We are quite grateful that it is not difficult to locate good Asian food in Melbourne. But everyone knows that when the want to eat dumplings strikes, Chinatown is the place to go. It can, however, be a little overpowering with all of its brilliant lights and busy bustle.
When you think about Chinatown, you can't help but think of the exquisite dumplings and delectable yum cha lunch. Traditional Chinese and Asian restaurants abound in Melbourne's Chinatown. Visitors are invited to enjoy the greatest authentic Chinese and Asian cuisine available in the city. In addition, the neighbourhood has a number of traditional pubs and tea businesses.
Many visitors come to see the unique sculptures and majestic arches. Those interested in history can take a tour of the area's oldest institutions, which include 19th-century structures and museums.
As the sun sets, immerse yourself in Melbourne's lively nightlife. Enjoy stunning sights of glowing lanterns, neon lights, and traditional Chinese lamps beneath Chinatown's streetlights.
Never be afraid. We sampled our way around to provide the best guide to this Asian delight. It was honestly our delight.
Top 4 Restaurant In Chinatown Melbourne
Melbourne's vibe is undeniably multicultural, with numerous ethnic food districts to select from. Without a doubt, Melbourne's Chinatown is the most distinct and popular.
Chinese immigrants are thought to have arrived during the 1850s gold rush. Today, Chinatown is thought to be the world's longest continuous Chinese community outside of China.
For the best Asian restaurants in Chinatown Melbourne, we've compiled a list of our favourites.
Longrain
Longrain is a fantastic Thai restaurant with a sensual interior, top-notch fare, and top-notch service. It provides the Chinatown neighbourhood with high-quality food delivery. Members of The TV Dinners, a new wave band that wowed crowds in the 1980s, stumbled upon each other in Longrain.
The guys travelled from Adelaide to catch the revived Sunnyboys at Richmond's Corner Hotel, a band that the TV Dinners had previously supported. As new wave rockers, we loved driving guitar, dimly lit venues, and general anarchy. We looked to groups like The Clash, The Buzzcocks, and The Jam for inspiration.
Even though anarchists are now professionals and lawyers, they still enjoy rocking out. We were joined by a Melbourne-based filmmaker as well. He shares wild anecdotes about rock and roll and film production over an elegant Thai dinner.
Longrain consistently provides fantastic Asian food in a welcoming environment. Surprisingly, the 2013 Kir Yianni Petra went well with the kingfish sashimi, caramelised cashew nut Nahm Jim, trout roe, and spicy micro herbs.
All of the Asian meals we had at Longrain went perfectly with the Kir Yianni Petra.
The World Loves Melbourne observed a steady stream of customers at Longrain on a quiet weeknight. Here, Longrain is at home. How can someone go to Longrain and not consume some Eggnet? A flavour explosion was created by the filled agent, prawns, peanuts, caramelised coconut, and cucumber relish.
The 2013 Kir Yianni Petra went well with the prawn salad, mint, chilli, lime, and roasted rice. This was the intended pairing for the evening because the salad's robust flavours went well with the Kir Yianni Petra, which had a high acid content but little alcohol.
Longrain is a great place to meet people because it has exposed brick, original artwork, strange bright lights, and timber floors.
Oysters from Longrain were extremely popular. Red chile, a freshly shucked oyster, coriander and lime, Jim... The Thai factors were excellent.
The Betel leaf, another well-liked dish at Longrain, is available with smoked fish, mint, peanuts, and chilli paste or with pomelo, mint, green papaya, and toasted coconut.
The pork skewers from Longrain were also excellent and had the perfect amount of heat.
The TV Dinners were known for songs like You Got It, and Avon Lady. Vi vacious and entertaining, brimming with passion and real feeling. I was giving performances in a variety of locations, including the occasional wild party. A number of the live arenas where we performed have since been replaced by apartment complexes.
The Sunnyboys are currently performing summer concerts in Melbourne after enjoying great success at the Corner Hotel.
On Little Bourke Street, Longrain continues to be a legendary and exquisite dining phenomenon.
Location: 40-44 Little Bourke St
Gingerboy
Known for its contemporary Asian flavours and food culture, Gingerboy is a well-known Melbourne eatery with celebrated chef Teague Ezard. You can find creativity, novelty, and flair in a sophisticated setting.
The modern premium fit of Gingerboy makes it perfect for a date as well as casual dining; however, it is not a filthy Chinatown eatery. Attention is drawn by the red accents, the romantic lighting, and the bamboo ceiling. If you want a quiet lunch and dinner, come here.
Delicious braised duck spring rolls are made by Gingerboy.
