Review Shark Fin House

Parker

Solid. The staff was very attentive and we felt they were genuinely happy we were there. Every dish we ordered was good, with the special scallop fried rice being the standout. We were happy with our experience overall (and I’m very thankful that the staff put up with my poor Chinese). :,)

Terry Vanes

Sweet memories from forty years ago when I was a kid. Used to go here every second weekend as a kid, with the food being nothing short of superb. Fast forward to 2022 and Shark Fin Inn still stands and still serves up outstanding fare. I was with my 10 year old daughter this time and took her out to dinner here, having told her about the beautiful memories I had of the restaurant. Can honestly say things hadn’t changed. The service was just outstanding and the food just mouthwatering. Between us we had the entree of chicken skewers, for mains the Mongolian lamp (oh yeah baby), lemon chicken (so so good) and steamed rice. To see a 10 year old kid fall in love with the smells and taste was so satisfying. The owner of the restaurant was there and was so accommodating and pleased to hear that 40 years on I brought my daughter. You do have plenty of Chinese restaurant options in Melbourne but give this one a try first. You won’t be disappointed. Excellent service, delicious food and competitive prices. Thankyou to everyone at Shark Fin Inn.

Senior Pretty Girl Jenny

Great place to eat seafood! We ordered one lobster for two persons, and that lobster was LARGE!! Staff is also very kind. We’ll be there again.

Nicholas Lim

A great place for dim sum and lunch whenever you are in the city. Very near to Parliament station. Attentive staff, quick service despite busy lunchtime and delicious food. Can’t go wrong!

Saravanand Naiker

Came in for Yum cha and was impressed with their different types of dim sums. Prices are higher but you pay for the quality. Services is good nothing short but impressive. Would definitely be back. The only criticism I have is the toilets is dated and no change tables if you are a young parent 😬 Overall 8/10.

Lachlan Chan

Not bad. Not as good as secret kitchen but just solid yum cha. Has all the favourites: Cheung fan, siu mai, har gao, ham sui gok, fongjau/gaigeuk, char siu (charn ) bao. It was just above average yum cha, nothing that blows your mind. Will come back when taking people for traditional yum cha

Mel K

The best egg tart ever and the truth Hong Kong style ever. Pastry is very fluffy and egg custard is really delicious. This is one of the rare egg tart that almost disappear in Melbourne. Beef meatball and beef mixed pieces are so yummy and lots of flavor. The chicken feet and pork rib rice is so soft and delicious. The price is normal and their yum cha food are always high quality even during lockdown. Very impressive :)

Autumnal Mountains

Four Stars 🌟. Two people for Tuesday Yum Cha lunch. Total Bill @ $100.20. Amazingly tasty, the food and service was very pleasant and prompt. The Floor Manager was really service orientated, with awareness of pouring us Jasmine tea at the ripe times. The waitresses were all pleasant and well mannered. Top dishes recommended: Chicken Feet, they were the largest and tastiest I'd had in a while anywhere! The Scallop and Tofu Dim Sums, The Steamed Rice Flour Rolls with Prawns (need to special order), The Yellow Custard Bun for dessert were amazing! (need to special order). They were fresh, steaming hot, fluffy and the custard inside was gorgeous. Totally hit the Spot. ❤️🍮👌

Vanessa Simonds

Yummy food

Vesna Lombardi

The food is actually quite good but the place has many function tables. No privacy and too noisy.

Tedlangtons

Old habits die hard, this is an good old fashion yum cha joint with quality food and decent service. Been a few times and although I've been burnt once or twice generally they try pretty hard to please their patrons. Food is great and it came at good pace/intervals. Prices have gone up though, expect $35-45 no booze.

Racveq

Classic yum cha. Service was good, prices on par with my usual Sydney experiences, i love tripe but wasn't a fan of this version, cooked well texturally but lacked flavour. Enjoyed all the other dishes.

Sharon Jong

Went there on a Sunday afternoon around 130pm, there was no line as it was pretty late for yum cha. However, there're still plenty of varieties left on the carts. The food was really really good and everything was served warm!! The only downside is that some of the older waitresses (cantonese-speaking) are kinda rude. But I think that's how it works in a chinese restaurant right 😅 Overall, I'd definitely go back for its food despite the not-so polite waitresses (just one of them, not all)

Christine

This is one of the best yum cha places I have ever tried. Every dish was delicious, the service was amazing. We got there at 11am when it just opened so we are easily seated straight away which I recommend. They also have non-stop trolleys which is seriously so great! This place is a must go in melb!!

