The food and service were excellent…read more The place is great, the staff is friendly and the prices are good.

Who would have thought that in the middle of what is outer suburban industrial Lilydale one could…read morefind a cafe that is a very big cut above the usual chips and pie industrial estate take away shop? The Lilydale General is brand new and it's obvious that the creators care about good produce and know a thing or two about what the public are wanting these days. I spied products from Mount Zero and milk from Jonsey's Dairy. The fit out is great, though the music choice when I was there did nothing to add to the atmosphere. Metal? In the afternoon? In a cafe that has decor reminiscent of an American Diner meets hipster Melbourne Cafe? Very odd indeed. My long black was decent enough. Any bitterness I'd chalk up to the darker style roast of Coffee Supreme, rather than the technique of the barista. It's certainly going to be where I head when I find myself on the way out to the Yarra Valley and in need of a hit. Hopefully next time I'll be here at the right time for breakfast as the menu has some interesting options including fish tacos and pancakes!

Where do I start. This place was so disappointing on so many levels…read more Firstly, let me just say what a great location, on the edge of the botanical gardens. A thrive of activity with families, couples, young - old, local and visitors occupying and making the best use of a beautiful spring day. BUT that's where the dream ends, once you enter the world of Jardin Tan the clouds grow over and very quickly turn black. Jardin Tan looks like it has three sections. The main restaurant, the cafe out the front and a very stylish ice cream cart. We opted for the cafe, for the reason that we thought it would be quicker, how utterly wrong I was. The line was long, not massive just long. So we join the queue. This gave us an opportunity to look over the menu. Pretty basic but still looked inviting. Rice paper rolls, poached chicken coleslaw, Asian salad, pho just to name a few. We waited and waited and waited and waited. The line was moving at a snail pace and I couldn't understand why. It wasn't until we got to near the front the picture was starting to develop and the story it was telling was one of complete mismanagement and lack of any type of team work. Two staff working, sorry I should clarify that, one staff working and one staff member cleaning the coffee machine, wiping down a small section of the bench, then back to the coffee machine giving it another clean, not once doing any sort of customer service. The other staff member taking orders, getting drinks, getting food and taking payment. If they had both worked as a team, with one taking the orders and the other getting the food (which is pre-packed) and drinks, then maybe the service would have been far quicker and they would have less disgruntled customers. Service indeed, is a big part of any business but so is the product. We ordered the pork rice paper rolls to be told they had ran out so we order the tofu, the poached chicken coleslaw, the beef pho with a baguette and three Moo Brew pilsners (the pale ale also out). The poached chicken coleslaw came in three seperate containers. The salad, the chicken and the dressing, which was a great idea if the ratios are correct. I would say there was a quarter of a small chicken thigh which was over cooked and a very small container of dressing and when you put it all together became a dry bowl of Chinese cabbage and a spring of coriander. The beef pho lacked flavour. The beef looked like it had been processed at Coles and had little to no vegetables in it, it also was missing the baguette, but to be honest didn't want to join the queue and wait another 45mins to get my baguette. On the upside the rice paper rolls did look and taste great. The beers, one word, FLAT The third part to Jardin Tan is the ice cream cart. The ice cream looked great and people seemed to be happy with the taste so we thought let's save this lunch with a really good ice cream. I'd really like to say the ice cream was creamy and full of flavour, but I can't and the reason being, unlike the cafe, had no one working it. Was it closed, had the staff member taken a toilet break, not sure and either was the group of people waiting to buy an ice cream. Who, like us, gave up and walked away. Its a real pity because this place has so much potential.

Great food, fried chicken is very flavourful. Open and spadeful eating area…read more Friendly waiters who were very helpful and always easy to get their attention. Food was quick to come out. Small selection of beers though

Eh. I'm glad this isn't what Vietnamese noodles are usually like…read more.. It is cheap at Tran Tran, but that was all I liked. The food was so bland. When a noodle soup comes out that quickly, there's no way it was made fresh. The vegetables tasted like they were frozen and then just added to some canned broth and heated up. The décor is quite odd. Doesn't really feel like it should be a Vietnamese noodle shop. At first I thought it was nice; very light and airy, clean, interesting artwork. Well, when you're facing the 'lighted' artwork, you begin to wish for sunnies...at night. It's just too bright and too white. And the service. Ouch. It was busy the night I went, on a Friday night. But as the restaurant is clearing out, and the line waiting for tables is gone, I couldn't get anybody's attention for a long time. We got our food quickly, but were never again offered refills of drinks, or anything else. I had to flag down (after multiple tries) someone working across the restaurant who just happened to look my way, to get a refill on my water. Lots of other places to try, so doubt I'll be heading back here.

