Review Secret Kitchen Chinatown - Melbourne

First time experience at Secret Kitchen and I couldn't fault it. There was a line out the door for yum cha lunch, and staff were very efficient getting people through the door and into a table. No one asked us to check in or check vaccination status however which was disappointing from a health perspective, busy or not. A waiting escorted us to our table upstairs, he was very friendly and a comedian in the making. The food trolleys were flowing fast and we were offered dishes the moment we sat down. The food was of a high standard and was all delicious, no shortages at all. The service was exceptional and it wasn't difficult to order drinks or additional dishes directly. Overall a great experience and I'd highly recommend you try it.

This restaurant was recommended by a stranger from the street and was at the very end of the China town. As it was after peak lunch, there were no lines or wait time, straight to the table. The staff were attentive and provided everything we needed. We requested the yum Cha and were told they will just come around. The servers were friendly but pushy with their foods and a few times we had to insist that we didn’t want more. The pricing wasn’t very clear with what we were selecting as they were circling what we chose on this paper. Overall, the variety foods were good and tasty. They ranged from a mild spice to high spice, and were great for sharing and trying many different things. A few times it was unclear what was inside but they were good anyways. From its presentation and uniforms, the restaurant was high class and we expected the pricing to be the same. However, when it came to paying the bill, they had told us that it wasn’t enough as we had to pay $30 each. We had 4 people and already had eaten until we were all full. I requested that we get egg tarts take away and then we would pay the total cost so it would be a win win, however they accepted that there were two children with us and only charged us $90 for what we ate and 6 egg tarts as well. Overall, it was a good experience and different change. In a normal restaurant, the price would have been a lot cheaper for the items we got, however it was a fancier restaurant so keep that in mind.

Excellent service overall, the waiters knowledgeable and were able to answer all our questions. They even gifted my cousin some jasmine tea after she had complimented it. Exceptional food, great timing between each dish, no rush or pressure to order or to bring out other dishes. I recommend you try the King prawn dumplings, minced chicken boa and sauted king prawn Would definitely be going back again

Booked for dinner with a group of friends. Most of us enjoyed the experience. Secret Kitchen seems to be following the trend I have started seeing at many new Asian restaurants. Compared to older classic Chinese restaurants, the decor and service here is much better, the food is decent but the prices are exorbitant. The real trade off is paying $12 for 3 pan fried dumplings, something that would cost $4 elsewhere, they weren’t anything special either. If you care more for the decor and service over value then this might be for you.

Take you to taste of the famous and largest dim sum restaurant in Melbourne CBD Secret Kitchen's is one of the largest restaurants with seating for more than 200 people. The shop has 2 floors, beautifully decorated. Who’s Big fans of Cantonese style Chinese food should not miss it. There are many dim sum carts served hot for you to choose from. Steamed buns decorated in pork shape, the taste is extraordinary.

This place is undoubtedly great as the food is gorgeous, come in a decent portion, and its location is perfect. This place has plenty of seats which could accommodates large group or family, and the staff were knowledgable, helpful, and work efficiently. I don't need to comment about the food in terms of taste, as it has been shown from its reputation. One thing is, this place has lots of food selection and they are popular in Asian culture. I had slice fish in pickle soup and BBQ goose. Both were such an enjoyment.

Nice Place to eat Hong Kong style and Chinese style food. Waiters are professor. But the light is not that enough, will make people easy to sleep. And I recommend don't heated tea that much long time, I know its good to keep warm But the tea will be easy to bitter

Went for dinner there. The entree of abalone was very tender and well cooked. We also had the goose which I totally recommend. The one disappointment was the pork knuckle which both arrived after we had most of the meal plus it was not as tender as expected. Overall a good meal.

Insta: melbfoodie_mark<br/>YT: MelbFoodieMark<br/>** Check them out for more food reviews in Melbourne!<br/>-<br/>Finally got to visit this yum cha restaurant everyone's been raving about. I've been to heaps of good yum cha restaurants in Toronto and I gatta admit Secret Kitchen was just as good :) It was very spacious and clean inside - one of those places you'd come with a group of friends or family to enjoy delicious meal together.<br/>The quality of each dish was very good - kept fresh and juicy. The dim sums were mightily packed with filling. Almost felt as if I was eating meatballs instead (but hey I ain't complaining! LOL they were so delicious). It was also refreshing to see them keeping it traditional and carrying trolleys full of dim sums around. Proper 👌

A beautiful place to dine for lunch, yum Cha is their specialty. Delicious dumplings 🥟 and very cute pig face buns. Their were amazing pink rice paper rolls too. The staff were very attentive and friendly. We will definitely dine here again.

Superb service and food. Huge dumplings and tasty.

When I think of yum cha, i think of secret kitchen and their amazing spread.<br/><br/>Love how they have such a good range of options when it comes to yum cha. There are always different specials available as well. <br/><br/>The must have is their mango mochi for dessert, they dont make too many of them so try to put in your order early. The textures and flavours of the mochi is on point and is definitely a favourite.

Always my fav yum cha place 💯 One of the few places which serves good yum cha 🥟 Went for dinner there once as well & it didn’t disappoint.<br/><br/>Prices are defo on the high end, not something you can do on a regular basis. I reckon yum cha can go up to $30 per person, while having a satisfying meal is probs around $40 per pax.