Vivian Ng

The food is very nice, this place would be my first choice when I want yum cha.

Jasmine

Shark Fin House has climbed the ranks to become my favourite place for yumcha! The first thing I think of when I think yumcha is the rolling carts with steaming hot dimsum in a billion varieties. Shark Fin House delivered this & more... for once in my life I had the comfort of the regular dimsum dishes that I knew, and the curiosity to try new ones! Most of the new dishes were a hit, a testament to how good the dishes at Shark Finn House was. The service was quick, especially in the 2 hour slot you're allocated. Flag one of the many bustling servers around for something special (we requested chilli oil and water) and be amazed at the quick delivery. Make sure you call to book your table beforehand as well! The one thing that didn't make me smile was the mango pudding. It wasn't the gold lead standard of orange jiggly paste in an ocean of evaporated milk, but rather a cup of stoic solemness. M00d. Nonetheless, Shark Fin house still gets my crown 👑.

Food Lover

This place has good yum cha and always busy on the weekend, the price is good too and food is fresh. Service is average.

Evonvonvon

The crisp on the pineapple bbq pork bun is thick and super satisfying, despite from the onion in the bbq pork bun fill, everything is excellent.

JMS

Whenever I want yum cha in the city this is the only place I will go to. Hits the spot every time! I could feel like I'm over eating but we always only end up paying no more than $30 per person! So good!

Withaknifeandfork

This a great yumcha spot in china town! We went on Mother’s Day weekend and the staff were super friendly and gave all of the mothers a rose. The food was also delightful. They had items that you wouldn’t usually have a local yumcha restaurants such as congee, laksa soup and noodles, but they also had the yumcha classics - hargow, dumplings, etc.

Custardbun

Excellent yum cha, great service, non-stop trolleys that ensure your table is constantly filled with steaming hot baskets of dumplings. The custard buns were really good.

Srslyfoods

This restaurant has been part of Melbourne’s Chinese food scene for a few decades. The yum cha or dim sum lunch is one of the best in town. Very busy restaurant and there are a few levels.

Noble Foodie

Was at this restaurant with my whole family ( 12 persons) for yum Cha at 1.30pm session. They serves 11.30 am and 1.30pm. We were allocated to 2nd floor level and a nice table overlooking the little Bourke St. The yum Cha at this restaurant has no complaints, good food and efficient staffs. We ordered extra large plate of seafood fried noodles to fill our stomach before leaving. Everyone is happy. This restaurant is our usual destination for dining in too. We love this place, nice food and good ambience. ( 8 June 2019).

Be Honest

Been there few times and always nice staff and great serving for customers. But just one thing should check that bit burn taste the fried rice. Anyway others were good good!

MsV

A late review...came here on labour day and as it was a public holiday, we made booking in advance. Unclear instruction of seating when we got there and some stuffs were a bit clueless. Foods were pretty average, in fact some dim sum tasted like that they have been re steam a few tome. Mango pudding was good!

Willtravelforfood17

We came here on a Saturday night. We made a reservation via Zomato but when we got there the restaurant told us they did not receive our booking as they have been having a problem with Zomato bookings. Nevertheless they quickly arranged for us to be seated immediately. The service was great and the staff were really friendly and the food came out really quickly. We ordered crab noodles with ginger and spring onion sauce. The crab was fresh and sweet and the noodles soaked up that sauce and was very delicious. We also ordered stir fried spinach with garlic which was very fresh and cooked well. We also got an egg tofu dish with prawns which was also yummy. We also got the sizzling pepper beef - the sauce was very addictive and the beef very tender. The dish that I wasn’t too keen on was the braised duck with mushrooms and bok choy. the mushrooms were cooked really well in Chinese rice wine and the duck was very tender however it had a powdery texture which I wasn’t a fan of. They then served us red bean soup as dessert which was good but too sweet for my liking. A great place for good Chinese food and crab noodles!

Stelly

Dinner review: It’s been a long time since we’ve been back for dinner at Shark Fin House, and I can confirm that it is still my favourite Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown! Not only is the food cooked really well here, but it is reasonably cheap for the quality and the service is exceptional. Their best dish we’ve tried has to be the drunken chicken! It’s cooked so well and the flavours are spot on. Also highly recommend the honey glazed fillet mignon and the braised eggplant. Their spicy Sichuan fish soup was pretty average, but otherwise you really can’t go wrong with any of their dishes! Highly recommend this restaurant for traditional Cantonese - you won’t be disappointed. Yum Cha review: One of the earliest establishments in Chinatown, and still serving the best yum cha in Melbourne. We booked here for a yum cha session from 11-1:30 for a group of 12, and we were very satisfied and well-taken care of the whole time. The service is very attentive, and the food is delicious. We tried an extensive amount of dishes this visit, but our must-tries every time are definitely the Liu Sha Bao (golden lava bun), century-egg congee, and the prawn toast. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the classic siu mai and har gow! Overall, we had a wonderful meal here, and the bill was very reasonable for the amount of food we ordered. Would definitely recommend Shark Fin House for a good yum cha fix!

