Review Crystal Jade Restaurant

M C

I rang to book, however was told that they only accept walk-in. Queue was not long, and while waiting, you can look at the menu to order your food. It’s a double-sided menu with English and Chinese on each side which I find it super helpful. Dining in on the first floor, so you had to walk 2 flights of steps, but I see that they have a lift too to cater for people that needs it. Food came out pretty fast, one after the other, and for the price, I would say that their serving size is pretty small. Taste wise, it’s pretty good, except that I don’t quite understand the combination of carrots and scallops in the ‘steamed scallop rice noodle rolls’ as it doesn’t really go well. The dumplings we ordered is dry and doesn’t taste nice. The rest are great. For the price we paid, we could eat 2 lunches elsewhere.

Lee Yu Xuan

having lunch here, and they are truly busy but the food serving was pretty quick. we do have an hour only due to the peak hour, but we manage to finish all in an hour. the food taste okay. portion was pretty standard, not particularly huge or small. it not the traditional style where someone pushing a trolley filled with dim sum. kind of disappointing, but all good.

Anisa Anwar

Quick service and the food tasted pretty much as you'd expect for dim sum. They do prawn dishes and rice noodle rolls well. The salted egg buns were rather mushy and the bbq pork pastry was a bit dry, but not too bad.

David Maddison

We travelled to Melbourne for the weekend and had Mother’s Day dinner and Crystal Jade. We were blown away - the serves were generous, tasty, loaded and piping hot. The special fried rice was full of prawns and the Buddha feast mushroom dish was the table favourite

Canh Le

The service at Crystal Jade is really fast! Once you've placed your order, your food comes out fresh & hot! The food was super tasty. I think this is the best Yum Cha I've had in a long time! The restaurant is well presented, & very clean.

Malcolm Young

After a high recommendation from a work colleague, finally got to come here. They were very accommodating, as we walked in during the busy lunch hour with no booking. The service was exceptional, but after ordering, everything came out at once, which isn't much of a gripe. Though, the trade of efficiency for the authenticity of the food carts is missed. Plus, we're pushed to consume the dishes while they're at an adequate temperature, yum cha's definitely more enjoyed as a slow burn. The Har Gao and Egg Tarts were easy stand outs.

Michelle dau

This 3 stars is for all the staff. They got way too good customer service, we were very comfortable and enjoy the vibe when we dine in here. However the food is overatted and expensive compare to other Chinese Restaurant. Food was just ok nothing stand out from what we had. But the staff make it better !!

Miss Deliziosa

Was craving yum cha & decided to try this place out. Although most people were told to wait in the line I noticed a lot of people who spoke their language were able to walk straight in or cut the queue which was a bit annoying (a bit biased imo) as it was freezing cold outside. They hand you a menu to preorder your yum cha dishes which is a good idea. Once we managed to get a table (after 15-20mins waiting outside) the dishes arrived at our table very quickly. Glad I was only visiting as I’d hate to experience the queuing again if I was a local.

Full Time Foodie

Absolutely love yumcha here! Pretty satisfied with every dimsum, nice service, comfortable and bright dining area. Must order: Century Egg Pork Porridge, Cheung fun with fried donut, Salted egg bun Overall rating: 4.5/5

Carol Huang

I ordered this set menu on the 19th April. Call them up to place order at around 1pm for a 5:30pm pick up. Portions are small as you can see and definitely not worth the $393. The ad says 20% off, but I was charged at full price. Food taste is good, but this is not a normal dish serving size.

Taeyeon's Hamster

We ordered takeaway from Chinatown Crystal Jade Restaurant 翡翠小厨. They are currently doing 3 x set menu options - 龙虾🦞 Lobster, 南极蟹🦀 Crab and Fish 东升斑🐟. Crystal Jade set menu special ends 12/04/2020 according to their instagram page.We ordered the lobster set menu with Chicken (三杯鸡), Garlic Beef Tenderlion (蒜片牛柳粒) and changed the rice to noodles. Large Lobster Set menu (~approx 1.5kg) $370. We used the Sosure App and Crystal Jade are currently doing 70% rebate. Instant rebate received as sosure credit. So technically only $106.50 Lobster was very meaty and definitely good value of money, approx 1.5kg. Tenderloin was very soft and chicken was very flavoursome. Highly recommend. 👍

Anna Choong

Very old establishment with good food and reasonable prices. Possibly change of management with new faces of new staffs. Overall service is good and professional. Many varieties in their menu and we enjoyed their food and services.

