Yum cha $$ Good quality yum cha. A little bit hidden in Whitehorse towers, took me a little while to find! Highlights included the pork ribs, cheung fun (thick rice noodles), chicken feet (not a fan personally, but others said was great!), and bbq pork buns. Sadly they’ve stopped the traditional yum cha method ofContinue reading “Golden Lily (Box Hill)”
Tag Archives: asian
Calia Grill (Chadstone)
Japanese $$ Upstairs from Calia in Chadstone is it’s sister store Calia Grill. It’s still Japanese but more focused on the bbq aspects of the cuisine. We had one of the wagyu sets, tasty and fun to do! But expensive. Decent place for special occasions. 🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩 8/10 https://calia.co/pages/calia-chadstone-grill
Oushou (Camberwell)
Japanese $$ A nice Japanese spot in Camberwell. Tried the gyoza, salmon taco, teriyaki chicken, and one of their sushi platters. Decent quality, on the pricier side, but good value for money. Worth a try if you’re in the area. 🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣 8/10 Homepage
Bambu (South Melbourne)
Asian $$ Came across this place in the South Melbourne Market. Always so busy there, you really have to pick your timing! They have both a takeaway and dine-in option, if you buy at the outside stall, you won’t be allowed to sit at the designated tables (something I discovered after I bought food!) TriedContinue reading “Bambu (South Melbourne)”
Pho Hung (Springvale)
Vietnamese $ Classic Vietnamese restaurant; fast and super tasty. Had the beef brisket pho and prawn spring rolls. Beef was super tender, great quality broth, and spring rolls were super crunchy. And super cheap! Definitely a go-to if you’re in the area. 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜 9/10
Marble Yakiniku (Glen Waverley)
Japanese $$$ Wow. What a hidden gem! Can barely see anything from the outside, but inside is a modern Japanese delight. Got the plum banquet set menu, absolutely delicious, very decent amount for $130. Highlights were the BBQ meat and the foie gras rice, insanely rich and flavourful. The cheesecake was also amazing! Fantastic placeContinue reading “Marble Yakiniku (Glen Waverley)”
Dumpling Empire (Glen Waverley)
Chinese $ A great place for a solid Asian meal. Very decent dumplings, noodle soup and fried chicken. Good place if you’re having Chinese food cravings. 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜 8/10 http://dumplingempire.com.au/
Ichi Ni (St Kilda)
Japanese $$ Just across the road from St Kilda beach, this is a perfect light lunch for a hot day. Huge variety in the menu, with fresh sushi, sashimi, rolls, baos, curry, bbq and more. We tried the Dragon and Kaisen Maki rolls, Teppan Kasu (miso eggplant), salmon tacos, Mint Ginger Smash mocktail. Eggplant wasContinue reading “Ichi Ni (St Kilda)”
Sushi Kona (Forest Hill)
Japanese $ Stumbled across this place in a rush at the Forest Hill shopping centre, looks like a typical sushi takeaway joint, but fairly decent quality! The box I bought had great variety too. The wasabi was a bit bland but the price wasn’t bad at $16.50, would definitely get again. 🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣 9/10 https://www.foresthillchase.com.au/store/sushi-kona/
Delight Kitchen (Mount Waverley)
Chinese $$ I haven’t had decent Chinese food in a while, this place hit the spot! Known for their Peking duck which you need to order at least 24 hrs in advance. Peking duck was delicious, skin was very crispy and more filling than it looked, and the wrappings were nice and thin. The duckContinue reading “Delight Kitchen (Mount Waverley)”
Aru (CBD)
Asian $$$ Fine dining version of southeast Asian food! The mains blew me away, the duck was super tender and the skin was so crispy, and the clay pot rice was the best I’ve ever had, crunchy on the outside and super flavourful. Would go back just for the rice! Aru also has fancy AsianContinue reading “Aru (CBD)”
Dao Noodle (CBD)
