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Flower Drum

There is no better place to eat Cantonese food in this country than in this series of lacquer-framed rooms. The décor is lived-in and of a certain vintage, but it feels venerable rather than worn. It’s an impression shored up by the vigour of the welcome and the richness of the hospitality, even – or perhaps especially – as delivered by some of the older members of the small army of waiters working the floor. They run the show here, and the menu is merely an outline of what the kitchen can do, so quiz them well and put your money where your mouth is with meaty, tender braised abalone and prickly sea cucumber with oyster sauce, or barramundi noodles, XO sauce and Chinese sausage. Classics, such as sweet, fresh crab dumplings and Peking duck, show that the kitchen’s proficiency hasn’t wavered, and the wine list remains an asset.