The mango mousse was so fun to eat and delicious! One of the top yum cha places I’ve been to in Melbourne.

Booked a table for their Saturday yum cha lunch and we were worried about the dining time limit, yet surprisingly we were all satisfied even before the session finished. The crispy duck was so good, highly recommended. The custard buns were so cute, and the staffs were very friendly and helpful. Will surely return!

If you’re in the mood for delicious yum cha but doesn’t have all afternoon to sit down, chitchat and eating then this the the place to be. <br/>The yum cha selections are wide range and delicious, but you only allowed 1 hour and 15 minutes per session, meaning after 1 hour and 15 minutes the waiters or waitresses will keep coming to your table and reminded you that your session time is up, whether you’re finish eating or not.. literally. <br/>We do love this place though.. like I said, this place is one of the most delicious yum cha restaurants in the city.

One of my go to places for yum cha in Melbourne. I love the quality of the food and the variety on offer.

Really good quality yum cha offering a good variety of options consistently!<br/><br/>On New Year's Day we decided to start our 2020 right by trying out Zomato's highest rated yum cha restaurant- Secret Kitchen! With warm service and carts consistently bringing in fresh, plentiful options, there is something here for everyone.<br/><br/>The quality of each dish was very good; fresh, tasty, with unique takes on flavours. The dumplings we had were better than most from other establishments, with us being hard pressed to pick a favourite.<br/><br/>A really good yum cha restaurant, one of the best in Melbourne undoubtedly. Recommended to try out yourself :)<br/><br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Ambience: 4/5<br/>Value: 3.5/5<br/><br/>Overall: 4/5

Dim Sum at @secretkitchen_au, the food is so good- I wonder why I have never been here! The only two things I didn’t like: that they kept (albeit nicely) asking us to order our last order and asking whether we needed the bill to chase us out because they are doing three sessions today. Secondly I didn’t like our second plate of pan fried turnip cake - it felt like they did a great job on the first plate cos they have more time to pan fry stuff and the second round they didn’t have time to pan fry stuff to perfection

We went out here expecting a nice yum cha lunch but got very disappointed by how we were treated and served during! Food was good hence the one star given, otherwise it’d just be 0/5 tbh. I dont usually write reviews but thought this was necessary as a heads up for everyone out there. One of the waitress was just completely rude and unpleasant by how she took our orders, served our food, and simply by the expression of her face as she was speaking to us. We were a table of 5, but my brother suddenly joined us midway througgh. We wanted an additional chair on our table but this waitress looked at us as if we had done something wrong. She then furiously and recklessly proceeds to drag the additional chair to our table, bumping into my father who was enjoying his meal. We thought her service and attitude altogether that afternoon was unacceptable considering the price of the food and the good reputation of the restaurant. My father decides to speak to the manager regarding the unpleasant service from this waitress only to find out that the manager was not professional enough to apologize, instead still defending the waitress. Altogether we had a horrible experience and would not recommend this place to anyone unless you want your meals thrown at you.

Very delicious, but poor service. One male waiter keeps a poker face, very disappointed.

It’s probably one of the most clean yumcha place I’ve been in Melbourne. I wouldn’t say the food’s extremely unique or anything, but they’re good and they’ve got the staples in a yumcha place. A great place to bring the family or meetup with friends. The service is great as the servers are very attentive.

The service was good and the restaurant is super clean and slightly formal. The food was ok,I wouldn’t say it was anything too special.

I won’t be surprised if people say this is the best yumcha in the city. Always make a booking if you are having weekend yumcha at secret kitchen to avoid queueing. You would be given a 1:15 hour slot to have your brunch! Honestly, everything was consistently good here at secret kitchen. Highlights of meal were: <br/><br/>1. The Sichuan siumai: so unique that we ordered two baskets of it! My mouth is drooling as I think of it. Not as spicy as the name suggests! <br/><br/>2. The egg yolk custard buns were more delicious than the pig custard buns because the inner fillings were oozing out ☺️<br/><br/>3. Order the prawn dumpling! It’s unique and hargao will never taste the same again<br/><br/>4. The fried radish cake, fried bean curd with prawn and yam pastry were all good, though probably not as unique as 1-3. <br/><br/>5. End your meal with egg tarts and mango pudding and I guarantee you would leave stuffed and satisfied <br/><br/>Writing this review made me hungry again. Best part was, with the 25% off, the meal was about $25pp which was value for the ambience, quality and service here. This goes on my #citaymusteat list !<br/><br/>Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Ambience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've been a regular at Secret Kitchen in Doncaster but decided to try their city branch recently. The restaurant is really big and seating was spacious and comfortable. Most of the dimsims were nice especially the egg tarts which were very sweet and flaky. However the red rice noodle rolls and cheese lava buns were a bit of a let sown. The rice noodle skin was quite soggy and the bun lacked salted egg yolk taste. Their Doncaster restaurant definitely does a better job with these two dishes.<br/>Overall, it's a 3.5/5 for me.

Been there few times with a 60 min limit. Yes I understand it and accept it, but didn't think it was always going to be like this. 60 min limit from the get go as soon as I walk in. Wow. Talk about stress eating. What makes it worse? Any special orders take 30 mins so by the time it comes out you need to scoff it down and go. Food is ok though. Too bad...