Johnny Chan

A nice lunar New Year dinner with the family. You can never go wrong with Shark Fin House. The quality consistency is amazing. The ambience and atmosphere is a little bit rundown. But the food is always fresh and tasty.

JR Chew

Was expecting decent nosh at this acclaimed yum cha institution but was left sorely disappointed. Everything was so salty! A couple of items were above average but the food was otherwise very underwhelming. Prices were as expected ($140 for a group of 4). I've just about given up finding good yum cha in Melbourne!

Lina's Music House

We came here for Chinese New Year dinner because we heard Shark Fin's Low Sang is one of the best in Melbourne. The Cantonese style main dishes and desserts are amazing here. I have been here for yumcha, dinner and supper a few times. Will definitely come back again for Chinese New Year dinner.

Makan2Melbourne

They have a wide selection of yum cha. My favourite one was the you tiao cheong fun, which we had to order. The you tiao was crispy and quite big. The other yum cha options, like shumai, were better than other places I’ve tried in Melbourne. Unfortunately, the dessert we tried, mango sago, had a bitter taste. Other than that, it was delicious! Edit: Second visit, you tiao was soggy, not crispy at all, when we complained, the waiter just said that all of their you tiao were like that. Very disappointed. Delicious lobster noodle though.

Lemon

Visited here for yum cha. The atmosphere is a bit dark and old. Some dim sum is ok but nothing impressed. My disappointment is the wagon was only came once to our table and after that , I just needed to find staff & have to order without being provided menu which is a bit hard. Also egg custard ban was not fresh at all as egg custard was never dripped out when I bite it but it was just like a frozen one I sometimes buy from Asian glossaries shop. I prefer other yum cha place and won’t be back..

Nelson

This can be my go to place for yum cha, sometimes consistent but very hard to come by. Sitting in the best spots so the food trolleys don't miss out can be a hit and miss too but if your patient enough food will come around. My favorites are the steamed baskets of sui mai, prawn and chive dumplings, sticky rice in banana leaf, chicken feet, shark fin dumpling, ginger tripe and honey tripe and for sweets its the hot lava egg custard buns only when these items arrive when you order them, most times there's a lot of miss communication for service. Could be better but unfortunately not this time.

CharlotteJiang

It is the best Yum Cha I know in CBD！每次必点：鲜虾肠粉和凤爪。牛筋，流沙包和奶黄包也很好吃😋哈哈哈啊哈哈哈哈哈哈哈啊啊哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈啊哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈

Hon

This is my place to go for yumcha craving! Went here for family reunion for luncheon. Great selection of yumcha, fresh yet tasty. I really loved the porridge, dumplings, unfortunately the suckling pig wasnt ready. It's my favaourite. The service was really good. Recommended!!

Fendi

I came here for my birthday. The highlight dishes for me was their tripe, abalone and eggplant. Service was a bit slow but it was expected for Chinese restaurant. You go there for their food not necessarily their service.

Ohsnap

Went for yumcha on a weekday and the service was non existent. We sat there for 45 mins and probably only had the cart passed by only 3 times so only had 5 plates of food before we gave up. The waiters avoid eye contact, makes it hard to even order. I don’t expect great service but it’s really quite disappointing when they don’t even have enough staff pushing the carts around. There are so many yc places around the CBD, I’d go elsewhere in the future. The food was average too, so really no reason to return.

Don Djoe

It's been our go to place for a group yum cha for many years now. And on the last visit, it still hadn't disappointed us. The price was all right and they had plenty of dumplings, fried stuffs, balls, parts of animals that normally you wouldn't eat outside yum cha and of course dessert to choose from. Before, they were quite keen to push us away once we finished eating, but on the last visit we actually got a decent time to chat among ourselves over a pot of tea. It was surely a welcomed change.

XinRu Ong

Went with family, no kids. Reservation done days before and phone reminder on the day before as well. Food was good and taste exactly like the one had in HK. The only thing was, service very bad. I'm okay with they walk around with trolley to promote their food. But not okay with keeping the dishes without asking so you still want. And I feel they are rude. Maybe they don't speak much English that's why my family and I feel they are rude.

