Specialising in live seafood and classic Cantonese cuisine, Ruby Chinese Restaurant finds itself hitting all the right notes, despite barely changing its menu for a quarter of a century…
Though the safe and familiar options such as Mongolian lamb or satay chicken appear on the menu, and are presented to a very high standard here, you’ll miss the point if you only order in that vein. Ruby’s strength lies in the simple and fresh presentation of traditional dishes, where the quality of the produce and the expertise of the chefs are given centre stage. Nowhere is this more evident than in the live seafood, trucked in regularly from around Australia. Expect to find a range of fish such as coral trout or morwong, lobster, eel or abalone in the impressive tank displays that line the walls.
‘Ruby Chinese reminds one of a classic Chinatown eatery, and has contributed to cementing this street’s reputation as the mecca of Asian dining…’
It is here that you should enlist the help of the waitstaff and trust in their advice, they do know best. One of the original restaurants on Dickson’s Woolley street, Ruby Chinese Restaurant reminds one of a classic Chinatown eatery, and has contributed to cementing this street’s reputation as the mecca of Asian dining in Canberra. And like a Chinatown eatery, Ruby is open late — it is not uncommon to find this restaurant still open until midnight, and more often than not, catering to other Chinese restaurateurs. While patronage of an ‘ethnic’ eatery by the diaspora en masse is the conventional formula used to judge a place for quality and authenticity, this endorsement by experts in their field should serve as a sign of their standing. 
CONTACT
18 Woolley Street, Dickson
02 6249 8849
See website
OPENING HOURS
LUNCH
Tue–Sun 12–2pm
DINNER
Tue–Sun 5–11pm
CUISINE
Cantonese/Live seafood
See menu
PRICE RANGE
$ 5.5–59.8
Live seafood market price
LICENCE
Fully licensed
BYO bottled wine only
Corkage $8.0 per bottle
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