Worst service ever!!! The manager at the front desk is a fk old bitch!!

we recently dinned at secret kitchen for lunch yum chow on 27/10/2019 it is located at 222 exhibition street cnr little bourke street Melbourne cbd unfortunately the meals we all had was absolutely bloody disgusting all of the meat dishes the meat was so tough it was inedible i mentioned this to a female waits person but it fell on deaf ears i went back to the restaurant on Monday 28/10/2019 and spoke to a male person and told him want had occurred but yet again it fell on deaf ears i would not recommend this restaurant as i have eaten much better asian food else where so therefore i give them a rating of minus 1.5

Quite a big restaurant located on the corner of Exhibition and Little Bourke st. I came here for yum cha. The trolley service is good, and the quality is a lot better than some of the other offerings in chinatown. Definitely a must try place.

Expensive high-class yum cha with big reputation. Went on a Sunday afternoon (had a reservation). Was delicious and had great service, however nothing fantastic that I’d return to, especially at the high price.

Came here for yum cha on a Saturday with family. The food was actually pretty good. The carrot cake was a highlight! Get the fried ones that come in a bowl, not the ones on a plate. Tastes very similar to Singapore's chai tao kway. Super yum! The egg tarts were amazing too! Really light, soft, creamy and eggy... Yummmm!! <br/><br/>The one thing that affected our experience was that many of the staff can't speak or understand Cantonese. We tried asking for a dish that was normally served at yum cha but we only know the name of the dish in Cantonese and didn't know what that translated to in Mandarin or English.

My go to yumcha in the city! Love most of the dim sum selection. Suckling pig and roast goose was yum, but would not rec their Peking duck.

Secret Kitchen is one of Melbourne most popular yumcha restaurants. They have many branches around melbourne but in my opinion, the Melbourne one is the best. They have a lot of variety that some of the other ones don’t have. I came here twice both for my birthday. I recommend booking if you come here on the weekends but they’re pretty quiet on weekdays.<br/><br/>I really enjoyed all the dim sums, dumplings, roast duck, rice noodle with prawn and especially their desserts. I hardly ever get dessert at yumcha but the desserts here are freaking awesome. The egg tarts are probably one of the best egg tarts I’ve had here in Melbourne and also their mochi! You got to try their mango mochi! It is sooooo good!! There’s like a layer of cream and the mochi skin is sooooo soft, yummmm! <br/><br/>I like how the trollies come by often and you’re not just waiting around for ages. The staff are very attentive as well. If you ask them for something, they’ll go get it for you straight away. <br/><br/>Overall, I would def recommend coming here to get your yumcha fix, very delicious!

If you're undecided about trying secret kitchen, please just go because you won't be disappointed. The food here is so fresh, full of flavour and delicious. They have a wide range of yumcha options that I havent found at any other place. My favourite are the truffle dumplings and the Chinese donut wrapped in a steamed rice cake.<br/>Also don't forget to try their desserts. The tofu is smooth and silky!

Secret kitchen is one of our go to yum cha joints in the city.<br/><br/>The waiters and waitress are friendly and attentive. The trolley pushers are unfortunately the opposite. Some would even just walk past our table without even offering what they had in the carts.<br/><br/>The dim sums are very good quality. Definitely one of the best around in Melbourne. The skin on the dim sums are soft and light in texture, you can pretty much see through it. The filling of each dim sum was generous and delicious.<br/>Definitely try the mango mochi because it was surprisingly amazing. I could eat hundreds of them.<br/><br/>Definitely a more pricey yum cha diner with less variety than Gold Leaf but you do get better quality dim sums.<br/><br/>Approx $40pp including drinks<br/><br/>

Secret kitchen is well known for their exquisitely rich and flavorful chinese food!<br/><br/>Last time I came here during dinner time and had a very enjoyable time with my family and friends <br/><br/>The ingredients are all fresh and the servers were nice and friendly.<br/>Would recommend those who would like to have an anniversary or a family based dinner!

Really bad experience with this restaurant. The manager didn't explain the price and covered charge our bill. Also, the manager didn't have any good attitude to make apology. Down:(<br/>點菜的時候經理一直在推進貴的，然後菜單上的價格和最後付款的也不一樣。結帳的時候，經理的解釋是，我們沒有問，請問菜單上不寫，客人怎麼會知道呢？非常不好的體驗。解釋和道歉都沒非常沒有誠意。來吃正餐做好被宰客的準備再來吧:(

Secret Kitchen is my favourite yumcha spot in Melbourne for many reasons. Firstly, the service is always super attentive with staff regularly pouring your tea and clearing dishes. Secondly, the decor is beautiful throughout from the cups that line the walls the to tea pot holders. Lastly, the food is great quality and takes a modern spin on traditional favourites including truffle infused dumplings. I highly recommend the red rice rolls with crispy prawn, baked barbecue pork buns, custard buns and the 5 treasure dumplings. Be sure to book ahead as it’s almost impossible to get a walk-in especially on a weekend.

