Everyone has their own favourite yum cha destinations. I’m usually a fan of Shark Fin House and Golden Dragon Palace – and now I think they’re both topped by my recent visit to Tao Tao House.
Tao Tao House came recommended via my (Chinese) parents’ (Chinese) friends – the Chinese expat grapevine is a great source for food tips in Melbourne! I’d never heard of it but the chef Jason Au was the head dim sum chef at Flower Drum for nearly 20 years and prior to establishing his own place worked at Golden Dragon Palace.
The restaurant isn’t particularly big and isn’t like one of those Eastern Suburb behemoths that occupy a huge block with heaps of off-street parking. Therefore, it’s best to make a booking before you arrive – on weekdays yum cha is from 12-3pm and on busier weekends they have two sessions at 11am and 1pm. By booking ahead you can also warn them that you’ll need a high chair – they have a couple on rotation so you shouldn’t miss out.
The decor is standard-issue Chinese – gold leaf, large murals, stone lions and bamboo sheltering patrons from dull views and the noise of Glenferrie Road traffic. It is, however, quite refined for a yum cha restaurant, with plush grape-purple chairs and a sedate atmosphere as opposed to the usual frenetic pushiness you’ll find during the yum cha feeding frenzy. Having said that, the food comes quickly and steadily, pushed around on trolleys (you have to order from the menu on weekdays). The staff were very good about the kids too, smiling at them and giving them baby-sized cutlery and plastic cups of water.
Find Hotels and Airbnbs near Tao Tao House, Hawthorn
What I found most impressive about the dim sum at Tao Tao House was their consistently high quality. From deep-fried morsels to shortcrust pastry to crystal dumpling wrapping, it was all made well with excellent textures and a fine balance of flavours.
Highlights included the dainty chicken pies with their lids of sweet crumbly shortcrust and the warm-out-of-the-oven egg custard tarts. Lady AB loved the Malaysian sponge cake too though I thought it was a bit dense (cake is cake to a toddler, right?).
The prawn and corn dumplings and tortellini-shaped scallop dumplings were juicy morsels with pliant wrappers that were not gluey or sticky – a bellwether for a high quality yum cha restaurant.
Finally my favourite, the perfect spheres of fluffy white buns with an egg custard filling speckled with shredded coconut.
Such excellent quality yum cha may be expensive, especially if you order a lot of their seafood specialities. Our table of 2 adults and a toddler and a baby ate just over $100 in dim sum! While we probably ordered a little more than usual in order to try a wide variety of dishes, don’t necessarily expect the Tao Tao House experience to come cheap (though it will be cheerful). Nevertheless, we will definitely be returning.
HOT Tips:
- pram access;
- high chairs;
- plastic crockery and cutlery;
- standard menu suitable for kids;
- free 1hr street parking.
