East meets luxe at Ming Dining, Melbourne

In a city where culinary ambition is as common as the street art, Melbourne’s Ming Dining stands out by leaning all the way in with a take in Asian fusion is confident, clever and anything but predictable.Tucked beneath Queen Street, the entrance leads you down a staircase and into something unexpected – high ceilings, dark timber, softly glowing chandeliers, and elegant touches of traditional Chinese design. It’s moody, welcoming, and just made for long, lingering meals.

Food that tells a story

Recently awarded a Chef’s Hat, Ming Dining is Tony Yan’s (ex-Botanical Hotel) love letter to both his Chinese heritage and Australia’s seasonal bounty, and it reads deliciously well.

The menu is a curated journey through refined, balanced dishes that blend contemporary Australian flavours with Cantonese and broader Chinese culinary traditions.

Start with indulgent bites like velvety black truffle-laced xiao long bao, which burst with flavour and finesse, or tender and sophisticated crispy Taiwanese calamari. And the golden prawn toast, lavishly layered and shatteringly crisp, is a thing of addictive beauty.

Mains deliver the same sense of occasion. Succulent lobster arrives paired with king oyster mushroom chawanmushi, a silky egg custard once reserved as the comfort food of emperors. Seared Tasmanian abalone meets pickled shiitake and translucent sweet potato noodles, marrying earthy and ethereal in one perfect dish. While the Humpty Doo barramundi, which is all crisp skin and delicate flesh, playing off soy, black fungus, and crispy potato. But the real showstopper? Ming’s glistening Peking duck, slow roasted over fruitwood charcoal, its crisp skin lacquered to golden perfection.

Drinks, too, are thoughtfully considered. Cocktails riff cleverly on Cantonese classics – the Teal Dragon mixes brandy, matcha, red bean, and milk like a grown-up dessert in a glass, while the Xuan Wu, which blends oolong tea, rum, longan fruit, and osmanthus, is a glass of pure intrigue.

Finish your meal with a dark and decadent chocolate mousse that is delightfully sinful or a creamy chai tea crème brulee with a perfectly torched caramelised crust.

And if your wallet’s feeling fragile? No drama. Swing by for happy hour cocktails and flavour-packed small bites or dip into their affordable yum cha lunch – a budget-friendly way to taste Ming’s magic without breaking the bank.

A fresh, fearless force in Melbourne’s fine dining scene

The Ming Dining experience is a masterclass in quality. Every detail speaks to a commitment to excellence, from the meticulously crafted dishes to the flawless service. The staff are warm and attentive, delivering hospitality with genuine care that ensures every guest feels valued and welcomed. It’s clear that no detail has been overlooked in Yan’s quest to curate an environment where dining transcends expectations.