WHERE AND WHAT

One of the imposing Cantonese barns that dot the landscape from Templestowe and Doncaster through to Box Hill, Golden Dragon Palace looks little different from its competition - faux-Chinese architecture, an imposing car park, a small army of phlegmatic, black-and-white clad waiters - but it was deservedly rated as Melbourne's best all-round yum cha experience by Nina Rousseau in her Epicure round-up last year.

WHERE TO SIT

The vast, opulent space decorated with chandeliers, vases and all sorts of chinoiserie is dotted with circular linen-clad tables, some catering for larger groups with a handy lazy Susan. When doing yum cha you might want to sit closer to the kitchen so you can commandeer the trolleys when the food is hottest and freshest. The frenetic buzz of the room stretches to all corners.

WHEN TO GO

Yum cha is a daily occurrence, from 11.30am until 3pm weekdays and 11am Saturday and Sunday, when there are three sittings. Despite the size of the dining room it's advisable to book ahead. For the a la carte option and a dizzying menu of Cantonese classics, they're open nightly from 6-11pm.

DRINK

There's a BYO option (corkage is $9.50 a bottle) and a long, international, 250-strong wine list with a broad price point.

EAT

The pick of the dumplings are the prawn and chive numbers - translucent skins with a hefty green swathe of the herb and minced prawn. The har gao - those ubiquitous pleated prawn dumplings - are a notch above the norm, with the prawns retaining their juicy resistance. Scallop dumplings in a sexy, pliable skin are similarly worth waiting for. Bouncy skinless dumplings of prawn liberally studded with corn kernels are worthy of consideration; ditto the more usual offerings of fried whitebait, calamari, spring rolls and prawn toast. If red meat's your thing, the steamed pork buns are a reliable source of eating pleasure but the plate of sliced roast pork with thin shards of crackling is a standout. For something green on the table, bok choy with oyster sauce is the fail-safe option. Things get a little Sino-Japanese fusion with fried rolls of salmon with wasabi mayo - kooky, although successful - and desserts go the obligatory mango pudding-custard tart route.

WHO'S THERE

Mostly Asian faces dot the room - always a good sign - with multigenerational family groups commandeering the lazy Susan tables.

WHY BOTHER?

It rates among Melbourne's best yum cha and although prices are a little steeper than usual, it's well worth the extra impost.

Golden Dragon Palace, 363 Manningham Road, Lower Templestowe, phone 9852 4086.