Secret Kitchen in not so much a secret among foodies who love good chinese food. This place is Huge...Really HUGE and the team of attendants is Big for obvious reasons, it's always crowded.<br/><br/>Beef was perfectly cooked in the Spicy Flavorful Broth , Eggplant with Minced Chicken was perfectly savory and the Secret Kitchen Special Egg Fried Rice was topped with perfectly cooked Prawns was reason enough to live up to our expectations.<br/><br/>We also ordered piglets Bun stuffed with custard for desserts but they weren't as good as we thought they would be. The custard fillingwithin a very fat but was little and dense, and not creamy at all. Quite disappointing after such a delicious meal.<br/><br/>We were three of us and one portion of dessert serves two and as soon as we requested to add one more, they were happy to add at an extra cost which was quite sweet of them.<br/><br/>Portions are generous and hospitality quite friendly. They have good choice for Vegetarians, Vegans and Glutenfree foodies.<br/><br/>Athough an expensive affair (opposite to what Zomato and TripAdvisor) was a beautiful affair with food.<br/>

One of my preferred yum cha place on the weekend. Must make booking as the queue can be long. Most choices are all fresh and tasty. The pork polo bun is a must have here. Service is quick and attentive too. Must visit!

I haven't been to Secret Kitchen in the city for so long that I almost forgot that they existed. Cue some searching when we wanted to go for yum cha in the city and Secret Kitchen popped up as an option.<br/><br/>Busy even on a weekday, we were seated upstairs where it was quieter and more spacious. The usual suspects were ordered - durian puff, beef balls, BBQ pork bun, salted egg lava bun, and those whose names I only know in Cantonese but have no idea what they are called in English. I have to admit that I have never ordered in English before at a yum cha.<br/><br/>Secret Kitchen always like to keep things interesting with new and unique items, but I do suggest that you stick to the oldies but goodies. The newer ones are more about aesthetic rather than taste, but this is no way means they don't taste good; they just aren't spectacular and they do cost more.<br/><br/>I was quite surprised by the super friendly and kindly service. One waitress even kept checking to make sure everything was ok, and paid extra attention to one of our elderly guest.<br/><br/>Secret Kitchen, you never disappoint and are always full of surprises.

I'll say this restaurant is the better yumcha place. The seafood is fresh and there are quite a lot of yumcha choices available. The scallop siumai is quite underwhelming as the scallops are frozen ones (you'll know once you eat it because of the texture).<br/><br/>Prices are at the higher range and service is not the best but this is what you get in most asian restaurants anyways. haha 💁‍♀️💁‍♀️

A little pricier than other yum cha places but damn their food is delish! Could not fault any of the dishes, and their desserts esp the salted yolk custard buns are exquisite. Durian lovers don't forget the durian puffs ( to the chagrin of your Aussie mates ;)! Service was slightly rushed but negligible.

We thought this place in china town would be great because it was so busy but not so. We asked three times for chilli sauce to have with our dumplings but it never arrived plus no soy on the tables which we would have used since no chilli. Plus so expensive. 1 serve of Chinese broccoli, 1 serve of duck (tiny), and 1 serve of prawn dumpling (3) $48 no drinks! We left hungry but glad because otherwise imagine the bill...

It was the last day to use our entertainment book and so glad we used it on Secret Kitchen. Their yum cha was just absolutely fresh & delicious. The service was just 👌🏻 My favourite would have to be the shu mai and chive dim sums . Highly recommend!!! 😁

Very nice atmosphere & impeccable service - and that was it. <br/>We were very excited to come here for yumcha - food looked so good on here and insta but the experience was underwhelming. <br/>Out of all the savory dishes we had, nothing made us go wow. Many dishes took their sweet time to come out - only at the end of the service which was almost 3 o'clock so we couldn't even try a lot. <br/>The highlight was the Mango Mochi - had to had double serving of it. Did not look the best like the buns they had (we tried the Golden Cheese Lava - do not recommend) but the taste OMG - super thin and smooth skin and very jiggly, the inside was creamy and so mango-y in flavor. LOVE LOVE LOVE

Very rude manager like person at the front door. She used condescending words like “what time is it” as she points at her watch because we were a little late to a booking. She then said they tried to call but no one answered so she cancelled the booking but I looked at the phone and had no missed calls. She looked around to see who she can blame from her staff but she couldn’t find anyone who she changed the subject. We were happy to wait for a table. There was plenty of empty seats but she said she doesn’t know how long the wait would be and told us to wait and there could “potentially” be a seat for us with a dismissive tone. We left because of her rudeness. <br/><br/><br/>

Came here last night. The dumplings were not worth their price, could have bought the same thing else where and had them fresher. The skin broke off the filling within seconds. <br/><br/>Additionally, my Fried Ice Cream had a piece of blue rubber in it. The waitress just dismissed it as a dried up “herb” that they use for the pastry of the dessert, however herbs are not used as an ingredient in this dish, nor do they dry to a rubber texture. She refunded this order, but did not apologise or admit there was a mistake in the dish, which I find very misleading and appalling. <br/><br/>Overall, a waste of money. Better food and service can be found elsewhere for a lesser price. I would not recommend coming here.

We had Yum Cha. Service was poor. They gave us a short time limit for the table and there were no food carts coming our way. Somehow the carts kept finishing or didn't come past us - quite frustrating when you're hungry and told you have to leave in 30mins. And then it got worse because there were baby cockroaches found in our food that did arrive which shows the poor standards of hygiene. To compensate they let us order a few free dishes and did remove the time limit. The damage was already done. I've never been back. Hopefully things have improved. It's still very popular.