Joss7

Used to be one of the best Cantonese restaurant but not anymore, don’t bother

Vivian

4.5 I love yum cha here! The food is really fresh as it is so busy. My favourite is the prawn dumplings, salted egg custard bun, the radish cake and the mango pudding!

The Gastronomist

Don’t need to elaborate on the food; It was great specially when you’re hungry. Place has comfortable sitting which is good. Service was ok, but you need to call trolly to serve you food. One server was rude - wife asked for Siu mai, she replied by saying ‘ do you see any Siu Mai In here?’. We enjoyed the food though.

Some Bunee Loves Food

Ordered some man tou (steamed buns) and pumpkin cakes for dinner from easi app. They gave me the wrong order and gave me some red bean cake instead of the steamed buns. The red bean cakes were the worse I've ever tasted, the bottom part was green for some reason, and it was almost black instead of red filling inside. It was very bitter too. The pumpkin cakes had no flavour and tasted more like mochi texture inside rather than the usual custard-like sweet paste texture. It was also soaked in oil which I had to soak out with a tissue. It was my first experience at this place and I can't say I have had a good one. I can't think of any positives unfortunately.

㊙️ The Traveling Foodie

Great Chinese dim sim place located just Centre of China’s town. Amazing food quality and fast service z About 10 floor staff over a small area. Manager were attentive . Decor : 🥢🥢🥢 Service : 🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢 Food : quality : 🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢 BBQ pork bun : 🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡 Spare ribs : 🥡🥡🥡🥡 Prawn dumplings : 🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡 Tofu dessert : 🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡 Vegetables : 🥡🥡🥡🥡 Great place for meetings and good family crowd.

Sophia

Amazing egg tarts, durian puffs and salted egg yolk buns. Their service is quite friendly and attentive, I could now see why they are the No.1 yum cha place in Melbourne. I am definitely gonna go back to try their taro desserts and more. But next time... I will probably order less if I am going by myself XD They accept alipay and wechat pay as well. 蛋挞，榴莲酥，流沙包，都很棒，服务是我在墨尔本吃的所有早茶店里最好的之一。早晨来一个现烤的酥皮类甜点…简直太幸福了。我觉得或许我会成为常客。对了，他们也接受支付宝和微信付款，很方便。

Ellen T

My family visited Crystal Jade Restaurant for dinner. We really loved the food, my favourite was menu no. 314, the taro rings are a must to try! It was so crunchy outside and warm+ soft on the inside. The service was also very friendly- our waiter loved a chat and the conversations felt very genuine. The price is definitely on the higher end, I would recommend it for special occasions or family gatherings.

Yohanes

The Xiaolong Bao, Siumay were dry tasted like they had been heated few times. The congee was good, but it was a bit watery. The beancurd roll was tasty though. There was quite variety of yum cha selection. Overall it's a pretty average yumcha place.

Paul In OZ

Food 4/5 Service 4/5 Environment 4/5 If you do not need to consider the price, this restaurant is the best for Cantonese food. Everything is fresh and taste amazing. But the price really high and I wouldn't come a lot for a normal lunch or dinner. Make money is important when I tried this restaurant.

Foodielover

Another adventure into China town to find authentic yum cha. This time we visited Crystal Jade which is well known for their Yum cha as well as their dinner menu. We booked for yum cha on Saturday morning and arrived early to be seated fairly soon. Once we sat down someone came straight in with the trolley and start selling us the dim sum. It feel rush but i don't mind that. But the only thing wrong is the quality and skill of the chef. Siu mai is the worest ever its so dry and it feel like it had steamed many times. Egg tart pastry is so tough and thick. Congee is very average and taste very blank. Service is very rush. I understand its Saturday and they try to make money but i feel like we have to eat very quickly and no time to relax.

Makan2Melbourne

They provide luxury ingredients, like wagyu, snow crab, lobster, and even foie gras. Most of the food were delicious, although not the best, but they’re one of the better ones, especially in Melbourne. If you order the expensive dishes, the service would be excellent. About five or more waiters served the table, since we ordered those dishes, but other tables did not get so much attention. At the end of the meal, the waiter asked for tip, which was usual when dining in a restaurant, however, the waiter did not look away like other restaurants usually do, which felt kind of rude and disrespectful.