Starting with small snacks and street food and working up to larger shared meals, Gingerboy offers a variety of options. Oysters with salt and pepper, shredded iceberg, and prik nam pla (3 pieces), son-in-law eggs with chilli jam and Asian herbs (3 pieces), as well as dumplings with prawns and ginger and peanut-chili-soy sauce (3 pieces).
Both the grilled wagyu in numerous leaves with sour chilli vinegar and the seared Hervey Bay scallops, edamame puree, and black bean dressing (3 pieces) are delicious (3 pieces).
Along with roasted pork belly, steamed buns, pickled cucumber, three pieces of chilli sauce, hot and sour smoked ocean trout, banana blossom salad, and roasted shrimp dressing, the menu also includes sesame-crusted swordfish tataki, avocado, garlic chips, and shiso-wasabi dressing.
It's hard to choose between the tempura chilli salt cuttlefish with lemon and roasted sesame and the salt and pepper chicken spare ribs with hot tamarind sauce.
Check out the steamed pork and garlic chive dumplings with Szechuan-chilli dressing (3 pieces), the braised duck spring rolls with seasoned hoisin dressing, and the crying tiger beef salad with roasted rice, cherry tomato, young coconut, and coriander (3 pieces).
There are some tasty options, including crispy shallots, lettuce cups, and sticky tamarind pork.
Location: Crossley St CBD
Shandong MaMa
The Mid City Arcade restaurant Shandong Mama, which boasts the best dumplings in Melbourne, is an exhilarating newcomer to the city's food scene. In Shandong Province, Mama, a retired Chinese accountant, spent years preparing meals for her friends. She had the guts to start this cosy restaurant in Melbourne with her adorable family.
The crowd includes friends and family. Mama is devoted to creating delicious, wholesome meals. The presence of a Shandong restaurant in Melbourne is astounding.
Mama takes great care to prepare and use the best ingredients.
She regularly visits the Footscray or Springvale markets to buy the best ingredients for her dumplings. For the fish dumpling filling, for instance, Mama hand-selects pricey mackerel.
Mama detests using electric kitchen appliances, she vigorously stirs each batch of dumplings. The perfect wrapping, intriguing fillings, and mouthwatering soup all come together in these dumplings. Compared to most other dumpling shops in town, this one is more inventive.
For instance, the Chives Dumplings, Black Fungus, and Prawn are mouthwateringly stuffed with significant portions of prawns, sliced chives, and black fungus, as well as a modest portion of ground beef for flavour and texture, and covered in delicate, house-made dumpling skin.
In place of shrimp, Mama uses premium prawns to make these dumplings. Mama has a deep connection to the sea and loves to cook seafood. She is from the coastal region of Yan Thai located at Shandong Province.
For the Fish Dumplings, a freshly caught mackerel fillet was manually combined with coriander, ginger, and chives to create a mousse-like filling. The flavour is present but not overpowering and the dumpling is well-formed. It's a delicate dumpling.
The Pork and Cabbage Dumplings are completed with spring onions, ginger, and a dash of dried shrimps.
The Melbourne Dumpling is Mama's ode to Melbourne's multiculturalism when you've had enough dumplings. This kid can sing! The aftertaste of lime zest that I tasted was scrumptious.
The winner of Melbourne's biggest dumpling competition and the most cost-effective is Shandong Mama, who defeated everyone. Honors have been bestowed upon them, and they just opened a new spot in Centre Place. Since their modest origins, we have followed Shandong Mama, and the value has remained constant.
The story of Mama Wang's journey from China's Shandong Province to Melbourne to share her talents is engrossing. When Mama has her family by her side, she is unstoppable. When you believe you have a firm grasp of the dumpling picture, Shandong Mama shows just how enjoyable it can be. Dumplings that can only be found in this restaurant can be found no other place in Melbourne. The variety of dumplings is also extensive.
We visited Shandong Mama on a Sunday early evening, and it was crowded. Although we had previously enjoyed a variety of other foods, we of course ordered noodles. They are not simply dumplings, but rather dumpling kings. Even something as straightforward as Beef Noodles is a magnificent dish thanks to the homemade noodles, premium beef pieces (Mama doesn't skimp), superb crunchy veggies, and Moorish sauce. Additionally, the portions are large.
What about a dish of DARYL (great name) trademark rustic noodles with chicken and vegetables in this hearty broth? Ingredients that are fresh and steamy bliss. So fulfilling.
We consumed the popular Skillet pork dumplings with dill, shrimp, ginger, and spring onions. The quality of the skin, the appropriate level of crispiness, and, most importantly, the quality of the filling make these dumplings among the best in Melbourne, as per The World Loves Melbourne.
We really do believe that the Fish Mackerel dumplings are the best in the entire world. The luxurious mackerel dumplings have a texture that is similar to creamy mousse.
Not to mention the mysterious ingredients in Treasure tea.