11 of us had dinner here to celebrate a friend’s birthday. When we made a booking, we were told that we needed to pay $10 per head in booking fees because of our group size, which was refunded at the end of the night. I have not seen any other restaurant do this, and it is totally unnecessary since the restaurant was nowhere near packed. Also, we were not told that there is a $25 minimum spending per head till we arrived at the restaurant. I would have appreciated it if we were informed when making the booking.<br/><br/>Speaking of the food, it was mediocre, considering how much we paid. The fried rice was boring, ordinary and lacked flavour, while the peking duck was fat, overly salty and leathery. Not the best Chinese food I've had.<br/><br/>And the service was disappointing. The staff were giving us the stink-eye, and spoke to us in a rude, standoffish tone.<br/><br/>Long story short, I’m not coming back.

Definitely one if the best Yum Cha in the city. Everything that we’ve ordered were tasty. They’ve got yum cha whole day. Better to call to reserve a table as they could get busy or fully booked. Services was good. Wouldn’t mind to come back again to do another yum cha session with couple of people

Food 4/5<br/>Service 5/5<br/>Environment 5/5<br/><br/>The nice restaurant provides a wide range of Yun Cha. The service is good and not crowd at all. The dumpling and snack are tasted amazing. The bbq and pork ribs and chicken feet taste delicious. Strongly recommended.

Modern chinese eatery.<br/><br/>The place is quite spacious, there are two floors, the second floor is a bit more private. The place is very well kept and feels luxurious. The lighting is a bit dim. Been here a few times and service was nice and professional. When it's busy, we had to wait a bit for the staff to come to the front counter and serve us, but it not too long. Getting their attention isn't too hard as well, food took a reasonable time.<br/><br/>Yum chas here were great, probably one of the best in Melbourne.<br/><br/>Abalone and sea cucumber bun was tasty, the bun was fluffy though filling can be more generous, but again its pricey ingredients so I understand.<br/>Porridge was great as well, texture and taste was there, with decent amount of minced pork and century egg.<br/>Fish rice paper rolls were good portion, the filling was fish which was firm and some sour veggies which was bit too much in my opinion, but the ginger soy sauce was pretty good.<br/>Tried out their live green lip abalone and it was really yums. They cut it into think slices and cooked with foie gras and i loved how the foie gras coats the slices nicely and gave such rich tasty flavor also how they are tender and chewy at the same time.<br/>The fish was okay i suppose, was informed that they were frozen, which was a bit disappointing knowing that the place is considered fine dining. They do taste great, the garlic flavor wasn't too much and the fish slices was firm and fleshy.<br/>Fried rice was great as well, taste and texture wise. It's also quite a good portion, and quite some prawns in it.<br/>The roast duck was flavourful, skin was not the crispiest but considered good. The pork was yummy, as the skin was nice and crispy, though the pork is not very fleshy as it was thin.<br/><br/>Update:<br/><br/>Their imperial prawns were huge! It's just a tad bit tough but really yummy sauce!!<br/>Smoked pork ribs was interesting, smoked really well and not that tough! Do use hands for easy consumption.<br/>Piggy baos were yuuuumy, love the custard filling, and bao itself iz fluffy and of course cute! duh<br/>Squid Ink manthou was great but it's bit fishy, cus squid ink.<br/>Garlic prawn spring rolls were well made, prawns were generous and succulent but i found the garlic bit much.<br/>Lastly, corn chicken soup was pretty normal but quite hearty.<br/>Also tried the doggo mousse! Sha cute, but taste wise it's bit too sweet for my liking unfortunately.<br/>And osmanthus jelly was quite good, kinda taste like tea and flower.<br/><br/>Another update:<br/><br/>Tried their steamed live fish, which was really fresh though I think it's bit unevenly seasoned.<br/>Fried pork ribs were yummy, my friend loved it.<br/>Soy chicken was quite yummy too, really tender and well marinated, with some soy egg and tofu on the side.<br/>Foie Gras was yummy, tasted fresh, served on top of fresh greens.<br/>Black pepper lamb was pretty good, well seasoned and the meat was quite tender, I like the mushrooms too.<br/>Also tried the crocodile soup, soup itself was pretty herby, and meat was quite generous though some parts were bit tough and some bit fishy, especially the fat.<br/>Lastly, the cabbage soup was really plain, that being said the soup was sweet from the cabbae but really nothing much to say.<br/>Latest update:<br/><br/>Properly tried their dim sum this time.<br/>I really enjoyed most of the ones I tried, the sizes were bigger than most places and they were definitely not as salty which I'm really THANKFUL for, most importantly I could taste the freshness. My favorites would be the prawn dumpling (har gau), chicken feet (non spicy), piggy bun, and the red rice prawn rolls (really interesting dish). The only dish that was just decent was the XO turnip cake, found them bit oily. But definitely the best dim sum I've had in Melbourne.<br/><br/>PS looove the concept of putting their teapot on top of the candle to keep it warm because i like my tea hot. The chrysanthemum tea was great too.<br/><br/>Overall a great place for a better than your usual Chinese dining experience.<br/><br/>( follow for more!✨)<br/><br/>ｘｘ，ｊｏｅｌｌｅ

Best yum cha in town! Always been my favorite place to go. I'd probably come more often if I'm not constantly on a low-carb diet. Love their steamed custard bun, prawn dumplings, and spinach and prawn dumplings!

Found this place quite average. My friends and I were quite disappointed about the service that was provided to us. We had tried the Black Truffle Dumplings, which tasted pretty dull. Overall, there was no authentic taste in any of dishes given, and staffs were very rude.

