The morning after the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, we held an All-Star Yum Cha with Tourism Australia at QT Melbourne’s rooftop terrace – a triple-pronged effort to aid recovery, continue the party and observe the favourite Australian morning sport of dim sum.
Photos by James Thomas
See our wrap-up of The World’s 50 Best awards – and the full list – here.
Melbourne sunshine
Melbourne sunshine
It was a sunny afternoon as the World’s 50 Best chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers and more arrived for the All-Star Yum Cha at QT Melbourne’s rooftop terrace.
All-Star Yum Cha chefs
All-Star Yum Cha chefs
From left: Andrew McConnell (Ricky & Pinky), Neil Perry (Spice Temple), Thi Le (Anchovy), Victor Liong (Lee Ho Fook) and Anthony Lui (Flower Drum).
Not pictured: David Thompson (Long Chim) and ArChan Chan (Ricky & Picky).
Anchovy’s marron toasts
Anchovy’s marron toasts
Like much of the menu, Anchovy chef Thi Le’s marron toasts with Davidson plum recast native ingredients in a yum cha light – her version of classic egg tarts added macadamia into the mix.
Dumplings
Dumplings
We couldn’t decide whether we preferred Ricky & Pinky’s mudcrab, pork and saltbush dumplings, Lee Ho Fook’s warrigal green wontons or Spice Temple’s bite-sized prawn and scallop dumplings.
Open kitchen
Open kitchen
Chefs made the most of Melbourne’s autumn afternoon sunshine by cooking outside.
All-Stars
All-Stars
From left: Restaurateur Andrew McConnell with Neil Perry and Atelier Crenn chef Dominique Crenn.
All-Stars
All-Stars
From left: Osteria Francescana’s Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore, with Lotus Communications’ Monica Brown.
On the pass
On the pass
Ricky & Pinky chef ArChan Chan (centre) plates up her pan-fried scallop and pearl meat pies.
Spice Temple’s mackerel and ginger pot-stickers
Spice Temple’s mackerel and ginger pot-stickers
Neil Perry catered the World’s 50 Best ceremony, then returned to the kitchen the next day for our All-Star Yum Cha.
Flower Drum’s spring rolls
Flower Drum’s spring rolls
Flower Drum chef Anthony Lui served spring rolls with braised jade tiger abalone in supreme oyster sauce with shiitake mushrooms.
Eleven Madison Park
Eleven Madison Park
Eleven Madison Park restaurateur Will Guidara, left, and chef Daniel Humm, right, recieve a commemorative knife from Suisin Knives’ Tatsuya Aoki on behalf of Tanto, QT Melbourne’s Japanese knife shop.
Neil Perry and Ben Shewry
Neil Perry and Ben Shewry
At number 43, Ben Shewry’s Attica is now Australia’s highest listed restaurant on the World’s 50 Best list.
On the wok
On the wok
Long Chim’s beef stir-fried with chillies, holy basil, deep-fried eggs and rice.
QT Melbourne’s pandan lamington
QT Melbourne’s pandan lamington
And for dessert? A triple-tiered pandan lamington with coconut sponge, pandan syrup and pandan custard.
Ricky & Pinky’s fortune cookies
Ricky & Pinky’s fortune cookies
What better send off than a sign for more good times?
