Moonhouse
Handles dim sum to date night with aplomb.
Critics' Pick
Chinese$$
As the youngest sibling in a big multicultural family, Moonhouse is suitably confident, charming and a little bit fun. The three-year-old from Commune Group (Hanoi Hannah, Firebird, Studio Amaro) delivers a playful twist on classic Chinese, its crew as at home - slinging chilli-coriander margaritas as they are wrapping pancakes around plump roast duck and peach hoisin.
Tofu two ways regularly converts sceptics: crunchy fried cubes with ginger relish, and silken tofu whipped with Sichuan vinegar. Mirror dory fillet is brittle-skinned in chilli black bean broth, and morning glory feels the breath of the wok.
Drinks are almost all Aussie, and the handsome parquet-floored former bank swings easily from weekend yum cha to after-dark feasts. Attentive staff keep the dining room, lit by a constellation of moon-shaped orbs, humming.
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Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/vic-good-food-guide/moonhouse-20240502-p5fods.html