6 people who'd know recommend Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne
Melbourne
Who recommends Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne? Victor Liong, Dan Hong, Tony Tan, Khanh Ong, Hugh Allen and 1 more — 6 people who'd know have named Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne in Melbourne, each quoted below with a link to where they said it.
What should you order at Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne? The dishes the people who recommend it mention: pearl meat, seafood soup dumplings, stir-fried pearl meat.
Flower Drum has served Cantonese food in Melbourne since 1975, and from 17 Market Lane in the CBD since the mid-1980s. Founder Gilbert Lau sold it in 2003 to three of his staff, Anthony Lui, William Shek and Patricia Fung, with Lui running the kitchen. Six chefs with no stake in it, from Sydney’s Dan Hong to Vue de Monde’s Hugh Allen, have named it as a place they go.
- Address
- 17 Market Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
- Cuisine
- Chinese
- Price
- $$$$
order: pearl meat, seafood soup dumplingsorder: stir-fried pearl meat
Victor Liong
chef-owner, Lee Ho Fook (Melbourne)
My defining food moment in Melbourne was the first time I had Peking duck at Flower Drum.
Said on Melbourne Food and Wine Festival · read
It’s such a great representation of Cantonese cuisine in Australia.
Said on Broadsheet · read
Dan Hong
chef-restaurateur, Mr Wong (Sydney)
Flower Drum is an institution in Melbourne, and it’s probably my all-time favourite restaurant.
Said on Cathay · read
Tony Tan
cookbook author, Tony Tan Cooking School (Trentham)
always, because it has the best Cantonese food in town. Clean flavours featuring some of our best ingredients, such as pearl meat, cooked to perfection. I also love the seafood soup dumplings, served in an exquisite broth.
Said on Broadsheet · read
Khanh Ong
chef, cookbook author & TV host
Anywhere in Chinatown, but if we are feeling like a real treat then it has to be Flower Drum!
Said on Broadsheet · read
Hugh Allen
chef-owner, Yiaga; executive chef, Vue de Monde
Walking in feels like stepping into another era: the service is polished, the food is super tasty and comforting, and the whole experience is a timeless part of Melbourne’s fabric.
Said on Broadsheet · read
Andrew McConnell
chef-owner, Trader House (Cumulus Inc., Gimlet)
We had an extraordinary meal with friends. An inspiring culinary adventure that showcases the best local seafood and the best dumplings in Melbourne.
Said on Broadsheet · read
See these on the map
Explore GoodFinds — picks from chefs, critics and people who'd know, on one map. Or get it on the App Store.
Published 2026-10-09