M3lissa____

This restaurant will satisfy just about any of your chinese food cravings.Not forgetting they have amazing soup options and the melon was my favourite.Had the garlic salt and pepper ribs and my tummy was very happy.

Tasting Notes Melbourne

One of the best for yum cha during the day. And immaculate use of top quality seafood at night. A must try is the soup in the hairy melon, as well as their pastries in yum cha. Have never had a bad experience here.

Lucky Star

Yum cha was very disappointing. Serves were small. Not tasty. Dumpling skin was very thick. Service was good. Though they tried to push out very quickly. Their dinner is much better. We have had the fish here previously and have been quite happy with it.

Lil’MissNyonya

Organised a dinner with a fairly big group of friends (with children) and I was very pleasantly surprised (& relieved!) from the time of booking up to dining the staff spoke fairly good English as we were non-chinese conversant. We ordered a variety of 9 dishes as you can see from the photos (Not in pix are steamed barramundi with spring onions and ginger and E-fu noodles with seafood) and overall dishes were tasty, fresh and palatable. The only ones which were average was the king prawns with scrambled egg, red bean pancake (though tasty, it was a tad too oily/ overfried). Food portions were in my opinion small for price paid (following the menu, most servings were for 4 persons) so we had to upsize the portions of several dishes like the sweet sour pork, vege and noodles. I think the steamed free range chicken, steamed fish and braised mushrooms are pretty good. Service was attentive and very good. Ambience was comfortable and pleasant. For this, I would definitely come back again.

Suzysays

We came here for Christmas dinner without a reservation. It was a full house but the host was very accomodating even if we had to wait a little. The service was polite and attentive by the wait staff and host. We ordered lobster noodles, garlic beef and braised eggplant. All three dishes came out fast! The taste was delicious for all dishes and well balanced. Even though the price is higher than other Chinese places the food and service matches. I would highly recommend this place for a family dinner. I look forward to taking my parents here and also trying their yumcha .

Micmicsw

Our regular and most favourite yum cha place, lots of choices and good quality food. Definitely recommending this place. Dinner is also good there!

Ziggy

Certainly one of the better places to eat in Chinatown. Peking duck was flavoursome and the teriyaki beef was tender and melted in my mouth. Sweet and sour pork lacked balance as it was too sweet. Great service would highly recommend.

Rifan Thamrin

If I feel like having yumcha in the city, there are few spots that I'll consider. But crystal jade always come out as a winner! I'd recommend booking this place as it gets pretty crowded. If you like durian, please try their durian pastry!

Lorna

Final期间也是不能忘了和室友出来觅食！Chinatown所有的早茶店生意都爆好，今天周三，我们11点半刚开门的时候就到，没一会儿就坐满了。 首先说一下服务！堪比国内海底捞呀。基本就是，喝一口，服务员就上来给你倒满了，sooooo sweeeeet！ 菜品种类还是齐全的，but杨枝甘露竟然没有！伐开心。流沙包很好吃就是偏甜，酥皮叉烧包里面的叉烧块很大，但外面的皮并不是很“酥”。其他都是棒棒的。最后想要吐槽一下这个木瓜桃胶，很冰就不说了，杏仁味儿完全盖过了所有，不推荐。 总体还是很ok滴～～差不多一人3份这样刚刚好（女生的胃口）～🐥🐥

Jiafeng Yue

I can’t believe it, they charge me $32 for a take away fired noodle. And even bill item is not match what I got... so ridiculous. Is anyone had a noodle over $20 in Melbourne ??? 😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰

Sylvia Da Silva

Came here on sunday for lunch and the restaurant was so crowded . As they don't take booking for small table so we have to collect ticket and wait in line but lucky only 10mins so I'm happy with that. If you are a big fan of yumcha ,this is a perfect place for you. Foods is very nice and customer's services is awesome.pricey !yes but worth the money. Will b back for more and highly recommended.

Zoey Meng

Custard and salted egg yolk bun was ok. But the crispy bbq pork bun was amazingggg! We booked a table in advanced and went there on Tuesday afternoon, the restaurant was quite busy during peak time. The price was a bit expensive but I think I will still like to try the dinner next time.

The Sauceress

- Yes, Jade can be a little pricey but the quality is well worth it. You can see the effort going into the food, from the taste to presentation. - Good service overall. If they keep the Cantonese Speaking management, that is. - Dinner wise, the seafood can get very overpriced, might as well go elsewhere if you’re not craving it.