By far Melbourne still does the best yum chas. Melbourne's Secret Kitchen is not so secret! The queue don't lie 😁<br/><br/>Food and service is great. We enjoyed prawn and scallop dumplings, chicken feet (okay so I was not game enough to try the chicken feet. I was told it was good for a clear complexion), duck (my favourite), some greens. Off course no yum cha is complete without something sweet. The golden cheese🧀 lava buns, steamed custard buns and salty egg🥚 custard buns sure hit the mark.<br/><br/>#brunch #lunch #nyeats #hkeats #londonfoodie #hkfoodie #sydneyfoodie #lafoodie #sgfoodie #melbournefoodie #adelaidefoodie #instafood #torontoeats #pertheats #brisbanefoodie #melbourneeats #japanesefoodie #asianfood #southafricanfoodies #melbournerestaurant #yumcha

Very glad that Secret Kitchen was open for Easter Monday yum char as we had overseas visitors. The food was delicious and the staff were friendly. The stand out dish was the Wu Gok, which was fresh, crispy and not greasy. Their green apple mousse dessert was also very nice and had wonderful sweet juicy burst of green apple flavour. <br/><br/>We felt let down by the limited session time; the preceding session ended late and we were given our bill 10 minutes early. 1 hour is a bit too rushed for a yum char session IMO.

Huge yumcha variety, great for family catch up on a Saturday or Sunday lunch. Food are delicious, fresh and tasty. Service can be hit and miss though.

We came here for a nice dinner to celebrate a birthday. We have been here once before and the quality of the food is generally quite good. Whether the food is good value for money, on the other hand, is a different issue. They have a wide variety in their menu with lots of Chinese delicacies, but the prices are pretty steep all around that I don't see much point coming here over other Chinese restaurants in the area with great food and more reasonable prices like Supper Inn. Perhaps an exception would be if you were entertaining business clients and money is no object.<br/><br/>We ordered a portion of roast goose and suckling pig (that alone costed $80). Both were good - the suckling pig skin was crispy and the goose was juicy. I'm not one of those people that can appreciate the difference between duck and goose though, and I definitely wouldn't have paid $80 for that. We had 3 lettuce cups (3 different flavours, duck, seafood and chicken), but they were mostly rice and quite frankly tasted all the same despite the different proteins. At $11 each, it was ok - refined, but not particularly enjoyable. Likewise, the scallops were nice and fresh, but also expensive. And lastly, we had the hokkien fried rice (not on the menu), and there was quite a lot of nice ingredients in there like cubes of roast duck, seafood etc in a thick gravy. Always a favourite of mine. Again, it was nice, but the sauce was a bit bland so it wasn't exceptional.<br/><br/>For the prices, the food would have to be truly exceptional to be worth it. It was a nice meal, but not that good, unfortunately.

Secret Kitchen had a nice selection of yum cha and mains. We’ve tried quite a few dishes; a variety of dumplings, Peking duck, green beans, fried rice, and kway tiao noodle among others, and they were all delicious. The ambiance was cozy and modern, the service was friendly. Secret Kitchen was also perfect for group gatherings.

Staff: helpful except for receptionist usually quite rude if you didn’t make reservation<br/>Food: for yum cha- excellent<br/>Ambience: spacious and nice<br/><br/>Taro Portuguese tart - highly recommended. So soft and tasty <br/>Pink rice roll with shrimp - the combination of the chewy n juicy shrimp, a layer of crispy wrap around the shrimp and the soft layer of rice roll, served with peanut sauce or soy sauce makes a great combination<br/>Truffle shrimp - found it normal , not blow minded as compare the rest<br/>Pig bun- cute and soft, quite nice!<br/>Scallop Siew mai- very fresh and juicy and chewy<br/>Taofufa - I prefer more ginger taste. Texture is very smooth<br/>Mushroom with shrimp - juicy and chewy! Love it<br/><br/>So many varieties and would love to come and try again <br/><br/>IG: @melbourne_travel

Edit: was the best yumcha place but their service is so rude. I called and they hung up mid conversation and was treated like a nuisance.<br/><br/>Hands down the best yumcha I have ever had in Melbourne. This place takes the cake over the old favourites like Gold Leaf... <br/><br/>Do yourself a favour and make a booking - otherwise be prepared to wait endlessly on the weekend. <br/>Definitely get the following: <br/>- Custard Buns (cute piggy design), SO SOFT and silky<br/>- Salted egg yolk custard buns<br/>- CRISPY duck, omg that crisp <br/>- Truffle shui mai <br/><br/>Will return whenever I crave yumcha!

Went here for Chinese New Year Lunch. Was excited to try their yum cha. The place was spacious and had large number of tables designed to accommodate groups, ideal for family dinner. Overall, they were just average, I’ve eaten better yum cha elsewhere, but the highlight was the egg tart. Other than that, it was just average, not worth the hype and the price.

Time to time I eat here with my family. Tonight they asked my 6 yo daughter if she would like a fruit juice. We didn’t think much of it and ordered a watermelon juice. When the bill came we were horrified to see $12.80 charged for the juice. I queried it and they said that is the price and said its fresh from a watermelon. The juice was not on the menu. The price was unfathomable for a juice ! The way they approached the whole situation was sly and cunning. I have never ever paid that price for a juice in ANY restaurant in Melbourne and I have been to many expensive ones. <br/><br/>We also got a Jasmine tea with our service. Before we were even finished with the tea, the waitress refilled it with hot water without asking us, then management had the nerve of charging us for two teas! Their conduct is very sly and sneaky.

