The best dumplings in Melbourne

Out in Huntingdale, small family-run restaurant Chef Wong is serving up one of the finest yum cha feasts you can enjoy in the state. With over 40 years of experience in preparing authentic Cantonese food, Chef Wong makes everything from scratch and you can even get a bag of his tasty creations for takeaway or order them online. You'll spot all your favourites on the menu, from pork siu mai to har gow and the crowd favourite, a fried beancurd prawn roll.

Mr Huang Jin has moved house: the Taiwanese dumpling pros – formerly occupying a pocket of the lofty Rialto Tower – have now joined the CBD's appetising Archway complex. Handmade pork xiao long bao (dumplings filled with eight-hour-boiled soup) are still the star of the show: try them with ginger, chilli or wasabi. Save room for fringe fried rice – with Wagyu sausage or smoked salmon, for example – and a plate each of steamed and pan-fried dumplings.

This cheap and cheerful gem on Victoria Street is loved by those in the know for its wickedly spicy prawn wontons, hot pork wontons with Sichuan chilli oil and numbing Sichuan pepper dumplings. On the boiled front, you can try interesting  dumplings like Chinese sauerkraut and pork, traditional wombok and pork and crunchy celery and pork. With a short list of authentic Sichuan dishes like braised duck feet and neck rounding out the menu, you have yourself a finger-licking feast!

Though Ruyi is a beautiful airy space to eat in, you’ll come for the dumplings and the dumplings alone. And you should. Gingery pork mince is captured in ragged wantons made slick by the spicy, piquant pool of chilli oil and Chinese vinegar they’re served swimming in. They also happen to make a hell of a crab xiao long bao – everyone’s favourite soup-filled pinch-topped pouches, here holding a loose cargo of fresh crabmeat and pork mince lightly flecked with coriander root in a rich viscous broth.

At OTH it’s all about the cha (tea). The food selection is moderate, and except on weekends it’s tray service, but the ha gow are sweet, the Peking duck is on the money, and the tea offering is the second to none. Try the rich duck dumplings countered by a fat-busting Irn Buddha oolong brew.

Expect Din Tai Fung's signature crowd-pleasers: the glass-enclosed dumpling kitchen, xiao long bao, rainbow-bright Dumpling Gems in seven flavours, and chefs who operate with a Heston-like fanaticism for detail.

Here it's all about the fish dumplings – they might not be the most beautiful dumplings you've ever eaten, but they have some serious Chinese pedigree behind them. These little, tasty parcels are all handmade, and the filling features plenty of fragrant ginger and coriander root.

The unwavering attention to detail at Flower Drum is a carefully choreographed dance, which some of its staff have been perfecting for 20-plus years. The seafood soup dumpling here is an exercise in luxury – one large dumpling loosely encasing a mixture of mud crab, scallop, prawn, woodear mushrooms and chopped bamboo suspended in a rich, superior chicken broth is likely to change your perception of what a dumpling is.

Shanghai Street is the fifth branch of the group and it's bigger and fancier than all its predecessors. Don't expect a slap-dash serving of grease-filled dumplings and thick skins; the classic Jiangnan-style xiao long bao are expertly made with high quality ingredients. It's a must-order here. Even better are the fluffy shen jian bao, which are like the XLB's hotter, crispier, more put together cousin. 

The fight for parking is worse than Chadstone Shopping Centre on Christmas Eve, and hordes of multi-generational families can be seen streaming through the door of this popular yum cha joint. Join them for ha gow (prawn dumplings) and siu mai (pork dumplings) with spicy XO sauce. Just eat up quick on the weekends as seatings only run for 50 mintues long.

Until Tora Dumplings arrived on Brunswick Street, we didn’t realise that Fitzroy had been missing a dedicated dumpling house for years. The menu at Tora is short by dumpling house standards, but those in the know head straight for the house specialities, signified by the tiger logo next to the menu item. Do yourself a favour and order the pork and prawn wonton dumplings with a peanut and sesame sauce. The sauce is more like a smooth, slightly spicy satay than tahini, and it coats the boiled wonton skins in a velvety nutty drizzle. 

The tiny shopfront is small but mighty, delivering great gyoza that's housemade (allow ten minutes of cooking time) and Godzilla-sized bowls of ramen with great umami-ful broth. Get the buttered corn miso and always add a soft egg to up the richness. Always.

You may be familiar with momo dumplings or dal and rice, but have you ever tried Nepalese black lentil pancakes or mushroom choila? Noticing the gap between what Aussies know about Nepalese food and the colourful regional cuisine he grew up with, Kathmandu-born chef Rajeev Chakradhar opened Lah Bros. Safe to say, there's a lot more than just dumplings to try on the menu but still, the ones here are really good – so don't leave them off your order. They're stuffed with pork and come with tomato and sesame achaar, pickled gennel and chilli oil. Yum.

Good, honest food. Sometimes, it’s the only thing you crave. Like the type of meal your grandmother prepared for you when you were a child. Or freshly rolled pierogi. If you've already tasted these European dumplings from the famous Melbourne market stall Pierogi Pierogi, then a popular new Brunswick East restaurant that’s run by the same owners will hit the spot. Enjoy them in a puddle of sour cream and cheese or filled with juicy beef. Every version is so simple, yet so satisfying as most simple eats are.

Some dumplings were made to eaten in a formal setting, around a round table with family dressed in their finest – like at a fancy yum cha. Other dumplings were made to be chowed down with whisky Highballs in a dark izakaya, rubbing shoulders with strangers. If the latter is more your vibe, head to this pub-like spot. It's the culinary brainchild of Fumi and Takako Tamura, the same owners behind Fitzroy favourite Tamura Sake Bar.