Reviews
 January 2004 – The Australian
”Chinese restaurants are a bit like politicians generally, you can count the good ones on a couple of fingers. In Melbourne that means the impossible-to-get-into flower drum and David’s. David’s menu happens to be more exotic, because it isn’t the Cantonese that most people are familiar with. The flavours come from the pre-war and pre-communist Shanghai of the 1930’s when the so called great powers such as the French were in charge. First time users are paralyzed by the options. I’m torn between the mudcrab and the coral trout. There are 5 different sauces on offer for the mudcrab from salted duck egg to blackbean and chilli. The waiter suggests the banquet, we pick the “deluxe banquet”. The entrees boast generous helpings of lobster san choi bao and two pieces of each pecking duck, just enough to tantalise The mains cover the range of the menu. Calamari with spicy salt; wok sautéed coral trout fillet with mushrooms; golden fillet steak with honey, oyster and black bean sauce (which defies the cliché of its title by being more pleasant than I expect) and stir-fried Chinese spinach with bamboo shoots. We are full and at peace. As we leave, my greedy little mind is already strategizing the return the visit; mudcrab or a whole coral trout?
- George Megalogenis, Tables, The Australian
July 2005 – MX
”You wont go hungry here with more than 100 dishes on offer, including vegetarian offerings… Indigestion? Try the sautéed fresh scallops in XO supreme chilli sauce; Herbalist Zhou infuses his food with elements of Chinese medicine that will leave you feeling good, inside and out. Must-trys include his soups – the double boiled pigeon with ginseng and longan (to help reduce mental tiredness and improve memory) is delicious
- Laeta Antonysen, Nosh, MX
September 2005 – Red Magazine
"The refurbishment reminds me of an interior you would see in a Wong Kar-Wai film, such as “In the mood for love”. It features vibrant colours, beautiful glowing reds, traditional fabrics, ornate glass and mood lighting, it is a little injection of shanghais culture of fashion and architect, reminiscent of the 1930 whilst still maintaining the intimacy and privacy the David’s customers expect. David’s is one of Melbourne’s treasures, and there is no better place to enjoy a shanghaiese specialty”
- Maryke Foeden, Red Food, Red
October 2005 - Cuisine Talk
”As well as that, there is still a list of traditional tonic soups for nourishing (the Shanghai hot and sour, $6, still remains one of Melbourne’s best) some of the best stuff at David’s are in the dumplings and entrée sections. Don’t miss the steamed shanghai pork dumplings with the silky encasing pork mince and a lovely broth. Crispy skin duck comes suitably crispy with a layer of delicately flavoured prawn mince underneath, while the minced beef with tofu served with a nicely spicy hot sauce is a joyful meeting of flavour and texture.”
- Michael Harden, Cuisine Talk |