Rating: 4<br/>Food: 4.5<br/>Value: 4<br/>Ambience: 4.5<br/>Service: 4<br/><br/>This has got to be best yum cha place and service I have been too. Food served to still hot, sauces were finger-licking, the taste was clean, and the meat and seafood are so plump and juicy. <br/><br/>What I recommend: <br/><br/>- Pork pan fried dumplings, I thought it would be the same typical semi crispy coating with dry clustered pork meat inside. It was beyond a wow. The meat inside was so juicy and would melt in the mouth, and was seasoned so well, with the coating was so crispy. <br/>- King prawn ha cao: it is juicier than other places I have been to, and the skin of the dumpling was so thin and soft, with the sauce sauce and vinegar soaking into its shell. <br/>- Rice roll with prawn (crispy version and steamed): the crispy one is eaten with mayo which was absolutely addicting, but we have to talk about the steamed rice roll. Not only is the prawn juicy, the sauce drizzled on it was the best and most clean-tasting and authentic sauce that I have ever tasted. I was literally drinking the remaining sauce. <br/>- Calamari was very addicting (I don’t normally buy this but it was good to share between the 5 of us), with the kewpie mayo provided. <br/>- Chicken feet was delicious, with it’s sauce being also better than the regular yum cha franchises I have been to. <br/>- Custard bun was very cute, but was pretty standard. <br/><br/>I have heard their mains, especially the peking duck and steamed baos are pretty good. Will come back to this yum cha place more regularly!

Always great yum cha whenever I come here. The food is always fresh as the trolley comes by regularly <br/>The chicken feet - which is usually my indication of a good yum cha place is done really well here <br/><br/>My friend loves it so much she asked to come here on her birthday

Busy yum cha place in the heart of the city, service was pretty good.. we had quite a few dishes shared amongst us, the highlight of the meal was definitely the durian pudding at the end, the pudding tasted really good if you are a durian fan, you should really give it a go..

This branch is better than others. Great yum cha selection esp desserts. Gets packed easily so book in advance. Love the apple mousse dessert...well presented.

Hmm. We came to celebrate CNY with family. The food was ok but a bit way pricy for the quality. We ordered sea cucumber and abalone claypot with expectation to be good dish however it was flavourless and feeling fake texture. <br/>No second time then. <br/>

Came here to celebrate Chinese New Year with family. The food was quite tasty to begin with. The lamb shank was wonderfully marinated in delicious flavours. However, the sea cucumber and abalone clay pot was a big disappointment. It tasted bland and the abalone was not legitimate but rather an imitation. As for the service, it was below average as the waiters/waitresses were not attentive. It was an overall okay experience but we will not be in a rush to come back.

Food is fine. Rude and impolite waiters and waitresses, probably won’t be here ever again. Different attitudes towards customers speaking different languages.

Worst experience ever. We were asking rudely to leave because we were running out of time for our table. Because of this, we were not served with water even if we have asked the waitress four times. We ended up with no water and leaving the table with the bill as they wish.

Couldn’t be worst. The service is far from terrible. We reserved a seat in advance. The lady at the reception is rude when we asked for our booking. While after finishing the lunch within time, we were talking while waiting for the bill, the tall guy with back shirt on the second floor asked us to leave quickly, with no respect at all. Won’t visit ever again.

Would normally come here with my family for Sunday yumcha. Many choices of dimsum and ingredients are fresh. Service on the other hand can be a hit and miss.

This secret kitchen is located in exhibition st. Very convenient location. Their yum cha are really popular so they have 3 session during lunch time and each session only allow u about 1 hr to finish. They have a large range of choice for u to choose . My favorite is the 流沙包（salted egg custard bun? Not sure about English name ) and the chicken feet. Scallops dumpling and har gyao (prawn dumplings) are a must order dish as well. The environment there is quite nice it’s just time we only have a short period of time to eat which feels a bit rush. Overall the food quality is nice, worth going

I tried Secret Kitchen for lunch on a Monday. The restaurant was packed, serving Yum Cha. Really good upmarket food although I am fussy so should have ordered from the menu. Delicious dumplings but the dessert was amazing (see photos).

Good food but poor service. The waiters kept chasing us to pay our bill and leave when our food that we ordered well in advance still hasn’t arrived (it took about 20 mins to get our egg tarts). We were trying to finish our meal as soon as we can. They were clearing up as we were eating which is very rude. They even took away my chopsticks when there is still food left on the table that I was about to finish (and I have to ask them to give me back my chopsticks). They didn’t ask if we have finished before clearing the table and they didn’t give us any warnings about the time limit. There are so many empty tables in the restaurant. I am not sure why they had to rush to clear our table and literally kicked us out, when it wasn’t even our fault to delay finishing our food.

This is probably one of the best yum cha / dim sum restaurants you can find in Melbourne. The interior is quite modern and I noticed that the staff were very alert. <br/><br/>We came on New Years Day and the staff seemed a little impatient for me to go get my friend outside before seating us. ( I assume as it was quite busy and they had more customers to serve)<br/><br/>Overall the cost of the meal for two people was $77.<br/>They price their dishes as small ($6.60), medium ($7.90) and large ($9.60).<br/><br/>The food was good and quite filling. There was none that I disliked. <br/><br/>(I have posted the name of the dumplings with photos, but not sure if the English name is correct)<br/>

I enjoy their yum cha a lot, such as their siu mai, cheong fun, mango pudding. Recently I tried their mixed roast platter and suckling pig and they were super delicious! Best suckling pig in CBD.

