The Grand Orient in The Melbourne Hotel is excellent Cantonese food in an iconic setting

THERE’S a justifiable buzz over the reopening of The Melbourne Hotel. Three years of construction, five new food and beverage options (including a public rooftop bar) and a venue that blends a historic shell with sleek new surfaces combine to create quite the offering. Better yet, everything under the roof is going gangbusters.

The Japanese cream-bun counter sells out before lunchtime, the streetside ramen bar has daily queues around the corner and the hotel’s anchor restaurant, Grand Orient, is simply excellent.

I’m told the latter’s goal is to fit into the relaxed fine-dining trend, and while the white tablecloths are absent, ambience bears a reserved feel with the volume turned down. Icicle-like lighting rods hang from the ceiling, pointing to blood-red chairs and tables set with gold and silver gilded plates and black chopsticks.

The extensive Cantonese menu is flawlessly executed by chef Chan Kwok, who comes to Perth from Singapore, where he headed up another hotel fine-diner, Hua Ting Restaurant. There he was three times feted as Asian Cuisine Chef of the Year at the World Gourmet Summit Awards Of Excellence. Try his food and you quickly see why.

A handful of crisp, hot tempura oysters ($10) put us in a great mood. The sizable bivalves are feathery light, soft and fresh, dressed with a dab of sweet and sour chilli that pairs nicely with some extra kick of the optional roast chilli oil.

Dim sum is only on the lunchtime menu, adding an extra hook to daytime eating, particularly if you order the house-made Shanghai dumplings (three for $8). Smooth and subtle pork is embalmed in steaming broth, all contained in springy, pinched wrappers. Popped in the mouth, they explode on impact. Pure heaven.

Service stays true to Cantonese style; a recommended dish of wok- fried XO scallops and asparagus ($45) is quietly served onto our plates, and fried rice ($18), dished out into small, traditional bowls.

The large shellfish rounds have a beef-like grain and are expertly cooked until they’re only just white. Similarly, the asparagus has been tossed slightly beyond snap level, allowing the teeth to glide through the bright green spears. Teamed with the gentle spice and texture of umami-amped XO sauce, it’s a valid special-occasion dish.

Our waiter persuades us to give the orange Cointreau almond chicken ($24) a go. Slender pieces are coated with slivered nuts that lose their crunch in a glaze that’s like a subtle take on sweet and sour sauce, zinging with delicate fruit flavour. It’s nice, but I’d probably opt for something more distinctive next time — the Peking duck pancakes ($45 for a half duck) I gobble on another visit are other- level good, as is the surprisingly tasty, slightly gelatinous bean curd and seafood soup ($12).

Dish presentation sticks to a simple style, but you don’t much care when the food is this well balanced. It’s quick too. We devour a multi-course lunch in little over one hour. Refined and reliable, The Melbourne Hotel is off to a cracking start.

Grand Orient

The Melbourne Hotel,

33 Milligan Street, Perth

9320 3333

Open daily, 11.30am-3pm and 6pm-10pm.

Score: 16/20