Kai Yang

Below average food and very poor slow food service. Cannot understand why it was busy, maybe due it being a Friday night. Could not recommend. Can however, recommend to stay away.

Eat_today_diet_tomorrow

3.5 We went there during lunch time on Sunday and they were super busy! They have 2 mezzanine levels. The food was great but we have tried other places that taste better. The yum cha carts go around and we got to pick whatever we see, which is nice. Con - The staff didn’t really communicate in English so it was a bit hard for us. They didn’t know how to explain the dishes.

Kris L

Always a must-have when our family comes to visit! The food is very authentic, not to mention they serve up the best lobster noodles in town 👌 It’s also BYO which is always a plus!

Some Bunee Loves Food

Dinner with family - 8 dishes of golden salted egg prawns, tofu seafood claypot, vege dish, roast platter, siizzling deer dish, abalone with vege, beef and vege and egg tofu dish. Very filling for eight people!

ＪＯＥＬＬＥ

The famous dimsum house. (3.5⭐) Ambience: The place is quite big, there are two floors of seatings and is a nice family style eatery. Service: We booked for 11.30 on a Sunday and were seated on the top floor. There will be people passing with dimsum carts, and we can choose what we want to have. We can also order directly what we want to the staff. They're not the friendliest but did their job. Food: Msot of the dimsum were too salty for me, especially the siew may. har gau and scallop prawn ones were not too salty. They were good size good texture and flavor so it was really such a shame. I did enjoy their lava egg bao, char siew puff, and Portuguese tart. The tofu pudding was good size and silky texture, but too little sauce and also needs more ginger in my opinion. Price: average prices for dimsums YUM: lava egg bao, char siew puff, and Portuguese tart NAH: siew mai photos: chicken feet, har gao, scallop and prawn, siew mai ( follow for more!✨) ｘｘ，ｊｏｅｌｌｅ.

Khorry Sila

The ambience was comfortable and the food is nice. the mvp go to chicken feet and the egg custard bun, i could say it’s one of the best i have ever eat so far in melbourne. The rest was taste nice as well. Buy they have less choice since their delivery was too slow compare to other place.

The Sauceress

- Ah, shark fin house! Despite the controversial name that may trigger some environmental fanatics, it’s a great place for yumcha (if you don’t actually order shark fins). - It quite close to Jade so I guess there is obligatory comparison. Being Cantonese myself I love the traditional Cantonese hospitality spirit here. The food may not seem *as* polished as the other side, but it’s nevertheless great. - However dinner menu would probably get beaten by Jade. It’s okay, but not thrilling.

HildaLuv2Eat

Visited here on a Sunday morning around 11am as a lot of old Chinese recommend this place for yum cha, I would say the quality is ordinary and average but it's a good deal taken the price into consideration. The place was busy, tables were quite packed together and the dim sum trolley were going around.

Anne Ma

I love having sharing dishes with my partner because... food envy is a real thing guys! The great thing about Hot Pot is that you get to share everyone’s dish! My experience of Hot Pot at Shark Fin House was actually on another level, literally. Taken to the second floor of the restaurant and seated in a seperate room, the focus was directly on the bubbling giant pot in the centre of the table, with various quality options surrounding it. We had our broth split down the middle; one side was a rich and earthy chicken broth and other side was a exciting sate flavour! Both delicious. If I had to pick my favourite ingredients for the hot-pot it would have to be the fresh prawn balls as it just seemed to really soak up much more flavour and you can cook it to the perfect level of juiciness. A little secret the waiters shared was to not forget the restaurants specialty XO sauce. We ordered this and got a little carried away, ordered a few more and even added it on top of our appetiser prawn crackers! On the flip side, and by far my favourite, were the uber delicious slices of wagyu of which are what really made this Hot Pot stand out.. mmm those succulent and marbled slices of wagyu. We loved everything we tried, but discovered that you need a trial run to get the cooking times right. So this ones on you! I had a lovely time experiencing Hot Pot at Shark Fin House and would definitely recommend it for any occasion.

EatorTreat

Shark Fin house is a solid place to have yum-cha on a nice Sunday morning. I love the selection that they have, especially their chicken feet - great! Their food is definitely delicious! I would say that the quality service is not always consistent, as I have had days where the staff were super friendly and helpful however some days you just can't seem to get anything you ask for. Overall, still a very great place for yum-cha!

