I've been looking forward to my adventures in Melbourne not only for the urban vibes, diverse…read morehistoric architecture, and surrounding ocean scenery, but the FOOD. I prepared a collection of must-try stops during the month of my visit, and from my research, Daughter in Law made the list. It also happens to be around the corner from my hotel so it ended up being the first restaurant I tried after arriving at the hotel and getting settled. I wanted something comforting and guaranteed to be a delightful food experience and Indian food never disappoints for me and my cravings. Daughter in Law went above and beyond all expectations of the every day delicious Indian restaurant. You'll know it from first glance as you approach the restaurant and see the colorful tables and neon sign. Everything about the ambience took me back to our Mama Speaks hotel in Rome...my absolute favorite for the fantastic indulgent, maximalist, colorful decor. Everything about the space says party with a sophisticated twist. The second time we went here, there was a birthday happening for a grandma with her large family there. This place is a gem. All I can say is hopefully I get to have a birthday here someday. It was a party and we were all smiles. We ordered the Hiramasa Kingfish Ceviche You won't regret this choice It was heaven in a clamshell. I could have eaten several of these as a meal. It was a fresh as fresh gets scallop ceviche with the perfect Indian spin of flavors. I don't know how I didn't get a picture of it except to say most likely because we ate it too fast for pictures. We followed this with the Ball of Happiness (Gol Gappa). A crisp hollowed out orb served with a layered shot of the classic mint, tamarind, and chutney flavor sauces that are meant to be poured into the orb and popped into your mouth for a flavor explosion. It was fun and delicious but I personally would have gone for another scallop en croute in place of this. Though it's worth a go! For drinks, I ordered a Passionfruit Spritz. I was worried it may be too sweet but it turned out to be just right and very refreshing. The little mermaid was a fun touch and my daughter wanted to take her home. The Mango Lassi was perfect, authentic, and not too sweet. There was only 2 of us, so as much as I wanted to try the Rogan Josh, we shared the Chicken Tikka Masala instead. It was delicious phenomenal. So rich and flavorful, with a brightness and tang to it that made it hard to stop eating. Incredible flavor! The garlic naan was of course, woodfired crisp and perfectly soft where it should be when pulled apart. Daughter in Law is going to be a regular spot for the next couple of months and anytime I'm traveling here in Melbourne!

As a Indian food lover I had to absolutely try some in Melbourne while I'm here. Went to Daughter…read morein law last night. Now not your typical Indian restaurant. This was kinda upbeat, trendy hipster a little bit. I did enjoy the music very much while there. Service was good. I would say it was a very solid 4 stars . More closure to 4.5 Just not the insane depth of flavors like I've had in many other places but good non the less. Had the lamb Rojan Josh. And we did the naan Bread and condiments sampler.

I like this place. It's simple but delicious Indian vegetarian food. And for those of you who think…read more"vegetarian" can't mean "filling" -- well, you need to try this place! The potatoes, lentils, chickpeas, rice, naan bread, and unlimited refills make for a very filling meal, and the flavours are very nice. Plus, you can't beat the price. It's $6.50 for all-you-can-eat vegetarian thali. It comes served in an ugly metal platter with raised partitions that makes you feel vaguely like you're in institutionalised home -- or prison. Luckily, all you have to do is look up and around you to realise that you're actually in a pleasant, cozy place -- the atmosphere is nice, cheap and cheerful, with brightly painted walls and a view out onto Elizabeth Street. They also have a variety of sides like samosas that you can order, as well as a few drinks (mango lassi, etc.) It's definitely authentic-tasting Indian food, as well -- as evidenced by the fact that many of the patrons here are Indian themselves. This place also supports the homeless -- anyone who is hungry and needs a meal but can't pay is welcome at Om for a free meal between 3pm and 5pm. For vegans, note that the vegetarian thali is all-vegan, but specify when you order so they make you vegan naan bread. (The naan bread by default is non-vegan, but they don't mind making it vegan for you.) Also, the mango lassi and a few of their desserts contain dairy, so just be aware. There are 4 locations of Om Vegetarian -- one near Southern Cross, one at Capitol Arcade between Collins and Little Collins, one at Wales Arcade between Collins and Flinders Lane, and this one (Elizabeth Street, just north of Flinders Street station). I've been to this one and the Capitol Arcade one and definitely prefer this one in terms of atmosphere. To get to this one, you have to go into the Gurkhas Institute Building and go up the stairs. It may seem a bit confusing at first, like you're going the wrong way, but you'll find it :) It's definitely worth it. (There are lifts as well.)

