Secret Kitchen CBD

The Peking Duk was absolutely amazing.
The service was on point.
Definitely will come back
Not cheap, but good food
The fried rice wasn’t the best that’s the only bad thing I can say

Yum cha was very mediocre for $30 minimum spend per person. Siu mai and har how (prawn dumplings) were very below average and bland, they should be the most basic dim sum and the place couldn’t get it right.

The most delicious servings of yum cha I've shared with friends. Everything from the batter on the fried calamari tentacles, Portuguese tarts, prawn and scallop dim sum, cripsy pork belly, Chinese brocolli with oyster sauce and more, were all perfection.

A bustling, casual atmosphere on a Sunday lunch session, as expected, so be sure to make a booking. Beautiful decor with red carpets and dark wooden furniture.

The waitstaff carting the yum cha were friendly and helpful and service was quick for side orders.

Prices seemed reasonable but we split the bill amongst 5 people. However take note of the 10% extra surcharge on weekends and 15% extra on public holidays.

Prepare for hidden expenses, I don’t like leaving bad reviews but getting surprised with $12 bottles of table water and an additional 10% weekend surcharge is simply not ok.

The service was good but my partner and I were immediately seated under what we assumed were the fish tank water pump units which were trucking along non stop, we were also approached several times while we were eating which eventually just became really uncomfortable.

The food was again ok, I would say too salty, but again the main concern was it was nowhere near worth the price point that it’s charged at.

For 2 entrees, drinks and 2 mains we paid just over $200

In hindsight I guess it’s our fault for not asking if the water was not complimentary on the table, but that’s mainly why I’m leaving this review, to warn others who may not be expecting such things

I can’t say whether this is the best yum cha in Melbourne but I think as far as CBD options go it’s pretty good.

The trolleys come quickly and frequently with a wide array of dishes. Vegetarian items are limited but can be ordered upon request. Standouts on that front include the steamed rice rolls and the veg dumplings, while my favourite of the non-veg dishes was the fried squid tentacles.

The stir fried radish cake with XO is also a must (although it was a little mushy for my taste, as were some of the dumplings). It’s probably better going for items with a thicker or less fragile skin like the beancurd rolls or the custard buns, which were perfectly cooked and so adorable (they look like pigs). Pretty much all the sweet options were solid, from the mango pudding to the tofu pudding to the mango cream wrapped with super soft, thin mochi.

Also as an FYI, the dining session is limited to a little over an hour and flies by, so make sure you get what you want early before you run out of time.

The offerings were good, traditional cart service with cute square boxes. Most dishes were just warm which was disappointing.

Nice food but service was awful. We were offered last order and asked to leave within 15 minutes as soon as food comes in. They give you the bill and keep standing next to you to offer take away box even though a lot of the food was just came to the table. Hoping they give at least 2 hours for every batch of yum cha session. Buffet restaurant was able to give longer time for people to eat their food.

I felt scammed here, food was decent enough that I would consider going back, but halfway through the meal some guy came up and offered watermelon or orange juice which we all got one of. Only after we payed the bill (and gave a tip) we found that we were charged $39 for three relatively small glasses of juice. Although nothing is illegal about this it seemed rather purposeful on the part of the waiter to hide the excessive price and take advantage of our ignorance. On top of the automatic 10% surcharge and a $10 tip the total price for three came out to $244. Left a sweet and sour taste in my mouth.

Amazing food, great staff and service really elevated the experience to another level. Thank you we will be back!

Amazing service! The woman and man are so so sweet and accomodating and excited to serve us ️️️ COME HERE FOR THE BEST DINNER EXPERIENCE AND FOOD

The food was great, like the highest quality home cooked meals without the over the top insta ready presentation. Service was fast, attentive and friendly. Prices are on the higher end.

This Secret Kitchen is supposed to be a part of an international chain. My experience dining here was nothing like you would expect from a franchise restaurant and it was all due to the exceptional service provided by the staff.

Would recommend! First time was lovely, range was great and staff were super helpful and prompt. I want to say its a little more pricey then other venues but I will be back!

We had yumcha there, the manager Sum charge us the dish we didn’t order which cost most $40. We realised and go back to ask for the refund, although she fixed bill for us, she seems wasn’t happy at all and she didn’t even apologised. It makes us feel we made mistakes instead of her. I don’t think saying sorry will be a very hard thing to do? Very disappointed.

Fantastic yum cha. We liked everything we ordered and would have loved to try more. Their dumpling fillings are decent which is a bonus. Disappointed that they didn't have the roasted duck black truffle but overall was great esp the black truffle dumplings.

This was my first yum cha experience in Melbourne and this place didn’t disappoint. Loved the ambience and the staff were so friendly and helpful! Must come on the weekends I’m for the mango mochi dessert! And the custard Baos were just sooooo cute and equally delicious

Was our first time going to the restaurant. I can say it is a story of two extremes Food vs Service.
Positives: The chef did their job and the food was great and appealing.
Negatives: Manager was very rude and service was disorganised. She asked us to scan the QR code for check in, but then did not bother to look at our phones and ignored us even after holding it in front of them for half a minute. Many of the menu items advertised was also not available. Could do way better going to competitors for the price they ask.

Probably one of the best yumcha spot, pretty quick pace on weekends.been here couple of times still maintaining the food quality.

Terrible service! The woman who work in the reception are very rude, when we ask the staff "how long we need to wait table for 2 person? " I also mentioned to him we don't have booking.she's spoke to the staff straight away in Cantonese: "ask them to leave! Leave! Leave! " And the staff tell us they are fully booked today! 5 minutes before I heard he just said to the person in front of me" the next available time is 2 o'clock. " I can understand how busy they were and we were happy to wait but I can't take the way she treated us! Secret kitchen used to be my favourite yum cha restaurant, but from now on I will never go back again.

One of our fav places for dim sum. Be sure to book yourself a slot. I enjoy the atmosphere, spaciousness of the room upstairs and friendly staff.

First yumcha out of lockdown and it didn’t disappoint. They run about 3 yumcha sitting sessions on the weekends which it’s recommended to book. The food overall was up to standard but the prices were definitely more expensive than nearby yumcha places. The service could be improved, especially for those of us sitting near the front of the restaurant, that didn’t get offered popular items until the end of our session. I would definitely try secret kitchen atleast once.