363 Manningham Rd, Lower Templestowe ph : (03) 9852 4086
Let me begin by saying that I have a strange prejudice that Yum Cha in Melbourne is better in the 'burbs. There is a high concentration of fairly decent Chinese restaurants in the Doncaster-Templestowe area. Diners heading that way are spoilt for choice, with Taipan, Plume, and even Kam Fook being worthy destinations. In my opinion Golden Dragon Palace joins the ranks of these well-loved Yum Cha favourites, with the bonus of it being reasonably kid-friendly. Yum Cha is always a good option for family catch up's and we've been here on quite a few occasions, this time during the school holidays for lunch with the grandparents.
I apologise for the sub-par quality photos in this post, as I had my hands full sorting out my 3 kids scattered amongst relatives around a large table. Taking pictures before the food was attacked by hungry kids and adults became secondary on the agenda!
The restaurant, unlike lots of Chinese eateries, is spacious enough for prams if these are needed. We prefer using their high chairs, which are reasonably clean (as compared to other Chinese restaurants we have experienced).
Their dumplings and dim sum selection were of good Cantonese standard. The prawn dumplings (Har Gaos) had good sized whole prawns in them and were very tasty.
The Shu Mai are quite kid friendly, as were the Spring Rolls, which came with a sweet and sour dipping sauce, itself a source of entertainment for the kids.
The Chicken Feet are a popular Dim Sum item, although not popular with all adults, let alone the kids. Fairly average I am told.
My kids are fans of the easy to eat Custard Buns, and also the Roast Pork Buns (Char Siu Baos). Even Bubs had a go at these and seemed to like them!
I saw some Sago and Taro Baked Pudding on a passing cart and ordered one. I find that not every Yum Cha restaurant make these and I always order one when I see them. This one was not too sweet, which I liked, but a little bit too gluggy and not smooth enough for me to order again.
We had many more other dishes which were of good standards, but none that I would say stands out distinctly. In terms of kid-friendliness, Golden Dragon Palace scores well for parking, access and provision of high-chairs. The food is of good standard although not spectacular as compared to the standard of other yum-cha places in the area, and the slightly quieter ambience and relative space comes with a higher price premium.
Eat.Play.Shop. Says - Overall a good standard of Yum Cha for Melbourne and a place that I would visit again with the kids.