Chinese $ Famous for it’s DMX noodles i.e. knife sliced noodles, this is a cute Chinese restaurant gem hidden away from the busy CBD streets that makes it’s own noodles. The Shanxi traditional pork noodles are beautifully fresh with a tomato sauce, almost like a perfectly balanced Asian spaghetti bolognese. The braised beef is notContinue reading “Dao Noodle (CBD)”
Maguro (Chadstone)
Japanese $ I thought Chadstone had enough sushi places, but this is definitely better quality than most takeaway sushi. Certainly pricier, but worth it. If you’re keen, this place even has oysters. 🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣 9/10
Cafe d’ Hong Kong (CBD)
Cantonese $ If you ever feel like eating Cantonese without going to Hong Kong, this place will curb your cravings. Displaying a variety of Hong Kong’s unique blend of Asian and Western food, the food isn’t fantastic quality but fairly decent with generous serving sizes. I’ll never get over how odd it is to seeContinue reading “Cafe d’ Hong Kong (CBD)”
Seoul Station (CBD)
Korean $ On the prominent corner of MC in the city, this Korean fast food place serves unique Korean hotdogs. Dipped in batter and coated with sugar, this hotdog is then topped with tomato sauce and mustard. Certainly not a combination I’d ever tried before! Other options included being coated with potato or ramen. AnContinue reading “Seoul Station (CBD)”
Joomak (CBD)
Korean $ An old student haunt, this bar has great peach rice wine served in a bowl. It’s a bit hidden and hard to find being down an unassumingly staircase, but worth the initial confusion. Great for Korean snacks and drinks, definitely a fun place for a late night. 🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶 8/10 http://www.joomak.com.au/
Ruyi (CBD)
Chinese $$ An interesting modern take on Chinese food, Ruyi sits in one of Melbourne’s city laneways. It’s not overly expensive, but it is a slightly fancy fusion take on some classic dishes. Tried the numbing beef, was a bit tough, probably wouldn’t get again, although the numbing effect was pretty cool. The pork bellyContinue reading “Ruyi (CBD)”
Hanaichi (CBD)
Japanese $ If you ever want cheap, fast, filling Asian food in the city, you should go to Hanaichi. A student’s dream lunch. Situated in QV, this place has a filling rice meal for around $10, great value for money. The Kay’s chicken has surprisingly decent quality fried chicken, highly recommend. 🍛🍛🍛🍛🍛🍛🍛🍛 8/10 https://hanaichi.com.au/
Robota (CBD)
Japanese $$ Famous for it’s Japanese grill style, this place has a great set menu with a mix of sashimi and grilled meats. The chicken meatball with it’s egg yolk sauce and wagyu beef are must-trys. Beautiful interior as well, modern Asian vibes. 🍢🍢🍢🍢🍢🍢🍢🍢🍢 9/10 https://robata.com.au/menu
Calia (Chadstone)
Asian $$ I’m conflicted about this place, because the food was amazing, but I got food poisoning from it! The fact that I’m still considering going back just shows how tasty the food was. To be fair, I’ve been a few times with no problems, so go at your own risk! Miso eggplant, salted eggContinue reading “Calia (Chadstone)”
Sushi Hotaru (CBD)
Japanese $$ Love a good quality sushi train! You can either take right off the train or order through the touch screen. Dishes certainly add up, but worth it! Great quality fish. Often a line so get in early! Seared salmon and chicken karaage are my favourites. 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣Continue reading “Sushi Hotaru (CBD)”
Future Sushi (Collingwood)
Japanese/Vegan $ A very unexpected vegan cuisine! Almost couldn’t tell it was vegan, fake seafood was still delicious. A fun try if you want to be vegan for a day. 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 🍣 8/10 https://futuresushi.com.au/
Hochi Mama (CBD)
Asian fusion $$ Modern Asian food is such a staple of Melbourne! Beautifully presented food, could have richer flavours though. The curry and sashimi were my favourites. 🍚🍚🍚🍚🍚🍚🍚🍚 8/10 https://hochimama.melbourne/cbd/
Pokéd (CBD)
Hawaiian/Japanese $ I feel like a poké bowl is uniquely satisfying; it is filling and warm from the rice but doesn’t feel too heavy from the toppings and sauces. A fantastic lunch meal when you don’t want to be too unhealthy but are very hungry. The menu looks a little complicated, but essentially you canContinue reading “Pokéd (CBD)”