Stelly

Came here with my family for yum cha on a Saturday afternoon, with a booking for a 1hr session at 1:30pm. Upon arrival, we were made to wait for an extra 5-10 minutes as they were getting the tables ready. However, after being seated, all the food on the trolleys arrived promptly and service was fast and friendly. The dishes here are more on the traditional side, but they do have a few specials going around which were frequently recommended to us by the waiters. They do the classics here quite well - our favourites include the pork spare ribs (both the steamed one and the sweet & sour one), the steamed sesame peanut bun (one of their specials, only available on the weekend), the sesame prawn toast, the egg tart, and the liu sha bao (golden lava bun - always a must at yum cha!). Price-wise, it’s a little more on the expensive side compared to some of the other yum cha places along Chinatown. The one-hour seating time is also a bit of a let down - it’s enough for a group of three, but I wouldn’t recommend coming as a large group as you don’t really have time to properly sit down and enjoy yourself.

NoCapsicumPlease

It came out first when we thought of yum cha so we went here for a couple of dishes. Having this kind of meal just makes me feel relaxed even though the house was full

Anthony Francis

Excellent Yum Cha, especially for lunch on Sundays. always fresh and staff are attentive. My wife and I love it... and always seem to go back for more..

Big Food Lover

good food and good service always whenever we visit.. probably best dimsum in town. always ordered their chasiu and roast pork belly, yumm... seafood also fresh

One.hungry.girl10

Came here for dinner instead of yum cha. Crystal jade would be considered one of the higher end honest restaurants in the city with a wide selection of Dishes. The food was tasty and the service was great!

Kacangma

This is our new favourite yum cha place. We have been here twice and we have never been disappointed. Good service with very attentive waiting staffs. Very good food with a wide variety of food. I will come back again.

Gwen Kwan

One of the best yum cha place for Chinese. Suggest you make a booking for weekends, otherwise will be a long line of waiting. Dinner is light south China style, tasty and healthy. Price and service are good.

Willtravelforfood17

The yum cha here was a little disappointing. The dumplings were lacking in flavour and were quite average. Service was OK. I’ve heard that their dishes at dinnetime are quite good so will come back to try that instead.

Debby

A well-established up-class restaurant in Chinatown serving traditional Chinese cuisine. Try their famous wintermelon soup, it's light, herbal and served in a hollowed out wintermelon! The dishes are cooked well but prepared to fork out your wallet to eat here as the food are not cheap.

Danny

Really great place for yum cha, it is always packed so book if you can or get in early. Service is quick and friendly and the dumplings as tasty. Can the recommend calamari and the bbq pork noodles!

Steven Gu

Crystal jade in Chinatown. I don’t really like the cuisine provided there. Yumcha is a bit average taste and nothing really good. Personally not my type.

W1thry4n

I was a regular customer. Had a very bad experience with the actual weight of lobster they sell. We had 6 people and order a bigger lobster to have two styles of cooking. The mistake we made is we trusted the waiter on the weighing. The lobster came out so small to be 1.8kg, we barely tasted a few bites. It's so embarrassing in front of my friends. Never going back. There's plenty of better restaurant in Chinatown. Very disappointed. They don't really care about customer feedback.

S_foodie

Great atmosphere! Absolutely loved and enjoyed the food. Extensive wine and drinks menu, dessert was amazing. Great customer service. Would definitely recommend! One of my most favourite Chinese restaurants. Love the lobster sashimi, wagyu and winter melon soup.

Asianfoodie

This is one of my favourite Yum Cha restaurants!! Every dish I've tried so far makes me happy with a big smile on my face :D A little salty at times in my opinon, and i did try their 'special' dish which was this prawn dumpling with a mango piece in it which I found kind of average, but apart from that I love yum cha here

Annie Sun

Pretty average yum cha. Inconsistent dishes, some were delicious, some were not. Suimai was very dry and not fresh. Not sure what's the hype is about with this place. Ambience and decoration were good though however some dishes were a bit off let down. Staff were prompt and helpful.

Summer Rae

Food was good quality and would recommend the egg tart. But once I went with some friends for Chinese New Year and we had Yu Shung but to all of our disgust we found a friend dead cockroach in there!!

Ferry Gondo

My favorite dim sum place in Melbourne. Clean, refined and damn tasty. Love the egg tart the most as it was buttery, crispy, and flaky with so much creamy goodness at the centre.

Megan

We have eaten here over the last 5 years. Last night we are still very satisfied, their foods are delicious. Our favourite is black pepper grass fed beef.