Capping 2018 off with a visit to a much anticipated yum cha restaurant and one that costs an arm and a leg. Booking is quintessential and without one, be prepared to be turned away during peak hours. Service is evidently prompt as plates on our table is cleared quickly whenever the last piece of dim sum is picked off it. Aside from that, service was disappointing as not only did the waiter/waitress send wrong orders to our table (which we turned away for obvious reasons) but we were told off by a grumpy waitress when we asked for a plate of dim sum that was on her trolley.

I’ve been to lots of different yumcha places before, but Secret Kitchen definitely was a different experience. Starting with their super attentive and helpful service, to the dishes and flavours they offer, Secret Kitchen is not your typical yumcha place. Considering the variety, types of dishes and the ingredients involved, the price point is also really good. The more people you come with, the more you get to try, and the better you can split the bill! Came as a 3 which was still a good and enjoyable experience. Would definitely come again!

I went 2 friends yesterday and it was possibly the worst experience in customer service that I have ever encountered. We waited over half an hour for trolleys to come by. When they did, they were empty. When we asked where and why the trolleys were not coming past, the floor supervisor tried to make a dumb joke about it. No apologies about this rubbish dining experience. certainly will NOT be rushing back anytime soon.

Rude, pushy service, just like most people here have experienced. Especially from the managers/hosts whom you'll hear shouting every few mins. Food is decent, sort of Cantonese style while copying trends from overseas. Expect to pay $45 each for yum cha and $90+ for dinner without booze. Weekend lunch as with most yum cha places be sure to book and come on time, otherwise you'll eat into the 75 mins you are allowed for having lunch there. All facets of service you'll need to ask for from soy sauce to tea, except when you have 30 mins left they'll hound you to order more then kick you out. Been a few times but will no longer though, the service is just far too insulting for the quality of food they served here.

This is the worst service I’ve ever experienced among Chinese restaurants. Food is good though but Im very confused why they kept taking away plates even though they’re not completely empty. The waitress threw the dishes on the table and like a hammer and spill water everywhere. And when I asked her no hurry she answered rudely like ‘if you’re not happy I wouldn’t serve you’. Totally disgusting attitude, while they served the other white folks on the other table with totally different attitude, gentle and polite. I can only imagine this as racism as they treat their own kin as pieces of shit when happy to be slaves of white. No offense to white folks though.<br/>Define not coming back in any circumstances and suggesting all my friends not to come. Totally disgraceful.

Not the best yumcha but it's quite cheap actually. Medium customer service. Everything is ok chicken feet too garlicky. Won't say much about Chinese customer service as everyone how it is, but while I'm Vietnamese and the staff seems like their supervisor always speak Chinese with me for more than 3 times.

Great yum cha restaurant with a variety of dim sums. Came here for lunch with six people and we had a feast ranging from savouries to sweets.<br/><br/>Try their durian puff which is stuffed with durian meat. The seafood used in the dim sums were super fresh. Awesome meal.<br/><br/>The cart ladies were attentive and polite.<br/><br/>The services was let down by this tall skinny Asian dude in black attire - very rude and he single handedly brought down the customer service of this joint. He should not work here. (23rd Nov 2018 @ 12:45pm)<br/><br/>Overall ambience is just right, food good and the service is ok.

came here on a thursday afternoon and i had a pretty above average meal. the staffs weren’t entirely friendly and what really put me off was i witness a staff who didnt wash her hands after using the loo. that honestly made me sick.

Food was good, nice and spacious restaurant. However, the service was very cold, ALL of staff members did not even crack a smile, frowning faces kinda make us wanna think twice if we want to go back again.

Beautiful food and great service, very friendly staff and environment was just amazing. I can not say enough good about this place and I make sure to eat here whenever I’m in Melbourne.<br/>

One of the best places for yum cha / dim sum. Come during 12-2pm for the best options. One time I came after 2.45pm and there were barely any trolleys strolling around which wasn’t a great experience. Definitely try the egg custard bao and the durian puff for the durian lovers out there

Rude, unfriendly and overcharged like crazy. Do not come here. I used to come here and it was great. But obviously something has changed. Go somewhere else.<br/><br/>On the receipt:<br/>$9.30 for 3 small har gao.<br/>$28.80 for a small serving of pork. Approx 6 small slices of 1.5cm width. <br/><br/>I’m suspect that they purposely upped the price just because we didn’t have a lot to eat. And they were so rude about it all. <br/><br/>I asked for chilli sauce and was glared at before I got it. <br/><br/>Seriously, go somewhere else. There are so many places that have better yum cha and service too.<br/>

As it was our first time here, once we sat down the waitresses were already trying to get us to order many items on the menu without us trying to settle in.<br/>However the front desk people were quite welcoming and gave a really good service.<br/><br/>The food was actually the highlight of this experience and I would definitely come back to try other items on the menu :)

It was fantastic. Food was great quality and perfect. Service was top marks. I’d recommend making a booking otherwise you’ll have to wait a while.<br/>