Ichiro Izakaya Bar (Burwood)
Japanese $$ Just outside the Burwood Brickworks shopping centre, this Japanese restaurant has good quality sushi and a pretty good ramen! Katsu is fairly decent, and always fun ordering on a tablet. Would recommend when you’re having a Jap craving! 🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱 8/10 https://www.ichiroizakaya.com.au/#/
Hibiki Future (Camberwell)
Japanese $ This Asian grocery sells great take-away eats and snacks. A must-try are the Hibiki Bento’s, the tuna and chicken katsu are my favs! And you can get 3 for $12. It also has some baked goods and sweets. Next to the dine-in Hibiki restaurant, the Future store is a great take-away alternative whenContinue reading “Hibiki Future (Camberwell)”
Laksa King (Glen Waverley)
Malaysian $ As my first dinner out of lockdown, this blew my mind. Incredibly delicious. Our waiter was a lovely older asian man who was super friendly and chatty. The food exceeded our expectations, the five spice chicken ribs are an absolute favourite, followed by their chicken curry laksa. Probably a lot of MSG, weContinue reading “Laksa King (Glen Waverley)”
Momo Sushi (Carlton)
Japanese $ Great sushi place near Melbourne Uni, good for a quick decent take-away lunch. Packaging of the onigiri keeps the seaweed nice and crispy; my favourite is the tuna! 🍙🍙🍙🍙🍙🍙🍙🍙 8/10 https://m.facebook.com/MomoSushiAustralia/
Hawker Chan (Chadstone)
Asian $ Sadly, since eating here between lockdowns, the Chadstone branch has closed! But there is still a store in the city! Which I’m sure is just as delicious. For me, this is a perfect Asian comfort food; chicken rice with charsiu (roast pork) is just a classic! Definitely worth it’s Michelin star, and notContinue reading “Hawker Chan (Chadstone)”
HuTong (CBD)
Chinese $$ A popular place for dumplings in the city, this place wouldn’t be my go-to for Chinese, but has decent food. More expensive than I’d like, but a nice atmosphere, good for groups and families. 🥟🥟🥟🥟🥟🥟🥟 7/10 https://hutong.com.au/city
Suzuran (Camberwell)
Japanese $$ Attached to a cute Asian grocery in Camberwell, this is a popular place for take-away sushi packs. Very fresh and authentic! Not cheap, but good quality. 🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱 8/10 https://www.suzuran.com.au/
Danji (Chadstone)
Korean $$ A fantastic Korean place on a quieter suburban street of Chadstone. It doesn’t look like much from the outside but has some of best best Korean Fried Chicken I’ve had! Crunchy on the outside, but flavoursome and tender on the inside. Looks like a family run business; definitely deserves more customers, 100% worthContinue reading “Danji (Chadstone)”
David’s Hot Pot (CBD)
Asian $$$ True hotpot dining in all it’s glory. You know when it’s full of asians it’s a great place. You’re given a paper menu to tick what food you’d like, then are given a huge pot of soup to cook your food. Meat and soup were tasty, large range of toppings available, ethnic decor,Continue reading “David’s Hot Pot (CBD)”
Chin Chin (CBD)
Asian $$ A quintessential Melbourne restaurant; i.e. hipster and fusion. Great quality modern Asian fusion. Mains were the highlight, super tasty, went basic with the butter chicken and pad seuw, both were delicious, butter chicken was super creamy, and beef very tender. 🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡🥡 9/10 Home
Fuji Tei (St Kilda)
Japanese $$ Down a very unassuming street of St Kilda, this small restaurant is a hidden gem. Even upon entry we weren’t sure we were in the place; but what a find! For $35, got a filling and great quality meal of sashimi, tempura, tofu, pan-fried salmon, rice, salad, miso soup and black sesame ice-cream.Continue reading “Fuji Tei (St Kilda)”
Nene Chicken (Chadstone)
