Shark Fin House is a standout restaurant for Yum Cha in Melbourne. They have a large selection and a la carte choices but it’s the Yum Cha that is highly recommended. Shark Fin House is a great Chinese restaurant in Chinatown.

Walk in to a fairly nondescript entrance and discover Shark Fin House is upmarket. Waiters in nicely pressed suits guide you to your table. You might need to take the lift as Shark Fin House occupies a couple of floors as well as the ground floor.  The décor is traditional with carpeted floors and tasteful walls and lighting. And of course the aquariums.

I ordered the steamed pork dumplings which were gratifying with generous fillings of pork. This was a great dish and some of the best dumplings I’ve enjoyed in Melbourne. I was also keen to try the prawn dumplings but settled for just the pork (my favourite).

The chicken feet were also excellent with a tasty sauce in which the chicken feet were marinated. I’m not sure if you’re meant to pick up chicken feet and suck on them – but I always do. I pick them up with chopsticks but have to pull the little bones out of my mouth. Is there a discreet way of eating chicken feet?

The sticky rice was incredibly filling with two large portions wrapped in leaves. The chicken was great with the sticky rice. This is a great filler in a Yum Cha combination.

The spring rolls were also excellent being crispy on the outside with quality ingredients on the inside.

After this set of Yum Cha options I was pretty much done. My immediate thought was to return to Shark Fin House at the next opportunity. I need to get acquainted with the dim sum.

Service was excellent but really consists of staff moving around with the Yum Cha trolleys and explaining what the options are. The staff then fill out a form and record your choices. The trolleys came around relatively often. I wasn’t sure where to pay after and went to take my bill downstairs but it was made clear I needed to pay on the second floor where I dined.

If you work in the city and are after a quality meal served in quick time then Yum Cha is a great option. There are always several business groups that meet here. My workplace has come here for the odd farewell.

Shark Fin House 131 Little Bourke St – Chinese - Food 8.5 Ambience 8.5