Where to eat yum cha on Christmas Day in Sydney 2023

Order the chunky hunks of barbecue pork knuckle that our waiter says is “better than belly”. Don't eat meat? Go for sweet braised tofu and spinach dumplings filled with toasted pine nuts. Their dumplings are soft and cloud-like – see for yourself with a serve of the prawn and pork, and follow them with the rolled-then-fried rice rolls. They'll be open from 10am.

This traditional Chinatown restaurant has buzz – not least because the yum cha servers can end up in trolley gridlock. Our favourites include the sweet barbecue pork buns, the sweet tacky prawn dumplings, and the duck pancakes that do not skimp on crisp, bronze skin. Also save room for extra-plump mango pancakes. On Christmas Day, yum cha is served from 11am-3pm.

The Crown’s Cantonese restaurant Silks is slinging a luxe yum cha Christmas lunch fit for a king. Silks’ yum cha menu features 30 dishes, including Southern rock lobster dumplings; barbecue Berkshire pork in rice rolls; deep fried prawn dumplings; and vegetarian fried rice with black truffle. Sounds like a one-way ticket to yum town to us.

This bustling, open-plan dining room is a very fine place to indulge in salt-and-pepper delights, roasted meats and pretty much anything they throw your way. The dumplings are fluffy and fine-skinned, and an order of their special fried rice with fish roe is a necessity. They'll be swinging the doors open from 10am.