Anthony

Went for noodles with crab and ended up having the $58/person banquet. Terrific value and lots of food. Excellent and very well priced wine list. Food highlights were the mud crab with ginger, shallots and noodles as well as the tempura style chicken. Beef was tender but a bit too sweet. Service was a little rushed and could have been a bit more refined (e.g. don’t spill the wine when pouring, place plates into clean up bins a little more carefully to reduce noise). Would definitely go back.

Old Bull

Dined a la carte and from reviews had expected better. My bad I guess! Food quality was ok but nothing special and on a busy Saturday night it was delivered luke warm at best. Possibly due to the Floor staff being run off their feet with many large tables across a big room. More staff needed! Table service when we got it was polite and friendly but the over riding impression was to churn us through as quickly as possible ie NEXT!! When comparing the Bill ($255 for 2) to other similar priced restaurants we dine at the value for money offer here does not warrant our return. Would rate it 2.5. Not bad but there are better alternatives.

Clara Chong

Food was nice but abit slow. Managed to take picture of only 1 dish because was quite hungry by the time the other food came. But overall, food was okay. This was the Green Lip Abalone was really good, abit on the salty side, but I enjoyed it.

Fleur

Quality dim sum at a good price - go to the 11am sitting for freshness guaranteed and next level hustle and bustle for a genuine yum cha experience. Yes it’s busy and the service borderline brusque, but you can’t beat this Chinatown stalwart.

Yuiisama

Came during lunch time on a Sunday. I don't really know how to feel about this place and the best way to describe it is... Your average but slightly fancier Dim Sum / yumcha house. Waiters walk around with food in a trolley and ask if you want any of their dishes. They serve all your standard dim sums- prawn dumpling, meat buns, chicken feet, congee etc. The taste was decent but i prefer Gold leaf.

Adrian Moffat

Have been coming to Shark Fin house for over 10 years now and it is always fantastic, food is always good and the staff are really attentive. Book in advance if you can as it will be busy especially Sunday. Does not disappoint!

Ted Wu

Been here twice. Service was impeccable and everything was beyond satisfactory. I feel pretty lucky that neither time I had to wait for a table, which was quite unusual for a busy restaurant. Saw lots of Cantonese eating there so it must be good.

Descartesmuse

One of the better Chinese restaurants of Melbourne. always exceptionally good services with food to match. definitely worth booking to ensure your spot. With every option you'd expect from a good restaurant, always a good option for a dinner in the CBD.

Ziggy

A contender for best yum cha in Chinatown. Seafood is beautiful and has much better food than some of the other places. The service is quality and good for a family.

Steven Gu

Shark fin house in Chinatown. Nice place to have yumcha dumplings but the place is too small and busy with customers. Seafood was also fresh and good place for a fine dinning.

Asianfoodie

I don't go to yumcha often so my standards for yumcha isn't very high! Everything we had was delishhh apart from the mango soup?? that kinda just tasted like canned mango+melon soup? Some dishes were a little salty, but that's just yumcha I guess! Had a good feast here :')

Charlotte Cooper

Very good food, good service , especially the golden prawn, better than what I can eat in Asia. Very fresh, I am amazed by how they can deep fried something but it can be so juicy in the inside

Youbliss

Been here already 3times for yumcha About food, dumpling is better than other place but not amazing congee is realllly goood ! Others were just so so. Little portion of food good for sharing Staffs there, were friendly BUT they come too much (can’t even eat properly) and we needed to keep saying no thanks no thanks When we get seat before even sit the chair they brough foods and asked what you want ? Hey girls... please let us sit down first haha It’s attentive service but TOO MUCH The girl who hold same dishes come every 30second. Once they saw we have enough foods on our table (it was a lot about 7-8dishes) they shouldn’t keep coming ask every 30seconds

Sjjxu1983

Flew down from Sydney and was recommended to eat at this joint. Paid an exorbitant amount of money for a jug of OJ priced at a juicy $28 and a small plate of fried rice for $14. $498 lobster deal was too good to be true. They show you the 3kg lobster but the sashimi comes out on a bed of ice without the head. Highly suspect that some sort of switcheroo took place behind scenes when the second course arrived. Regularly wine and dine clients, this place I won't visit again.

An Antelope

Shark Fin is still my gold standard for yum cha restaurants (in Melbourne). I love the buzzing and bustling atmosphere, the cornucopia of dishes. Everything is tasty and fresh. The service is brusque but efficient. Dishes were cleared away speedily, tea was topped up constantly and new plates were provided without any prompting. There is a bit of a language barrier, which only makes ordering more exciting. Do try the durian egg tarts and walnut cake! They’re divine.