A friend and I had this spot as our local eating place when we were staying in Richmond…read more You'll find an abundance of Asian / Vietnamese cuisine on the strip but no other goes down better than Tran Tran. I know it may sound weird but the food here tastes really 'fresh'. I find a lot of Asian food to be quite oily but the meals here are cooked really well and taste well... 'healthy'. Anything from stirfrys to curries to tofu, the place is popular amongst the locals and you will be back for me. The funniest thing i have seen, at a few occasions when we have been here, there has been a birthday surprise that's come out and the birthday person in question gets a plate with a banana standing up with two scope of ice-cream beside the banana with a giant sparkler coming out of the top of the banana.... Now i will let you use your imagination to figure out what that resembles. Tran Tran is one of the finest restaurants on the strip with amazing cuisine, great waitstaff, and prompt service.

Fabulous cafe in the outer east of Melbourne…read more The food was amazing, and definitely the major draw card here. A variety of offerings from various cultures all cooked and presented beautifully. The staff were very friendly, accommodating and cheerful. Their dedication to the cafe was obvious. The coffee was good - they buy from a local roaster. Not as spectacular as some coffee places closer to the city, but still drinkable. The cafe had a good atmosphere with expressive art on the walls and different seating options. The prices were extremely reasonable, especially considering the quality of the food that we received. This is definitely a cafe to visit if you're in the area.

Great service and great food. Probably one of the best…read moreplaces in the general area to have brunch at

The Nasi Lemak here is really yummy! But the Samba sauce, is…read moreit named that? Is not that spicy, quite gentle instead. Really love their fried chicken. Btw it's bit hard to find by map, it's in a mall. And the service here is very gentle as well!

Although there was a long line outside the door, we were seated pretty quickly. The ordering method…read morewas very efficient but it took a while for waiters to respond to the push button. One time we pushed it hoping to have someone take a picture of the group for us by no one ever came. We ordered the #R08: biriyani with fried chicken, eggplants and prawns, #R17: the biriyani with beef rendang and prawns, #DS07: Pappa signature quails and 3 drinks...mango mania, watermelon juice & milk chai. Our food arrived quickly and the portions were big. For us the foods were little on the dry side, but tasty. The juices were very fresh (tasted just like the fruits they were said to be) & went well with th. They and was very refreshing.

This place was beautiful and a wonderful experience. From presentation to taste, everything was…read moreamazing. Was able to visit with my mother and aunt and we had a lovely brunch.

The food was incredible and the desserts were amazing. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend. I am visiting my…read morehusband's family from the US, and this restaurant is a must do if visiting Melbourne especially over the holidays. They are decked out in Christmas decorations, and the prices are reasonable. I will definitely encourage my friends and family to eat here if they are in the area

This is a restaurant that has recieved many accolades for its wine list and wonderful fine dining…read moreexperience. My own personal experience here has only extended to dessert and coffee,but that experience alone left me very impressed with both the service and the decadent dessert that literally melted in my mouth. I sat in the outdoor dining area, and even though I was not there for the full dining experience, the wait staff were professional, attentive, and had a thorough knowledge of the menu and wine pairings- including for dessert. Based off that experience alone I will definitely come back for dinner some time soon. The menu looked great!

Amazing veg food and chocolate mousse. Did not expect to find so good vegetarian food. Overall…read moregreat experience

Was highly rated by my Mum so, we went and we were not disappointed. The staff were great as was…read moreour seat/s. We were a table of 5 and can't work out why we couldn't do a 2 per "meal deal" and a 3 person "meal deal". There is no extra benefit for the customer or the restaurant. You just have to put the food on the table and then we eat!!! Despite this, we had a great time. So much so, we forgot to take photos!!! (Apart from desert) We are coming back

Great food Great service…read moreGreat ambiance Had a selection of entree and mains sharing with a work colleague We enjoyed everything that we ordered. Food was served promptly Great experience and will be going back next time in the area.