Chef Wong

284A Huntingdale Rd
Huntingdale, VIC 3166
https://chefwong.com.au/

Please do not come to Chef Wong. It is very good and I would like to keep it to myself thanks. Located in a very unassuming strip of shops deep in the suburbs, the quality of yum cha at Chef Wong is given away by the crowds that spill out of this tiny shop, even on a weekday morning. Too small to facilitate a full trolley service, they operate on a tick-sheet system. But what you lose out in vibes you gain back in freshness, with everything made in-house – no cut corners – and cooked to order. You’d think for food of this quality, you’d be paying a pretty penny, but we ended up coming away with full tummies for less than $30pp. Eggs benny is looking less and less attractive by the second.

Rating: 14/20 – the OG brunch.
To-order: it’s all really good, but the media reviews were right – the egg tarts here are truly exemplary.

All the usual culprits are on the menu, including a meaty Xiao Long Bao ($2.9ea). Though less soupy, it makes up for it with a hefty, juicy filling of pork. The Pork Siu Mai ($3.1ea) were similarly excellent, the layered construction of pork on top of prawn really showcases the freshness and texture of the seafood. And the best bit? Both items were full of flavour, but light and non-greasy. You barely even need the pot of Chrysanthemum Tea ($4/pot) to clear the palate.

Another benefit of the tick sheet system is that it lets you order dumplings by the single piece. Case in point: even though Chris doesn’t eat coriander, I could still try out the Coriander and Roast Duck Dumpling ($3.1ea). Encased in a translucent, slightly tacky skin, this is a fattier, more decadent take on the chicken dumpling.

Chris got his revenge for the coriander dumpling with a BBQ Pork Pastry ($4ea) – something I would normally regard as filler, and never order. I will however concede the merits of this one, with its short, buttery pastry, and a gently spiced, sweet-but-not-too-sweet filling.

The Football Dumpling ($3.7ea) was, shall we say, right on goal. Often poorly done at many establishments, this was fried to a perfect golden-crisp exterior that gives way to the lightly sweetened chew of glutinous rice that is satisfying without being stodgy. The spoonful of saucy pork mince hit hard with strong notes of dried shrimp, and did a great job of completing the bold flavour-texture combo that makes this dumpling so irresistible.

The Radish Cake ($8.8) was one of the few things that you can’t get by the single piece, but that is absolutely not a problem. It doesn’t fall into the common trap of being gluggy or greasy, but still packs lots of flavour into the lightly pan-fried batter. 3 pieces go down easy.

The only thing here that is below average is the Phoenix Claws ($9.5), aka fried and braised chicken feet. Mind you, when I say below average, they’re still perfectly good. They’re just not as sticky and melty as some I’ve had in the past, and my expectations have been raised significantly by the quality of the rest of the meal.

The Egg Tart ($3.9ea) however is truly phenomenal. Its laminated pastry is really something else, the feathery layers disintegrating with the gentlest bite, teeth sinking into a custard that is ethereally light, yet still full of rich, eggy sweetness. It is almost a crime to charge so little for such a remarkable piece of craftsmanship.