Calvin Zhuo

Had diner with my wife here to celebrate her birthday. I’d like to say this restaurant doesn’t worth my money. Too expensive with an average standard of food. 240 dollar for 4 dishes. Over all 60dollar for 1 dish. I’m not saying their foods are bad. Just you can have better food with this price. Over all, just so so.

Elaine Lobro

Found a dead cockroach in the rice bucket. Only took off the price off one steamed rice and promised us a special dessert as an apology but it never came. If you don't want to get sick don't go to this place!

Ferry Gondo

Used to visit here for special occasion dinner with friends. A bit more on the upper scale of Chinese restaurant, but it was worth it. Love their off menu dish the most, 'Xiang Xu Baiku'. Crispy battered pork ribs with light dressing. Really aromatic and burst with flavor.

Robot.tomato.space

Shark Fin House has the best BBQ pork buns in town! The traditional yum cha with a variety of dim sims and dishes are served from trolleys. You can also pre-order some of the dishes if you want. Service in general is good. They are always busy so make sure you make a booking.

Wandering Ella

A great Dim Sum place that probably is closest to the ones I used to have back home. Sure, some of the textures and flavours were a little sub par, but compared to other place? This was one was great. The staff was surprisingly really friendly which was a definite plus! The chong fen was good and it's the first place that I've been in Melbourne that sells these. Was so excited when I saw it carted around!

Alijargalb

I really use to like this place when I was younger, but the standard has just dropped. The yum cha isn’t very good. The food isn’t packed with flavour and doesn’t taste very fresh. Wouldn’t go back again

Michelle Chen

Been here many times and I have to say, for the food here, they are little bit pricey. Because the cooking skill is uneven, I always order those same things, but sometime they are fabulous, sometime they are disappointed. Beef and shrimp are good, but how good are those will depend on the chef's mood. I ordered one fish which is $160/kg yesterday bit it was not even properly cleaned, the guts and blood all can be seen. Where I from, if a kitchen hand killed a fish like that, he will lose his job soon enough. I don't like to bet every single time when I eat, so this place is end for me, I will never come here again.

Justin Wong

Tried both their Dim Sum and Dinner dishes here. Their dimsum is decent I must admit. Has all the typical dishes but it is not as good as Secret Kithen. Dinner too tasted decent and definitely better than many I have tried. It is also rather pricey and would grab dinner elsewhere given the price. Also do try their sister restaurant Shark Fin Inn just further up. I find their dimsum better than shark fin house but that is just my opinion.

Luke And Hannah

Great cheap yum cha place in the city. We were here on a Saturday morning with a table for two pre-booked and were quickly escorted to our table on arrival. We tried multiple yumcha dishes and they were all good. The chicken feet were soft and balancely marinated. All the steamed ha cao were made with fresh ingredients inside a firm and smooth skin. We also tried multiple type of pastries. They were all balanced in taste with the right texture (i.e. crunchy for baked buns, and smooth and tender for steam buns). One bad dish was the prawn rice rolls. The prawns were fresh and plumb but the rice rolls were starchy and did hold well. The price seem to be slightly cheaper than other yum cha places. Service was standard and efficient enough. Overall, it's a good place for yum cha but probs not the best.

Gabrielle Linling

Food was nice especially the custard bun and tart. The service was great too Especially the waitress name as Jenny. Good service!keep it up👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Pierre Pie

Today Father's Day , everywhere if without any booking then please wait more 30 minute for breakfast/ lunch . Finally come over here the manager totally excellent and experience solve my problem , cheers !!! food dim sum not bad , and the price reasonable too . Thumbs up .

Brendan Ho

Service is fast and friendly with a little bit of time to get use to the language. However the food is good unless your rich and know little detail of dim sum dish

YummyMummy

Stopped in for a big yum Cha for 14 people on a Sunday. I was disappointed we were stuck on a few round tables poorly and barely put together despite booking weeks in advance. I got over it when the food started coming thick and fast,.. there was plenty and most of it was good (though the worst yum Cha "footballs" I've ever had, cold and oil logged and the calamari could've been fresher). Orders were taken for some extra dishes. Then, as fast as it began, it suddenly stopped. By abut 2.30 (if that) the trolleys were few and between, so we moved to dessert to be told many dishes had run out, the bill was totalled before we finished and it was clearly time to go. I had enough food, though wouldn't say I was "chockers" - well priced at under $25 per head but next time I'd go the first Sunday session!!!!

Andrew

Pretty disappointed. My first time at Yum Cha. This place is a little more cramped that a sardine tin. It was rushed and all but one of the staff should have been doing another job somewhere else as they appeared to be totally disinterested in serving us our lunch.

