If you believed yum cha was all about chicken feet and choosing sometimes slightly unidentifiable baskets of rations from a trolley, you need to make a hasty dash to Spice Temple.

As if he doesn’t already have enough on his plate (see what we did there?), superchef Neil Perry has worked with his Melbourne team to come up with an à la carte selection of dishes. Just choose from the extensive menu, and plates and baskets are delivered posthaste to your table. This being one of Perry’s flagship eateries, it’s also a tad sexier than anywhere in Chinatown, with dim lighting, sleek black lines and banquette seating.

All the favourites – BBQ pork buns, har gow (prawn dumplings) and, yes, even chicken feet with black beans and chilli – can be found on the menu, but make sure you try something different too. We love the crispy prawn wontons with hot and numbing sauce and the finger-lickin’ good steamed pork ribs with black olives on rice rolls.

Just leave some room for one (at least) of the egg tarts. The custard isn’t too sweet and the pastry is pure perfection.

Spice Temple
Crown Complex, Southbank
03) 8679 1888
Yum cha is served daily from noon