OUR STORY
OUR HISTORY
With a history in Herbal Medicine, owner of Oriental Teahouse, David Zhou first came to Melbourne from Shanghai as a traveller with $200 and one bag of belongings. He soon found a home in the city, and opened a quaint teashop back in 90’s on Chapel St, that had a range of quality chinese teas and David’s own signature blends, each having it’s own beneficial purpose for the drinker.
For example, a tea still found in the restaurant, Relaxing Tea (Liquorice roots, wolfberry fruit, peppermint, red dates, ginseng) created to cool down and bring balance to the body.
Our South Yarra Restaurant opened in 2003, and since then we have opened Melbourne CBD and Brunswick for Take Away. From there, Oriental Teahouse was born, being one of the first restaurants in Melbourne to introduce Yum Cha served with tea. Today, the Teahouse is a staple spot for locals and tourists alike. As for our tea, you’ll still find our signature house-blended teas on rotation daily in the heart of the venue for a tea tasting, as well as 20 additonal hot and cold brews on our menus.
OUR STORY
our tea
In Shanghai, teahouses are where life happens. They’re a central place of interaction; loud, bustling, filled with aroma, smoke, conversation and laughter. People come together over a pot of tea. The way the tea is poured is equal in each cup symbolizes the equality for all parties involved.
As for our tea, each signature blend is hand-crafted by Oriental Teahouse founder David Zhou. Since moving from Shanghai to Melbourne David has dedicated his life to understanding the holistic healing properties of different teas, creating blends that are as beneficial for the body as they are on the taste buds.
OUR STORY
our food
Dim Sum (or Dian Xin which translates to ‘touch of the heart’) are authentic and delicious parcels of joy. Designed for sharing, we host a massive menu with all the classic chinese dishes, like har gow shrimp dumplings and shu mai, but we aren’t afraid to serve up interesting dishes like juicy parcels of chilli wagyu beef and covered in “magic” chilli oil and sweet tang yuan style white chocolate dumplings, soft-centered with coconut and peanut praline, which pair perfectly with a teapot cocktail or our well curated selection of local and international wines.
We are well-loved for our Dumplings, which are handmade with care by our dumpling master’s who have collectively over 100 years worth of experience.
A few favourites include XO Prawn & Scallop Dumplings, Roast Duck Dumplings with plum sauce, Veggie Gyoza with spicy chimichurri.
On special days (like Mothers Day), we serve on traditional yum cha trollies that roam the venue boasting a variety of over 40 dishes.