Richard

Fairly typical yum cha restaurant - fast, chaotic and stressful! A trolly hits your table every minute and there is no time to think, let alone talk to your companions. The food here is pretty good, probably one of the better yum Chas I have had in Melbourne. If like me you wander up and down Chinatown wondering which of the many restaurants is best, this one is worth a go.

Alijargalb

Been here for yum cha and it’s the best yum cha in Melbourne. The food is delicious and authentic. The standard can meet up to Sydney standards. The seating is very spacious and would definitely return back

Nickedoff

Pretty average yum cha and not cheap. Much better options in the city. Service isn't bad but for the price, not worth it. Shark fin, secret kitchen are better options.

LittleM

Crystal Jade is one of the more popular yum cha places in the city and is located on the upper level. Bookings are recommended, if not be sure to get in early; if not be prepared for a slight wait if it's during peak hours. It was very packed and busy when a group of us went in on a weekend around lunch time. The food cart came around quickly and we got served promptly. The dim sum we ordered were pretty good.

VodkaO_ZS

Really nice dumsim with quick service. All the food we had are great, almost same as those in Guangzhou. The price is okay, not too high for such great dishes. Will come back if I want some traditional dishes again.

AllyBelly

Ambience: 3.5/5 Food: 3/5 Service: 4/5 Will I return: Maybe Came here a few times with big group of friends. The service has definitely improved and the staff are a lot more courteous and friendly. However, on weekends, it does get really busy so you need to make sure you have a booking if you don't want to be stuck out the door and waiting on the stairs. The yum Cha experience should be relaxing, allowing you to enjoy some tea and dim sums while you chat away with friends. However, at crystal jade the experience is rushed and you only get an one hour session. There is a pretty big variety of dim sums to chose from and they come around fairly frequently with their food trolleys. But not all dishes are made to the same standard and definitely didn't taste as good as some other yum Cha restaurants in the same area. However, prices are quite reasonable.

IsaH

Food: I went here for yumcha but overall, it's very average and not as impressive as I though it would be. I've had better yumcha elsewhere and so this is a let down. However, I rate it 3 because I've heard their dinner service is better. So I'll come for that and give it another try, not yumcha though. Price: I do feel their yumcha is a bit overpriced given the average quality. Service: Attentive staff, won't say they are the friendliest but overall not bad. Deco: I thought it would be very fancy but it wasn't. Has a very casual vibe to it actually. Update rating: 3.5 Tried their dinner menu, ordered roast duck, spinach sprouts in clear soup(?), and a lamb dish that I can't remember the name. All were pleasant enough (esp. the duck) and much better than their yumcha menu. Will come back for dinner but not yumcha.

Jean

Crab meat was sweet and juicy! The 'Singapore Chili crab' however, the sauce wasn't particularly spicy nor especially tasty in any way. The mantou wasn't as soft as it should be, I find steaming frozen mantous myself is softer than that. The side noodles to accompany the crab however was delicious! They should have cooked it with the crab for more taste, they insisted it was 'better' this way. Pecking duck was good, and the service was fast and efficient!

Teriliciousss

Bring out ur cheque book cos it's pricy than other Chinese restaurants in Chinatown! However, food was very tasty and presented beautifully, although I would preferred the quail to b not battered and the OX abalone to be in shell and whole not sliced up, which wasn't what I was excepting! The taro nest and beef was delicious, I think it was the highlight!

Thao

I came here for yum cha. The service was prompt and staff were very polite. However, the major letdown was the food itself. The food was cold and bland, and felt not fresh like they had been strolling around the same food for the last hour. In addition, it was quite costly with regards to the poor quality of food. There are much better yum cha restaurants in Sydney at the same price point.

Nomafoodic Chipineats

Double boiled wintermelon soup, pan fried minced pork with salted fish, black pepper steak, oyster omelette. These are the dishes you should try. Be sure to make a booking as it piles up by 6.30pm. Waiting area not spacious.

Hungry Jeweller

Authentic Chinese dining in the heart of chinatown. They make an excellent soup served in a carved out gourd. Food is delicious but rather pricey. Verdict: crystal jadeite

Happyley

Love the goose liver snow crab here! Best in Melbourne. Service is also better than most of the restaurants in Chinatown especially Secret Kitchen, which seems to try to just extract as much money from you as possible. At Crystal Jade they give you exactly what you want without pushing or upselling. Yum Cha here is also good. A regular place for me.