Chinese cuisine from Shandong Mama continues to enchant. We discover that Shandong Mama's quality hasn't decreased—rather, it's gotten better. Dumplings are the main focus of Shandong Mama Mini, which recently opened in Centre Place. Craft beer is popular among city dwellers.
The crew includes a filmmaker named Colin, and the diners can watch his excellent footage of Mama making dumplings in the restaurant's front window.
The prices are fair and accommodating for students given the consistency.
The best dumplings and a cosy setting with devoted owners can be found at Shandong Mama, which we heartily recommend.
Location: 200 Bourke St Mid City Arcade
Mr Ramen San
Fans of ramen, rejoice! Mid City Arcade's Mr. Ramen San is a fantastic Ramen restaurant that stands out for a number of reasons, including the use of regional and organic ingredients and extremely skilled cooking methods.
The restaurant's owner and head chef, Roystan, learned under Japanese ramen superiors and has experience working in a number of prestigious restaurants. Arrive here for a taste of Melbourne's best ramen. As there is a trend towards healthier eating, ramen is well known for its health benefits, including claims that it is beneficial to the bones and joints. Young staff members welcome you as you enter the restaurant and remain engaged and attentive the entire time, providing friendly service.
The appeal of Mr. Ramen San's Ramen meals is the fresh, daily-made noodles. The noodles are excellent, and Mr. Ramen San will even give you free additional noodles (most other places will charge you). You won't go without food! Additionally, high-quality Ramen typically costs less than $14, making it an excellent value.
To highlight the best in its traditional flavours, tonkotsu broth is simmered for ten hours. The kitchen staff puts in a lot of effort, stir the mixture the broth for about 4-5 hours each day! It's been said that the soup is everything, and the broth at Mr. Ramen San has a great consistency. In addition, you have a choice of soups for your meals (not every restaurant offers this!). By first choosing your soup foundation, you can "generate your own" Ramen if you'd like.
The Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen served at Mr. Ramen San is well-known and features roast pork, leeks, spring onions, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed, and a seasoned egg.
The answer can be found in the thick, cloudy soup depicted above, which was made by simmering pork bones and collagen over high temperature for 10 hours to provide it a substantial pork flavour and a creamy smoothness. Office workers, you require this at lunchtime!
The Beef Miso Ramen, an alternative, features beef cooked with miso, spring onions, bamboo stalks, corn, beansprouts, seaweed, and a seasoned egg. The eggs are, incidentally, nicely cooked with a slightly runny centre.
The Vegetarian Tofu Ramen, which includes tofu, spring onions, bean sprouts, corn, seaweed, and a seasoned egg, will be a hit with vegetarians.
To go with your ramen, grab a frozen Sapporo Japanese beer out from refrigerator.
The popular Seafood Ramen dish includes huge, delicious prawns, clams, beansprouts, corn, fish cakes, seaweed, and a seasoned egg. It is simple to reach Mr. Ramen San from both Little Bourke Street and Bourke Street. Take action now!
Location: 200 Bourke St Mid City Arcade
Everywhere You Need To Eat In Melbourne’s Chinatown
Shanghai Village
This is the spot to go if you need a dumpling fix right away. Don't be fooled by the lines—this place moves quickly. The activity at this two-story treasure never stops, and you'll never leave hungry.
This isn't a fine-dining establishment. This is about getting fifteen dumplings delivered at the drop of a hat for under 10 dollars.
Location: 112 Little Bourke Street
The Dessert Kitchen
It's time to end the conversation with something sweet. Why else would you choose Dessert Kitchen? Because these treats seem almost too good to eat, get ready for Instagram. Almost.
Enjoy a Taiwanese-style shaved ice or a parfait with red beans, warabimochi, small rice balls, and green tea syrup. What's superior? Pick one of their renowned desserts. Our pick is the "Purple in Love," which combines taro mochi ice cream, shaved ice, micro rice balls, and Kyoho grape seaweed balls.
Location: 105 Lt Bourke Street
Shark Fin House
Shark Fin House, a Chinatown institution, is the place to go for yum cha. It's a great skill that has been feeding starving Melburnians since 1980.
Shark Fin House serves everything from San Choi Bao to ultimate Peking Duck. Just remember to take it slowly. Cha is more of a marathon than a sprint. Allow the food coma to begin.
Location: 131 Lt Bourke Street
GO Noodle House
Go Noodle House is the place to go if, like us, you're craving real Malaysian food. Okay, so it's technically outside of Chinatown, but we assume that after you try their delicious food, you'll understand.
This well-known noodle company, which operates over 30 locations throughout Southeast Asia, is an expert in its field. Take a seat, choose your soup, homemade noodles, as well as any add ons, and you'll be well on your way to a satisfied belly.