It's all about the naan. ALL ABOUT THE NAAN…read more Omg. Delicious bready goodness to sop up the amazing curry on your plate without shame as you eat with your hands. I don't know what the dishes are called and one day I plan to learn but it changes every month or so. If you ever find them serving a yellow curry yogurt potato dish PLEASE CALL ME. I have been hanging out for that to come back on the menu since forever. They also rock an excellent lentil dish and their spice/curry ratio is just perfect - enough to hit the taste buds but not to make you cry. Get on that mango lassi too - a sweet treat to balance out all that curry. Also don't be afraid to try the little sweet treats they put on your plate - I hesitated at the ghee nut and carrot mix that was sitting under my naan once but then it put it in my mouth and it was delicious. Apart from all the good food is the good vibes this place is rocking. Instant inner peace, well almost. And at $6.50... I actually couldn't ask for more from a place.

This has to be the best vegetarian fare in Australia. Reminds me so much of a yoga retreat I went…read moreon a few years back. Perfectly balanced curries combine with fresh salsa with important items like chick peas and quinoa. Top it with tahini dressing and down with mango lassi (the best I have ever had). A perfect meal! And then there is cake.....

Clean and simple is how I would describe Gopals…read more Take the stairs up to a clean establishment with lots of seating and bar type seating near the Windows. Food price ranges from 5-13 dollars. I got the vegan platter which includes two salads, two curries, roti or rice, dessert and a drink. I got the beetroot and chickpea salads with Tahini dressing. The kofta and a tofu green curry. Also got a mango lassi and the semolina pudding with vegan custard. The food was quit tasteless and average but fresh. The mango lassi was watery. The best thing was the semolina pudding with vegan custard made out of almond milk. Value for money and you'll definitely feel full and revitalised after due to the freshness of the food.

Supercharger's OK…read more I love that it's vegan and healthy, and it's definitely fresh and nutritious and packs in a LOT of food that's excellent for your body. It's especially awesome that you can get something vegan and healthy in a food court setting! I'm a vegan and it's super-awesomely-great that I don't have to settle for french fries and/or a boring falafel wrap when I meet friends here for lunch. But something about the flavour profiles here don't sit quite right with me. I don't know what it is. For a long time, I would come here and order the "make your own" types of bowls, where you pick and choose what you want, and no matter what combination I chose, I always chose something that tasted a bit weird when put together. Not BAD, mind you, just weird. I always dismissed it by telling myself: "Self, you are no gourmand. Your idea of 'gourmand' is actually eating out instead of blitzing the crap out of something in the microwave at home. So it's not Supercharger -- it's you. You just chose the wrong combinations and they just taste funny TOGETHER." However, lately I've been getting the "pre-set" Supercharger meals rather than designing my own, and they STILL taste a bit funny. I don't know what it is. I'm not crazy about all the tahini sauce -- tahini is a little too bitter for my liking. The curry seemed to have a strange combination of spices -- it was mild, but the spices just didn't taste right all mixed together. I ended up throwing half of it out -- and I hate hate hate wasting food! The cauliflower seemed sad and limp and flavourless. The rice and quinoa bowl, however, was delicious, with very fresh-tasting carrots, corn, etc. Maybe I'm still just not ordering the right things? I don't know but I've eaten here easily 6-8 times and really only enjoyed about half of what I ate, tolerated another 40% of what I ate, and flat-out hated 10% of what I ate. As far as price goes, it's moderately expensive but come on, you're at the Emporium food court where people are dropping serious money on handbags and clothes and shoes so I don't blame Supercharger for superovercharging. On the plus side, you do get a lot of food. I'm quite full every time I eat here. The concept of a fresh, nutritious, plant-based eatery in a food court is AWESOME, so two thumbs up for Supercharger. But the flavours just aren't really my speed and it would be great if they put some effort into improving them -- then they'd get 5 stars from me!

