David’s has long been Melbourne’s go-to spot for Shanghai cuisine, first starting as a tea store on Chapel Street before becoming the place it is today. Found down an easy-to-miss lane in Prahran, it’s an unfussy setting for simple food steeped in tradition, whether you’re popping in for a quick meal or throwing a celebration.
The recently updated menu isn’t tied to any particular order. Instead, food is served as it’s made and with no particular rhyme or reason. David's signature dishes are inspired by the cuisine of Zhouzhuang, a rural, riverside town in Shanghai. Crowd favourites include the luxe crackling pork san choi bao served with seasonal vegetables and a hoi sin glaze, and a classic Peking duck served with cucumber and leek. The mapo tofu dumplings and salted duck dumplings are great options if you’re looking to branch out from your usual order of prawn dumplings.
As for drinks: while David's has an impressive and reasonably-priced cocktail and wine list, the true stars of the show are the teas, all picked out by David himself. Sip on a herbal blend to aid digestion or grab a pot of aromatic iron buddha oolong tea.
If you’re easily overwhelmed by choice, there are four banquets available each ranging in price and size that include a generous range of meals to give you the full David’s experience. Weekends are all about unlimited yum cha (yes, you read that right), with 14 seasonally rotating menu items guaranteed to have you rolling out and ever-so-satisfied.