When you're able to finish a 5kg bowl of soup in half an hour, the meal is on the house. Whether you're feeling especially peckish, take this challenge. That much beef and noodles weighs over 3.5 kilos. Good luck.
Location: 195 Exhibition Street
Flower Drum
If Flower Drum isn't included, is it even a Chinatown guide? This Melbourne landmark offers delectable, refined Cantonese gourmet cuisine. This is not a place where you and your friends can unwind after studying. When you graduate, you move here. Due to your merit.
Expect all the classics, from warm and tangy soup to a substantial dim sum menu. Also a full breast - feeding pig (advanced notice is required).
Location: 17 Market Lane
FAQs About Melbourne Restaurants
However, in the 1960s, in a spirit of nostalgia and inspired by the tourist dollars that were being made in San Francisco's Chinatown, Chinatown entrepreneur, and (from 1969) City Councilor David Neng-Hsiang Wang persuaded the Melbourne City Council to embark on a radical redevelopment of the Little Bourke Street area.
The 1850s
Chinatowns as iconic enclaves exist in several Australian cities. Among them, Melbourne Chinatown is the oldest, which dates back to the gold rush in the 1850s. Early Chinese migrants settled along Little Bourke Street on the city's outskirts, which served as a staging post on their journey to goldfields.
Melbourne's Chinatown has a long and illustrious history. It was established during the Victorian gold rush in 1851 when Chinese prospectors came to Australia for the gold rush in search of gold.
It is notable as the oldest Chinatown in Australia, the oldest continuous Chinese settlement in Australia, and the longest continuously running Chinatown outside Asia. Suburban Chinese communities, of mostly Cantonese culture, are in Doncaster, Box Hill, Springvale and Glen Waverley.
A hard reality is that many restaurants fail during their first year, frequently due to a lack of planning. But that doesn't mean your food-service business has to be an extremely complex operation. It's a lucrative business. But there are a thousand moving parts, and you need to be knowledgeable about all of them.”
Conclusion
Melbourne's Chinatown is home to the world's longest continuous Chinese community outside of China. Traditional Chinese and Asian restaurants abound in Melbourne's Chinatown. Longrain is a fantastic Thai restaurant with a sensual interior and top-notch food delivery. The TV Dinners, a new wave band that wowed crowds in the 1980s, stumbled upon each other in Longrain. The World Loves Melbourne observed a steady stream of customers at Longrain on a quiet weeknight in Melbourne's Chinatown.
The 2013 Kir Yianni Petra went well with the kingfish sashimi, caramelised cashew nut Nahm Jim, trout roe, and spicy micro herbs. Gingerboy is known for its contemporary Asian flavours and food culture. The Sunnyboys are currently performing summer concerts at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. The Thai factors were excellent. Shandong Mama, which boasts the best dumplings in Melbourne, is a newcomer to the city's food scene.
In Shandong Province, Mama, a retired Chinese accountant, spent years preparing meals for her friends. Shandong Mama is the winner of Melbourne's biggest dumpling competition, and they just opened a new spot in Centre Place. Mama Wang is from China's coastal region of Yan Thai located at Shandong Province. Shandong Mama Mini, which recently opened in Centre Place, serves the best Chinese dumplings in Melbourne. Mr Ramen San is a fantastic ramen restaurant that uses organic ingredients and healthy ingredients.
The owner and head chef Roystan learned under Japanese ramen superiors and has experience working in prestigious restaurants. Everywhere You Need To Eat In Melbourne's ChinatownShanghai Village. This is the spot to go if you need a dumpling fix right away. The popular Seafood Ramen dish includes huge, delicious prawns, clams, beansprouts, fish cakes and seaweed. Shark Fin House, a Chinatown institution, is the place to go for yum cha.
Flower Drum is not a place where you and your friends can unwind after studying. The "Purple in Love" combines taro mochi ice cream, shaved ice and micro rice balls.
Content Summary
- Traditional Chinese and Asian restaurants abound in Melbourne's Chinatown.
- Longrain consistently provides fantastic Asian food in a welcoming environment.
- The World Loves Melbourne observed a steady stream of customers at Longrain on a quiet weeknight.
- Starting with small snacks and street food and working up to larger shared meals, Gingerboy offers a variety of options.
- Shandong Mama, which boasts the best dumplings in Melbourne, is an exhilarating newcomer to the city's food scene.
- The winner of Melbourne's biggest dumpling competition and the most cost-effective is Shandong Mama, who defeated everyone.
- To highlight the best in its traditional flavours, tonkotsu broth is simmered for ten hours.
- The Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen served at Mr. Ramen San is well-known and features roast pork, leeks, spring onions, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed, and a seasoned egg.
- Shark Fin House, a Chinatown institution, is the place to go for yum cha.