Hungry Jeweller

A Melbourne establishment. Good consistent quality in yum Cha dishes. This place can get busy, so be prepared to queue. As with most Chinese restaurants, service is prompt and efficient, if a bit impersonal.

Elonie

Came here for dinner, and was seated on level 2. The service was really good. The food is really tasty, We ordered half a peking duck and the waiter wraps the pancake for us.

Blair C

Very efficient service and cosy environment, especially if seated on the second floor. The food is very delicious and boasts a plethora of options. The pork and chicken buns, in particular, were a family favourite. There is also great room to try more exotic foods, such as chicken feet. There can be a slight language barrier and slight difficulty in consistently understanding what some options were. Definitely recommended for large groups.

Hungry Catepillar

Shark Fin House is an institution of China Town. The food is very high quality. We had scallops, beef, prawns and crispy skin chicken. All dishes hit the mark and were delicious. Service is first class with attentive and skilled wait staff. The prices are on the expensive side so whilst you may feel heavier your wallet will feel lighter!

Nomafoodic Chipineats

had a nice little dim sum lunch yesterday, love the liu sar pau which means runny salted duck egg buns! They are the only one of few in Melbourne CBD that do it well. The Lo Mai Kai - glutinous rice was amazing too. So flavoursome. A tad bit on the salty side this time Shark Fin House! But apart from that, great!

Joan K.

Came here for Dim Sum with my family. I would highly recommend their shark's fin dumpling, fried carrot cake, Liu Sah pau, egg custards and glutinous rice. Would definitely come back again.

Cindy

An old restaurant in China town and famous in Melbourne. Yum cha is available in the lunch time. Sea food is nice here. Service is okay. Lots of choices.

Prija

Just got home from Sharkfin House Restaurant. To start with, we enjoyed the beautiful display aquarium at the entrance. However, after we were seated it was difficult to attain our menus as there was no communication with staff. Once we ordered, service was TOO FAST. Food was given to us too quickly and was taken away just as quickly. The staff did not know enough English to explain what the food was and what was in it (as we have dietary requirements). Swapping dishes was easy, as the restaurant managers were friendly and polite, but the food received was sloppy and did not look presentable enough to match the price. Dessert was the most disappointing thing. We found a dark spot in our mango pudding in which the manager described to us as being "aluminium from the moulding used for the pudding" (refer to picture). Which doesn't seem correct as the dark spot appeared INSIDE the pudding as opposed to just on the outside where the mould would be. We swapped it out for a new one but ended up in the same situation. Overall, will not go back again nor recommend. Please take care when visiting.

TL

Absolutely horrible, food is not fresh. They said that the ha cao was sold out then brings it out 5 mins later to other customers. Mango pudding is molded looks absolutely disgusting. I'm disgusted with this place. Worst service ever.

Somnath Banerjee

Good place to eat. Authentic Chinese food, unique way of serving. Great pork dishes, as are the egg cupcakes and the tasty desserts. Try the chicken legs if you're feeling quite adventurous. Worth a few visits since the place is really economical.

Split The Bill

Had the usual dumpling offer at Shark Finn, after all these years I do feel they have a really large range. It is an institution for a reason as all the dumplings are spot on. I also tried for the first time the mango and tapioca 'soup' dessert. It was delicious and really refreshing, my friend even had two serves...yikes!!

Aik

We have been here 2 years ago. This restaurant achieved many awards. So, we came back on this trip. Love the food! We ordered chicken and beef..

Melanie Nappa

Had Yum Cha here on Sunday. Food was ok, but service was terrible. And the food wasn't good enough to forgo the rudeness we experienced. If you don't mind not being offered a drink of any sort and having to ask for the wine menu 3 times, this may be ok for you. Booked the 1.30 session, we were offered desert by 2pm because they'd finished serving the savoury trollies! Seemed a bit odd. We were allowed to then order off the menu, which at least the dishes came fresh. Bill was bought out whilst we still had uneaten food on the table. The serving staff seemed a lot quicker when trying to obtain payment. They came back for the bill before we'd made any motion that we were ready to pay, in fact we hadn't even looked at it. Once we did settle the bill we were asked if we'd be leaving a tip!!! LOL 😭. I'm pretty ok with 'meh' service, but this was seriously down right rude. Give this place a wide birth.

