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Restaurant

Empress of China

120 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Recommended by 25 people

Updated

Find Empress of China

120 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Directions ↗
+61 3 9639 7723
HoursMonday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM Tuesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM Wednesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM Thursday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM Friday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM Saturday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM Sunday: 12:00 – 9:30 PM

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

Plan your visit

About Empress of China

Empress of China delivers swift, sprawling feasts at budget-sparing prices right on Little Bourke Street. The drill is pure self-service—grab a pencil to tick letter-coded dishes on the paper slip, unpack your own BYO drinks, and spoon sauce from the communal chili oil station. The dining room runs on brisk *ren nao* energy under an enforced 60-minute clock. Regulars welcome the hustle. Plates of crisp salt-and-pepper tofu, tea-smoked duck, and pan-fried pork dumplings land within minutes of sitting down, stacked high enough to feed a hungry table for pocket change.

  • BYO Friendly: Patrons can bring their own beer and wine, keeping group tabs low while sharing heavy spreads of dumplings and stir-fries.
  • Brisk 60-Minute Seating: An enforced 60-minute seating cap ensures swift kitchen turnaround and moves walk-in queues quickly.
  • Pencil-and-Paper Ordering: Guests write their selections directly onto order slips using letter-coded dishes, bypassing verbal back-and-forth for speed.
  • Abundant Portions: Plates arrive in hefty volumes designed for sharing, regularly leaving diners with takeaway containers.
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What's On at Empress of China

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

No events or specials listed right now.

Why Diners Choose Empress of China

Experience fast-paced Chinatown dining with massive portions, BYO flexibility, and rapid table turnover—plan your visit today.

  • Abundant, Authentic Portions at Wallet-Friendly Prices

    Dishes are served at speed with exceptionally generous portion sizes, giving diners genuine Chinese culinary staples at ultra-accessible prices.

    super tasty, in my opinion very authentic, and the portions are huge.

    Udo Rudolph

  • Error-Free Pen-and-Paper Self-Ordering

    Diners select letter-coded menu items directly via handwritten order slips, ensuring rapid kitchen handoff and minimizing verbal order errors.

    Our table appreciated being able to just write down what we wanted instead of the potential for human error in ordering verbally.

    Connor Lamb

  • Budget-Friendly Group Dining

    The expansive menu and accessible pricing make the dining room a reliable destination for group catch-ups where tables can share extensively without steep costs.

    The prices are super affordable, making it the perfect spot for a casual dinner or a group catch-up without breaking the bank.

    Ash Kearns

  • Lively BYO Gatherings

    Patrons can bring their own alcoholic drinks to accompany generous spreads of fried duck, dumplings, and classic wok plates in a lively setting.

    Perfect joint for a booze up and indulgent feed.

    Tom Snow

  • Seamless Pre-Theatre Meal Timing

    Speedy kitchen turnaround ensures theatregoers in the CBD can sit down, eat heartily, and depart comfortably ahead of curtain call.

    We went there for a quick bite before the theatre And I will be back .

    Dominique Chauby

  • Prime Chinatown Setting for Quick Feeds

    Positioned centrally on Little Bourke Street, the venue provides rapid, dependable dining right in the bustling heart of Chinatown.

    Perfect before the theatre.

    Paul Flanigan

Chinatown crowd-pleasers celebrated for generous portions and bold flavors—plan your visit today.

  • Pan-Fried Pork and Vegetable Dumplings

    The pan-fried pork and vegetable dumplings are elite—easily the best around.

    Naomi Butler-Moore

  • Tea Smoked Duck

    And the tea smoked duck to die for❤️❤️❤️

    Dominique Chauby

  • Green Beans in Garlic

    The green beans in garlic are absolute perfection.

    Naomi Butler-Moore

  • Salt and Pepper Tofu

    The salt and pepper tofu is hands-down the best in the city – crispy, flavourful, and addictive.

    Ash Kearns

Other favorites

Crispy starters, fresh sides, and snack bites to complement your feast

  • Spring Onion Pancake

    The spring onion pancake was salty & very crunchy.

    Maddy Quin

  • Cucumber Salad

    Cucumber salad was crunchy & delicious

    Maddy Quin

  • Deep Fried Pumpkin Cake

    The deep fried pumpkin cake omg.

    Jennifer Chou

  • Spring Roll

    their spring roll (damn it's a nice different you'll realise once you have it)

    K Mags

Before you head over

Practical guidance on ordering, dining limits, and group setups—plan your visit for an efficient, affordable Chinatown feast.

  • Order via Paper Slips and Grab Your Own Condiments

    Scan the laminated menu and write down selections using the letter-coded dish system on the provided paper slip, then grab your own cutlery, napkins, and chili oil from the self-serve counter.

  • Plan Around the 60-Minute Table Limit

    Dining sittings are subject to an enforced 60-minute table limit with food arriving at rapid speed, making it an efficient choice for a swift CBD meal or pre-theatre bite.

  • Bring Your Own Drinks and Order for Big Portions

    Take advantage of the venue's BYO drink policy for group catch-ups, but pace your ordering as the generous portion sizes often require packing your own takeaway containers.

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