Rocket

Excellent food and service! Our teapot was refilled multiple times without having to ask. Staff were meticulously attentive and the lobster was cooked perfectly that the flesh came out of its shell easily with little effort.

Jolene Lim

My partner wanted to yum cha today and we were in the CBD so decided to pick a spot at Chinatown. We walked past a few Chinese restaurant and there was a long queue as it was Sunday lunch time. I suggested Crystal Jade as my partner hasn't tried it before and it has been many years since my last visit. We walked in and was told there was about 20-30 minutes and was given a number. Our table was ready within 15 minutes so it wasn't too long a wait. The restaurant looked different from my last visit many years ago and looked like they had a refurbishment. The person at the reception told us we have to finish our meal within 1 hour. Service was quick and the food trolleys came around a few times but didn't have the food we wanted which was the classic steamed BBQ pork buns. I asked one of the waitress to order a basket and she just told me to wait for the trolley. The trolley never arrived at our table and we didn't have it in the end. A few of the staff keep promoting their weekend specials which include some glutinous rice and fried eels which we politely declined. The classic yum cha dishes we ordered were the steamed siu mai, chive dumplings, bbq pork rice rolls, egg tarts and tofu pudding (tau foo fa). Food was pretty average, a little dry and bland, also lack of variety. I recalled why I haven't been back for so many years because it wasn't that good and there are too many competitions for good yumcha place around.

Sarah Bear

I've been there a a few times. Very tasty dim sum!!! One of the best is Melbourne! They are all delicately made and provide full flavor. I love it! In addition service is fantastic waiters are all smiley and friendly. Would go back anytime.

Nico

Pretty average food. Ordered the braised pork belly and preserved vegetables, lamb clay pot with bean sauce (Quite spicy, not really advertised like this though), baby spinach and crab meat (Liquid based with egg white), and of course some rice. I also ordered Pu-er tea. It was the highlight (Minus the $9.00 price tag). The lady was really helpful in recommending dishes; even as locals from HK, I was appalled by how bland the food was… especially considering the cheaper restaurants down Little Bourke are much better. All in all I might go back to try Yum Cha but not to order a la carte.

Carmen Joy

Overall, the food we ordered that night was surprisingly delicious. One of the dishes was beef chunks with fried ginger in black sauce. The beef was very tender and tasty. Another dish we ordered that night was salted fish cakes. The salted fish cakes were delicious too, just the right amount of ingredients. The ambience was just like any other chinese restaurants, staff running about and customers chit-chatting in the background.

Cindy

Traditional Chinese restaurant, yum cha available for lunch time. Soup is very nice and I love the sea food in this restaurant. I would recommend this one to my friends.

Occasionalist

"Come on," I coaxed, "I promise I won't do that again." My husband seemed reluctant but gave in. He is scared of Crystal Jade because the last time we went, I ordered 18 dishes in quick succession for just the two of us. It was our second date and I wanted to see which yum cha dishes he liked to determine whether I would go on another date with him. It was a foodie's "baptism of fire" of sorts. He passed but had to pretty much be rolled out the door and not eat for the next 24 hours. He didn't want a repeat of that. The food here is good. I haven't been disappointed with anything although the food on the trolleys can sometimes be a bit lukewarm. There's good variety of dumplings and a la carte dishes The trolleys come quickly and there's adequate spacing between tables. Service is OK but depends on who you talk to. Overall I would say food is 4/5, service as 3/5 and atmosphere as 3/5. Prices are on the upper end.

Must Be Hungry

Originally I would have given this place a 4.5 however their customer experience has declined drastically😕. Last Saturday we made a booking for 11:30am and was told that only have 1hr sessions, honestly if you’re going to look for a place to “yum cha”, you cannot have 1hr session, so we ended up having to stuff the food in our stomach, and we didn’t even have time to “yum cha” (drink tea)😣. All the points go to the food, points lost for their decision to make session only 1hr, very disappointing as we’re not able to even enjoy the food or simply “yum cha”😨.

Varde

Good food, but don't do Yum Cha on Saturday. You only get an hour and you start getting hassled 45 minutes in. Worst restaurant sign I've ever seen about 'responsible vomit'.

HonestAsian

One of my go to yum Cha places, it's pretty decent. Would recommend you to go during peak hour and not 30min before the restaurant is about to close. Yum Cha is all about taking your time to enjoy the food, tea and company so don't rush it ! The main reason I keep going back is for the bright orange coloured custard buns! The filling is made from salted duck yolks👌🏼 5/5 trust ;)

Petal Loves Food

Do order the Steamed Minced Pork with Ginger and Salted fish. It's a home favourite. The Oyster Omelette's almost my little favourite dish over at Crystal Jade! Last but not least, the double boiled Winter Melon soup.... you can't find many properly made soups over here in Melbourne! There's only a handful of them. So thanks Crystal Jade. I like you!

Spaghetti Monster

I've only been here once when the queue for Shanghai Street was too long. Perhaps that speaks for itself. There was a group of about 8 of us so i had a lot of dishes to sample. All were pretty tasty but nothing really stood out for me. They also forgot to bring out one of our main dishes but it was on the bill. That was pretty awkward. Never been back.

Maureen Sim

Came on Monday just after opening hours. No queues. Sat down to a table immediately without waiting. Then the flood of dim sum cart ladies crowded our table one after the other. Very organized. Steam dim sum cart, baked, fried, specialty orders, porridge. All the popular dim sums was available. 5 star for service and attentiveness. Even our tea cup and pot was constantly refilled. With dim sum, 3 star. Average. If I were to return only for service

Aubrey

This is our go-to for yum cha in the city on weekdays for lunch. The dining room is always full with people and the service is attentive and fast. I love ordering the long noodles with BBQ pork, delish! And we love the dumplings with pork that look Iike footballs - we always order two serves! Also their pork buns (yep, I love pork) are the best I've ever tasted, light and fluffy and delicious filling.

Kelly Shen

Time to give myself a treat once in a while, Love love love the crab in goose liver paste, a bit pricy but worth it. everything taste nice there.

Cynthia Giang

Good yum cha spot - feels cleaner and more inviting than some places I've been to. The dumplings were fairly well steamed and pretty consistent throughout the service. Portions were good, and food was nice and hot. Not the best I have eaten, but close :)

Rosie Raiti

This place impressed me from the friendly customer service, upstairs intimate decor. Had traditional Steamboat was very happy with the variety, freshness and presentation of food.

Justin Wong

This restaurant has a glamorous name in which the food failed to live up to such a name. What a shame. Had dinner in this restaurant and while the prices are on the premium, the taste wasn't. It was rather disappointing and it just didn't impress me in any aspect at all. It was mediocre at best. Dishes are easily replicated in any Chinese restaurant. I would probably not recommend this place and for the price you pay, there are plenty of better alternatives in China town.

Fran Lee

Frequent here for the double boiled melon soup, pork & salted fish patties, stir fried beef (so tender and cooked perfectly). This is a good cantonese restaurant in Melbourne's Chinatown area, which in my opinion is rare.

Melfoodlover

Expect to pay high as their dishes are quite expensive. Service is average and food is not too bad! Love their beef dishes a lot (forgot the name). Their seafood is fresh but quite pricy. Quite busy place, remember to make a booking before going there otherwise you will need to wait for ages!

MF

A great place for yum cha in the city. Friendly staff and comfortable seats. We ordered many dishes and most of them were quite nice. Prices are also reasonable. But the place is getting a bit old, need renovation soon ?

Melbourne Epicurean Juror

I lunched today at the Crystal Jade Restaurant at 11:45 am to find the large room ¾ full & a hive of activity with a manageress/supervisor and 8 wait staff looking after their customers. I requested a dish not on their menu of 6 fresh scallops in Ginger Sauce which were served in their shells within 15 minutes of ordering (I expected to wait up to 30 minutes considering how busy it was) and they were very obliging - not an issue and I was only charged $30. I also really appreciated the hot hand towels supplied before the meal. The décor was modern, clean looking & bright. The Juror's Verdict: Food 3.5/5, Service Provision 4.5/5, Will I return: Yes, in due course to try a different menu selection. Phill Jury (food critic & writer)

Orkedia

Good yum cha selection! My fav is the braised tendon, duck yolk buns and fried/steamed rice rolls. Bookings definitely needed especially on weekends. The queue spills out to little bourke st! The service is not great - staff is a bit rude but hey who goes here for the service right?