Good Food Good Mood

Yeeha yum cha. I've been coming here for years for super traditional tasty yummy cha cha. Ask any Chinese person you know where they recommend for authentic Chinese food and they will likely suggest Shark Finn House. One of the most popular spots in China town it is always super busy so ensure you book. Atmosphere wise it's probably a cut above your average Chinese restaurant in terms of service (but still don't expect too much) and the fish tanks add a little something to the decor. A must try melbourne institution

Mel

We came here to have dinner and when we got the menu and saw the vast number of items, we just agreed to the pre set banquet for 2. It satisfied, filled us up and made our tummies very happy. The san choi bao were clean and crisp, the calamari were fresh and not oily, the soup was refreshing, the beef soft and fried seafood very filling. I would suggest that the seafood needs to be stir fried rather than fried as it was a heavy end to the meal. The dessert was our only disappointment. It was a scoop of shop bought ice cream and this coconut jelly thing which we weren't even hungry for which was good because we didn't like the texture of the smooshy and almost sponge like jelly.

Phuong Phan

The best yumcha I've had. The sumai and prawn dumplings were perfect. Dumplings didn't break or look close to breaking every time you picked them up. This place is generally busy on a weekend so good to get in early. But if you're a fan of yumcha and you're in the city, would definitely recommend. Please try the chicken feet.

Pitted4Lyf

Shark Finn house is a staple of Melbourne's China Town. Widely considered one of the top Chinese eateries in the area, and I would have to agree. The yum Cha is very consistent, and of a high quality. The service is good, and the interior is very Chinese. The fish tanks are also a great addition. Dinner here is also quality, with the duck a highlight.

Spaghetti Monster

The only place for yum-Cha in the cbd in my opinion. Chicken's feet and char sui pork buns are lip smackingly good. The oolong tea there was great too. Don't have too many plates though - those little dishes add up fast. Have been several times and would go again.

Katherine Torres

My boyfriend and myself went for what we thought would be a romantic dinner for Valentine's Day from arrival we had a young waiter serve us with possibly the worse attitude and customer service received we had our mains come out at different times my boyfriends took extra long to come out and when it finally did the waiter continued to be rude and unfriendly we tried calling out for some cutlery and it seemed as though the young waiter was avoiding us the restaurant wasn't even full on the day. The experience was so awful and unwelcoming to the point we left everything. we had an older lady come up and apologise and ask if the food was okay we gave her a tip for her service but we are EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED definitely wouldn't recommended or go there again with staff like.

Ian Ho

Last visit Nov 2016 I have been a couple of times with friends and family - and I definitely rate it above average. It has the old school feel for yum cha; you can sense its long time existence as a Chinatown anchor tenant... from the old stainless steel trolley stores to the pushcart servers, it really is a blast from ye olde past! Verdict: Nostalgic old school yum cha done competently. Value for money not bad. I think it certainly rates a small cut above the rest.

Madamrouge86

High quality seafood restaurant, one of my favourite lobster restaurant, 广东菜式，主打海鲜，but deco inside slightly dated, 包房需要装修下，菜式正宗，味道鲜美，price wise mid to high spenders

527501862

For current standards, both food and service is well below average. Most dishes were on backorder and takes over 20 minutes to come out. For yum cha, this is completely unacceptable.

Jasmine Ha

Took my mum to try this place, food was pretty average. The process to pay the bill is not very organised or honest as when the lady totalled our bill she wrote down numbers then added it to be $51. We honestly didn't eat very much and she saw our puzzled faces so she crossed it out and wrote down $41. We still don't think we ate $41 worth of food but paid anyway and have learnt not to return.

Jen Lee

👎🏼 customer service. we waited for 20mins - called out twice that we're ready to order but no one came. staff were busy servicing big groups and fail to entertain 2 customers. their food maybe good but if customer service fails, this place is not a must try.

Moetfan

👍 I believe by far this is the best place in Melbourne for Yum Cha 👎 Sometimes when you order a specific dish, it can be not hot enough. It's pricy for Yum Cha 😊 Will I Go Back.... 110%

Tiana

It used to be my favorite Yum cha in Melbourne. High quality food, friendly staff and reasonable price. But with more new Yum cha restaurants open, more choices I have. I would consider the dining environment as well. I prefer spacious restaurant. Here, tables are so close.

Mrs Lavender

Went today with a group of 4. The restaurant looks really busy since they are now having a lobster & Abalone promotion. We didn't have the combo since we can't finish that much . However the lobster we had tonight is quite fresh and chewy (in a good way ) , goes perfectly with the spring onions and gingers fried egg noodles. We also tried few of the limited edition special, which are quite nice too. Do : The Cantonese taught me , if you ordered the fried prawn crackers, do eat with the xo sauces. I tired , it really is . Better than eat the crackers it's self 😉

Review Shark Fin House - Melbourne