Flower Drum

Going to Flower Drum is a bit like going to your favourite grandma's house - it's warm and welcoming, the furniture is comfy, your waited on as if you are the only person in the room and some the dishes, well, even though you can tell they have put in a massive effort, are a little outdated. 

The venue itself is on Market Lane in China Town. With its huge round tables mounted with Lazy Susans, rich red décor and even an orange telecom pay phone near the front door from the 1990s, it definitely feels as though you have stepped back in time. But one thing that never goes out of fashion is impeccable service, and that's exactly what Flower Drum had. Almost like a well rehearsed ballet, at least a handful of waiters would come at once to serve your food, fill your wine and partake in some friendly banter. 
 

The dish of the day for me was the baked crab shell cooked in turmeric sauce with onion and garlic. Indeed, it was probably up there with one of the best dishes I have ever had in Melbourne. Whilst it was nothing special to look at, this little rich and creamy crab was just oozing with flavour. 

And do I even need to discuss how amazing their signature is. It's no secret that Flower Drum's peking duck pancakes are often coined the best in Melbourne, and it's not hard to see why as they carve up the duck freshly in front of you and somehow manage to get a crispy peice of skin in each pancake. 

The spring rolls were another highlight. And I know what you're thinking...how good can a spring roll be when even the food court at Crown can do a good job at it. But with its light, crispy and flaky coating. and flavoursome filling, this spring roll definitely took it to the next level. 

The Sang Choi Bao and the King George Whiting were nice, and the protein in these dishes were certainly cooked well, but the overall dishes weren't exactly inspiring.

 

Never trying pearl meat before, I knew it was a luxury item and is obviously served up by Flower Drum to impress its diners - and indeed, it was absolutely delicious. The prawns, however, were so over cooked that they had become chalky. 

 

The fried ice cream was also a miss - the crust of my ice cream was soggy and it was quite floury. 

 

With some delicious dishes, its impeccable service and its old school charm, even though there were a few misses on the menu, it was easy to see how the Flower Drum is a Melbourne institution.

Food: 3/5
Venue: 3/5
Service: 5/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon