10 of the most delicious yum cha restaurants in Sydney

Mr Wong

Where: City Centre

The Merivale hospitality group can do no wrong in Australia, opening applauded restaurant after applauded restaurant serving everything from French to Middle Eastern to Cantonese cuisine. It’s the latter that stars at Mr Wong, a dimly lit dining room spread over two levels. The lunchtime dim sum menu never fails to delight: order scallop-and-prawn shumai, king crab dumplings in hot-and-sour soup, pork xiao long bao, roast duck and truffle puffs, and prawn toast with foie gras and sesame, among other imaginative takes on traditional Cantonese yum cha.  

Mr Wong, Wynayrd - Credit: Mr Wong

Suki

Where: Mona Vale

A modern Asian restaurant by the Merci Group in Mona Vale (making it a popular spot for a post-surf feed among Northern Beaches locals), swing by Suki on a Sunday for its delicious yum cha menu. Running from 1-4pm, feast on a set menu of flavour-packed dumplings, prawn toast with spicy Kewpie mayo, pulled pork san choy bow, duck pancakes and a mango crème brûlée custard tart.

Royal Treasure Seafood Restaurant

Where: Burwood 

Yum cha restaurants don’t get much more traditional than Royal Treasure, where the tables are large, the decor red and the service brisk. While you can order all the usual dumpling offerings, both steamed and fried, some of the house specialities that stand out are crispy leek pancakes, salt-and-pepper whitebait, deep-fried taro puffs and more-ish turnip cake. 

The Eight

Where: Haymarket

This legendary establishment in Haymarket has a dining room as enormous as the menu – there’s space for 750 guests across the main dining room and private rooms. While you can sample dishes from across China, the speciality is lunchtime yum cha, when wizened waiters wheel around trolleys loaded with steamers piled high with prawn and pork dumplings, barbecue pork buns, radish cakes, spring rolls, scallion rice rolls… and so much more. Don’t miss the baked custard buns for dessert.  

Yum cha options at The Eight, Haymarket - Credit: Natarsha Brown

Palace Chinese Restaurant

Where: Haymarket

There’s plenty of red (a lucky colour in Chinese culture) adorning the dining room at Palace, from the walls to the lanterns to the lazy Susan’s that deliver your food. Yum cha is a middle-of-the-day event, served from 11am to 3pm. And while there are queues, things move fast and you’ll be at a table in no time. Order dumplings in every incarnation under the sun, as well as prawn toast, pork bean curd rolls, and a few delicacies – beef trip and chicken feet, anyone? 

Mama Mulan

Where: Chatswood 

With a large Chinese community, the northern suburb of Chatswood is home to some of Sydney’s tastiest yum cha restaurants. Not in the least Mama Mulan, occupying an architecturally designed space that stuns from the moment you step inside. Steamed and fried dishes range from pork-and-prawn shumai and scallop-and-snow pea dumplings to gooey custard buns and beef-and-water chestnut rice rolls. Yum cha is only available for lunch, but can be complemented by a wide range of other mains.  

Mama Mulan, Chatswood - Credit: Jake Roden

Golden Sands Hurstville

Where: Hurstville 

Choose from more than 100 dim sum when you head here for yum cha. Golden Sands is the leading yum cha spot in Hurstville, and to some diners, the whole of south Sydney. Go for traditional siu mai (steamed pork and prawn dumplings) or opt for signature dishes such as the black rice vermicelli rolls. There are also barbecued meats and an extensive menu of sweets.  

XOPP

Where: Haymarket 

Sister to Sydney’s revered Golden Century restaurant within The Star complex, XOPP puts a contemporary spin on traditional Cantonese fare. The dining room is seriously sleek and sets a fitting tone for the luxe yum cha offerings, available daily between 12 and 3pm. The minced mushroom dumplings pack an umami hit, as do the braised chicken feet and scallop-and-edamame san choy bow. It would be remiss not to order the house special: pippis slathered in signature XO sauce. 

XOPP, Haymarket - Credit: XOPP

East Phoenix

Where: Zetland

The Phoenix group has four Chinese restaurants across Sydney, not in the least East Phoenix in Zetland. The sleek decor is all glossy black and red, and yum cha trolleys do regular rounds through the dining room. Hail down a waiter and order scallop-and-prawn dumplings, sesame prawn toast and steamed pork dumplings, all the more delicious thanks to the frenetic atmosphere and clamorous of chopsticks working overtime.   

The Dynasty

Where: Belmore

With its pagoda-style timbers, bamboo curtain roof, dramatic artworks and tranquil waterway, The Dynasty feels more like a movie set than a dining room. This is not a place for the indecisive – the menu is long.  But don’t let that put you off ordering treats like duck and spinach dumplings, steamed egg yolk buns, minced pork congee and baked BBQ pork pastries. There are plenty of sweet treats, too.   

The Dynasty, Belmore - Credit: The Dynasty