Fast Food $$ Had heard a lot about this Korean fried chicken, so tried it to see what all the fuss was about! Had the classic range with original and freaking hot flavours; definitely tasty and not nearly as oily as KFC. I enjoyed their cheesy mayo chips too; quite crunchy and salty. Fried chickenContinue reading “Nene Chicken (Chadstone)”
Supernormal (CBD)
Asian Fusion $$ A cute Asian fusion restaurant in the CBD. Opted for the banquet so we didn’t have to make any decisions! Highlights were the prawn and chicken dumplings, and the peanut butter parfait for dessert. Lowlights were the kingfish, and the lamb shoulder; it was very tough and chewy, and the kingfish wasContinue reading “Supernormal (CBD)”
Blue Bamboo (Braybrook)
Vietnamese $$ A true Asian mama’s favourite; when Vietnamese people like a Vietnamese restaurant you know it’s the real deal! With a huge menu and a cute bamboo garden out back, this is a nice place for families. Prices aren’t bad, and portions are decent. http://bluebamboo.net.au/ 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜 8/10
Master Lanzhou Noodle Bar (Chadstone)
Chinese $ Was craving a good bowl of noodle soup, so came here! House-made noodles, warm beefy broth, definitely hit the spot. I had the signature handmade beef noodle soup (minus coriander so looks a bit bare!) and the spicy and numb beef noodle soup. The signature was okay, personally I feel like it’s tooContinue reading “Master Lanzhou Noodle Bar (Chadstone)”
Din Tai Fung (CBD)
Taiwanese $$ One of my favourite places for xiao long bao (pork dumplings). Super juicy with a light dumpling skin, mmm. They even have instructions on how to eat it printed on the chopstick packets! Food comes very fast and you order everything (with pictures to guide you) on an ipad. My other favourite hereContinue reading “Din Tai Fung (CBD)”
Pho Hung Vuong (Springvale)
Vietnamese $ For the true pho lovers. They don’t do anything except pho, and they do it well. Don’t expect service with a smile or a menu, just look on the wall and choose your pho topping and size. Two minutes later, you’ll have a beautiful bowl of hot noodle soup. You’ll feel like you’reContinue reading “Pho Hung Vuong (Springvale)”
Little White Duck (Chadstone)
Chinese $$ Been meaning to try this restaurant in the Chadstone foodcourt for a while! Tried the shanghai pan-fried black truffle pork buns and the homemade buns, pretty good! Couldn’t taste any truffle, not as flavourful as I’d like, but still delicious. And I know the homemade buns are easy to make, but I’m aContinue reading “Little White Duck (Chadstone)”
The Grand Tofu (Glen Waverley)
Malaysian $ Great Asian food for the soul. Cheap, good quality, and fast! I had the Yong Tofu, where you can choose your soup, type of noodles, and extras (dumplings, meat, veges). Also had the Combination Crispy Fried Noodles, delicious. Noodles so crispy and good mix of meat and prawns. The Teh Tarik (both hotContinue reading “The Grand Tofu (Glen Waverley)”
Lulu’s Char Koay Teow (CBD)
Malaysian $ When you’re after authentic, good quality Char Koay Teow, this is the place. Taste was on point, prawns were delicious, and decent amount of noodles. Love these little places that only do a couple of dishes but do it well. 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜 9/10 https://www.facebook.com/lulucktmelbourne/
JoJo Little Kitchen (CBD)
Malaysian $ Hidden in a little alleyway is this little Asian gem. Great noodles, hits the spot. You can pick if you want dry or soup noodles, and what thickness. Fried pork wasn’t as good as I hoped, but still decent. https://www.instagram.com/jojolittlekitchen/ 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜 8/10
Hakata Gensuke (CBD)
Japanese $ When you can’t go to Japan for ramen this is the next best thing! Always a huge line, but moves fairly fast and quick service once inside. My go to place in Melbourne for ramen. I’m basic and like the Signature Tonkotsu, the gyoza and chicken kaarage are great sides. 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜 10/10
Jaspresso (North Melbourne)
Japanese $ Fantastic place for Japanese curries and jaffles for an inexpensive but delicious lunch. Close to Parkville hospitals if you’re in the area. They also do an excellent matcha and white chocolate cookie, definitely worth a trip! https://www.instagram.com/jaspresso.melbourne/ 🍛🍛🍛🍛🍛🍛🍛🍛🍛🍛 10/10