Warragai7805

Absolutely recommend this restaurant had dinner tonight Fridays not your standard Chinese. Pickled tunip in plum wine sauce and macadamia sensational Preserved Duck giblets wow White bait beautiful Marinated calamari tentacles very special No complaints for this Chef about any thing Definitely will go again and recommend this place to all

Jpocky

So bit hard to review a restaurant which falsely advertises online booking. Booked through their online system received a confirmation code. LUCKILY called up before we were supposed to go - turns out their online system doesn't work but they've never rectified it and they just leave it online. Didn't have space for us - the end.

Denny

Located in Chinatown, Crystal Jade is a popular eatery for Chinese cuisine. They offer Yum Cha (Dim Sum) for brunch/lunch and your typical Chinese cuisine for dinner and of course seafood amongst many of their dishes. Bookings are essential for weekend Yum Cha but luckily they have two sessions available.

TeeJay

Very busy but efficiently run, in the heart of China Town. We got a table and fresh hot food straight away at 11.30am (opening time for Yum Cha). Wide variety of Yum Cha selections and a bit more on offer than my local places. Enjoyed prawns with Japanese tofu, ginger prawns, bbq pork pastries, egg custard tarts (which we took away at a cost of 30 cents for a container, lol), etc. $58 for 6 dishes with soft drinks and Chinese tea (for 2 people). The cashier rushed me, I didn't get a chance to check the bill and I didn't realise quickly enough that there is a surcharge on pay pass. Have been here 3 times and will return.

Clarinna

Tried Crystal Jade today because we didn't want to travel far. It was 1.30pm and the line was quite long. Our number was called after 15 mins and they offered us a big round table to be shared with other people. We didn't want that because its awkward so we waited another 15 mins. Service was really bad in the beginning but it was better after we had our meals. The white bait, pork spare ribs were good especially the egg tarts (best!!). However, i personally think the other dishes are better at Gold Leaf.

MF

Now im convinced, when u go to crystal jade, u must choose the expensive items then ull know how good their food are, so many times we went there for their "normal" chinese dishes, dim sum, for occation or just normal lunch/dinner, none of their food was special, but this time we were eager to try their special dishes like their crab with truffle, wagyu beef and steamed parrot fish, and the result was awsome, we left satisfied, with high price tag, $900+, so at least next time we know, if we wanna go there what should we order.

Jenna Tran

Crystal Jade is one of my regular family outing dining place overall I love the food especially the duck and crab I recommend this place if you're into a mix of Chinese and I think Vietnamese food mainly Chinese though

Yolanda Wong

Nice services. Variety choices of dim sum. All are very nice. Egg yolk Bao is the one most recommended. Just a little bit pricey. Will come back.

Tony

Expansive dining environment, authentic Cantonese cuisine. Very very good dimsum in the daytime makes way for delicious Cantonese and Chinese food in the night. Very crowded at times, so a booking is recommended, especially if you're dining in groups. Having had both yumcha and dinner at Crystal Jade, it is one of my favourite fuss-free places to dine in, in the CBD. I like the king crab, I love the steamed fish, and their winter melon soup is stupendously good. For dinner (especially in winter), go for the lamb brisket stew, which is amazing. if you are here for yumcha, go crazy with the trolleys full of plates of dimsum, and order a plate or 2 of roast meats to go with your dimsum plates. yummy.

Leng Con

Yum Cha was disappointing. Used to be much better when they first opened in the city. Siew mai was very dry, not juicy as it should be. Skin of chive dumping cold not even hold the filling in. Skin just fell apart.... Everything was quite salty and probably had loads of msg since I had a raging thirst after that. In general I would say the food was quite, in cantonese, rough. That said, I would apply that to most yum cha places in Melbourne. On the upside, service was good and the waitress was very attentive.

Jimmy Eats

Good dim sum and great attentive service from the staff. However, it was far more pricey than I thought it would be. For the items I ordered it would typically come out to $45 dollars at a normal restaurant but here it was $90.

Yuxi Chen

Best yumcha in melbourne! Crystal Jade never disappoint me. My fav is the chicken feet, century egg pork congee, fried wonton and egg tart. Too bad it close at 3pm (shouldve do all day yumcha) but the dinner is also nice

KEN

I came here with negative expectations but I was somewhat pleased with the experience. Some of the Chinese dishes were okay and a few were up to standard. However, there are better places nearby

Charlie Kang

Spacious, baby friendly and tasty food. The taro football is oh so good! Best football I've ever had in my life. Perfect. I'll definitely be back here. It gets the chef Charlie thumbs up. ☺

Review Crystal Jade Restaurant - Melbourne