Golden Dragon Palace

The coronated king of Melbourne’s south-eastern yum cha belt is well-known to committed fans, sending out its first steamer basket in 2002. Today, up to nine trolleys circle Golden Dragon Palace’s 200-seat room, carrying ethereally translucent prawn and chive dumplings, and rich and giving scallop siu mai.

Beautifully pleated and with fragrant fillings, their thin pliable wrappers are steamed into lilting softness. Hit the caramelised turnip cakes and those slippery cheung fun filled with barbecue pork. The a la carte dinner menu is a heavy tome listing endless things that can be done to king prawns and other big-ticket items.

It might seem retrograde, turning back to the polite Cantonese pomp of dim sum during this fiery, funky purple patch for regional Chinese food in Melbourne. But this Palace has a gravitational pull that lures cars down the Eastern Freeway at will.

Best for: A dazzling death-row meal with the nearest and dearest.

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