So why not check it out and see which dish catches your eye.
Location: RMIT University Melbourne City Campus, UniLodge, D2/26 Orr St, Carlton, VIC 3053 Ph: 0423 2626 122
Although Hi Chong Qing’s menu only offers five delicious dishes, it makes up for it by being the home of one of the best noodle dishes in the city.
Featuring spring wheat flour noodles that have been cooked in a warm broth with Sichuan peppercorns and pork feet, this is one establishment that you don’t want to miss, especially when it comes to noodles and hotpots.
Sometimes you want to cast your net further than Chinese cuisine. If you are in Sydney and fancy sampling elsewhere in Asia, check our guide.
The suburb of Box Hill is much-loved for its great Chinese restaurants.
While this eatery is known for its poorly translated menu, you can still enjoy yourself by picking random dishes and sampling some of the finest Chinese cooking that Australia has to offer.
Although the majority of the menu is vegetarian, there is some meat lurking around the corner, so make sure to read the descriptions as best as you can.
Whatever you choose, not one dish in this establishment will disappoint. From delicious snacks such as fresh chive dumplings, to bean thread noodles and pork omelettes, all is excellent. No wonder it made the cut of our best Chinese restaurants in Melbourne.
This clean, bright noodle shop is all about the food of Shanghai.
When you visit the Nong Tang Noodle House, you have to sample their signature dry noodles with spring onions and sesame oil, otherwise, there’s little point in going.
Featuring thin flour noodles that come in a bowl of soy sauce and sesame oil, this dish is topped with zesty spring onion before being brought to your table. We think it’s one of the most refreshing dishes in the city.
Editor’s Note: We have heard that Nong Tang Noodle House is currently closed. We will let you know when we learn more.As this restaurant has gone, why not try this eatery instead…?
Here at Eatability, we’ve yet to meet a sang choi bao we haven’t loved, and the one at Shanghai Street (their Sung Choi Bao) is no exception. And from the queues outside their various outlets on a Saturday evening, we’re not alone.
However, the 3 bits of good news are that those line move quickly, the food arrives swiftly once you order and, best of all, it’s uniformly delicious. What’s more, the portions on the more generous side as well.
If you are ever in Melbourne and fancy some pork buns, then this is the place to go.
Although this restaurant may not boast a Michelin star, it does boast some of the best Chinese food in Australia, with the menu offering delicious and authentic dishes such as translucent dumplings brimming with fresh spinach and succulent prawns.
The Supper Inn has been a staple of the Melbourne dining scene for over 35 years and remains one of the most influential Chinese restaurants that the city has to offer.
Known for its wide selection of authentic dishes, this restaurant is popular favourite among tourists and locals alike. It’s definitely one of the best Chinese restaurants in Melbourne.
It’s also a great spot to know if you want to eat late. Like really late. Supper Inn is open until 2.30am 7 nights a week.
With this in mind, make sure to book a table the next time you find yourself on the streets of this wonderful city.
Eatability is pretty excited about SHU Restaurant.
The decor is hip, industrial and moody. Meanwhile, the focus of the food is Sichuan and 100% plant-based. The result, is some of the most imaginative modern Chinese dishes in town. Seriously, the menus here are highly creative.
If you’re feeling particularly hungry, there’s a 10 Course Vegan Degustation $85 pp ($160 with Wines). Current plates include the very pretty Beetroot, Macadamia, Pickled Ginger & Toasted Almonds and the umami-rich Grilled Shiitake Steak, Asian Mushrooms & Handmade Crepe. Personally, we can’t get neough of the Twice Cooked Eggplant & Yuxiang Chilli Relish.
On Saturdays & Sundays, the kitchen switches it up with Unlimited Yum Cha at $55 for 2 hours of quality scoffing. And if you think you need meat for things to taste good, give the Plant Mince San Choi Bao with Green Beans a go.
Finally, Shu Restaurant is putting together some great foodie collabs. As we write, the crew are hosting Shu Lanka. As the name implies, it’s an exciting Sichuan & Sri Lankan Fusion Set menu ($65 pp – $75 with Wines). With delights such as Pumpkin Curry with Amberella, Stir Fried Caulini & Okra, Sweet Potato Noodles on offer, it sound unmissable.
When it comes to great places to eat in Australia, the list really is endless. There are so many different restaurants, cafés, and chains to try that you really are spoiled for choice. From Italian food, to Japanese food, to a good ‘ole rump steak, the food options are endless.
This is why I decided to set up my blog, Eatability, to share the best food and drink spots in Australia with as many people as possible. Hi, my name is Dylan Cole, and I moved to Australia five years ago from England, UK.
Through this blog, I will be sharing and recommending some of my favorite places you need to visit, such as where to find the best pizza in Adelaide, and the best bakery in Brisbane. Whatever food you are fancying, I have got you covered!