Shinmai Tasty (Maribyrnong)
Japanese $$ A great Japanese place in the ‘burbs of Maribyrnong. Fresh sushi and great noodle soup. 🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣 9/10
Shanghai Red (Chadstone)
Chinese $$ Has some of the best dim sum of Melbourne! Prawn dumplings and xiao long bao are amazing, great quality meat. Prefer the regular xiao long bao over truffle xiao long bao. And can’t look past a great bao with condensed milk. Love love love. Main drawback is that it’s expensive for Asian food.Continue reading “Shanghai Red (Chadstone)”
Mr Miyagi (Windsor)
Japanese $$ The best salmon tacos I’ve ever had! Fantastic Asian fusion in the hip side of Windsor. Be warned though, there is usually a long wait (over an hour) if you don’t book ahead! Even in takeaway, absolutely delicious. https://mrmiyagi.com.au/ 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮 10/10
Cafe Carpenter (Malvern)
Asian $$ A quaint little cafe with a great range of quality Asian food. A local favourite! Attached to a cute Asian grocery store. Katsu curry and kimbap (Korean sushi) are highlights. http://www.cafecarpenter.com.au/ 🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱🍱 10/10
Tokyo Tina (Windsor)
Asian $$ On the super hip part of Chapel Street, this little modern Asian gem is popular but usually without a super long wait. https://tokyotina.com.au/ 🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣🥣 8/10
Bun Bun Bakery (Springvale)
Bakery $ Best Banh Mi (Vietnamese baguette) in Springvale. For $6, a great roasted pork banh mi with pork crackling. 🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯 10/10
Grain Asian Cafe (Boxhill)
Chinese $ For all your dim sum and Canto cravings. My go-to for congee, baos, and cheung fun (steam rice rolls). Not the cheapest, but always lots of Chinese customers so you know it’s the real deal. 🍚🍚🍚🍚🍚🍚🍚🍚8/10
Coda (CBD)
Asian fusion $$ Fantastic modern asian. Fancy but won’t break the bank. Best dishes: Salmon Gravlax, Hervey Bay Scallop, Steak Tartare, Yellow Duck Curry 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜10/10
Hibiki (Camberwell)
Asian Fusion $ One of the best brunches I’ve ever had. Mix of traditional Japanese food and fusion. Dinner menu is similar and just as delicious! Best dishes: Scattered Sushi Bowl with Shiozake Salmon, Japanese Curry with Chicken Katsu, Curry Gratin, Chirashi Zushi https://www.hibikimelbourne.com/ 🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣10/10
Morris Jones (Windsor)
Modern Australian $$ Asian-inspired menu with a great modern indoor decor. Within the young hipster parts of Windsor, it’s a selfie-lovers dream with an indoor flower wall and Instagramable food. Got the set menu; dumpling and sushi entrees were great, beef for main was a little overcooked. Dessert was overly sweet. Overall though a greatContinue reading “Morris Jones (Windsor)”
New Shanghai (Chadstone)
Chinese $$ Best place for Xiao Long Baos, and excellent crispy chicken noodle soup. Both the steamed Xiao Long Baos and the pan fried are top-notch; very juicy and flavourful. Egg yolk tofu also fantastic, soft inside with salty crispy coating. https://www.newshanghai.com.au/ 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜10/10
Rice Paper Scissors (CBD)
Modern Asian $$ One of my favourite places to eat in the city. Best value modern Asian I’ve had, they have 5 dishes to share for $34. They also have great desserts. Fantastic place for groups! 🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢🥢10/10
The Rice Cooker (North Melbourne)
Asian Restaurant $ If you’re after Asian, this is the place. Has sushi, noodle soup, roti, poke bowls, curry, nasi lemak; a bit of everything! Great quality, large portions as well. Favourite dishes: Poke Bowl with Chicken Katsu, Fish Ball Noodle Soup, Singapore Noodles http://thericecooker.com.au/ 🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜9/10
on weekends, we brunch 