I'm a girl who loves options and Supercharger's got so many of them to choose from. To create your…read morevegan dream bowl you select a base (I opted for mashed potato and brown rice because, hello, carbs!) and add toppings (green pea smash, broccoli, mushrooms, coconut sauce, daikon and garlic). Soup's also an option (it comes in a separate bowl). I won't complain about the prices because I happen to think Australia's just generally quite pricey so $20 for a bowl of plant-based goodness isn't that crazy. However, the ordering process can surely be improved. Invest in some iPads, do something - anything! - but persist with the current system of paper sheets with so many options laid out in a non-intuitive manner (that require someone to erase them after use). Supercharger, please consider setting up shop in San Francisco! Your vegan, plant-filled bowls are just what the city needs!

The Vegan Collective is a new food stall that's part of the Queen Victoria Winter Night Markets…read moreevery Wednesday night. It's great to have a 100% vegan option at the Queen Vic night markets, which for years have been very heavy on the meat. Not to mention, the food here is YUM. Right now they have 5 things on the menu, all vegan: - Middle Eastern Open Wrap - Japanese Udon Noodles - Yellow Lentil and Coconut Curry - Laksa Noodle Soup - Sesame Crusted Tofu I've had the Middle Eastern Open Wrap and the Laksa Noodle Soup. My friend had the Yellow Lentil and Coconut Curry. All very tasty. The Middle Eastern Open Wrap was my favourite -- it's probably one of the best falafel wraps I've had in a long time, and it seemed like a real step up from the junky kind you get at kebab shops. This one actually tasted somewhat "gourmet," if you know what I mean. Real thought was put into the flavours and the sauce, which was delicious. The laksa was OK -- a bit messy to eat if you can't find a seat and you have to stand around awkwardly holding the bowl in one hand and trying to navigate with your chopsticks/spoon in the other. (I'm bad with chopsticks anyway and nearly stabbed myself in the eye at one point.) This food stall is located next to the Sri Lankan food stall, away from the main row of food stalls, so you kinda have to hunt for it. It's further south than the main row of food stalls, if that makes sense -- kind of in the middle of the building, with more of the non-food stuff. On the plus side, that means the queue is much shorter than at other food stalls! Prices are right in line with every other food stall at the Queen Vic Night Market -- i.e., a couple of dollars overpriced, but you're paying for the atmosphere of the place. Really great food stall. I'll be back.

Their service and staff are perfect and very hospitable and friendly. Their menu has only few item…read morebut they are all vegetarian and all are very tasty and yummy.

At The White Lotus you'll find a casual and friendly atmosphere. Food-wise the place offers great…read moremeals with a standard price range accordingly to the dish. Overall a great quality restaurant.

I'm giving this place 5 stars because I love it! This is like coming home for dinner - friendly,…read morecosy and warm. The decor is a bit dated but the food is always consistent and absolutely delicious! Try the wonton soup, sweet and sour pork and the fried rice is awesome! Best to book ahead because they're only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Enjoy!

I came here with some friends on night. One of them has been here before and she really liked it,…read moreso I was excited to try out this mock meat restaurant. For 8 people, we ordered 6 banquets and one additional main dish and wow, there was a lot of food! Some of the "meat" dishes was more convincing than others. (I really liked the duck. The beef was a good attempt.) But more importantly, the sauces and spices were balanced very well with the mock meat, so each dish was great. None of them made you feel "here is a failed attempt at mock meat that tastes terrible" because even the not-as-convincing dishes tasted great. The menu can be quite entertaining, because most of the plate names don't have the word "mock" in them. So as I read something like "sizzling beef," I thought "I'm vegetarian, so I can't order this," and then I realized "oh, this is actually sizzling mock beef!" I wonder if it would be possible to bring a friend into the restaurant and trick him/her into thinking it was all real meat!

Every so often you come across a restaurant that will keep on dragging you back, it's cheap, it's…read moreeasy, the food is fantastic... Enlightened Cuisine is one of those restaurants. Sort of. Though maybe not for the right reasons. As a vegetarian living in Southbank I have eaten here a number of times and have always found the food to be rather hit and miss. Sometimes everything will be fantastic and other times you will leave the restaurant with the sneaking suspicion that you've just wasted your money. While not overly expensive, Enlightened still isn't exactly cheap for the quality of the food that you're getting - you're going to struggle to find a main on the menu for under $20 and some meals really feel like they should be priced in the 12-15 dollar range. Don't get me wrong - I have eaten here may times and enjoyed myself - the beef with black bean sauce is excellent and the chicken with satay is definitely a worth a try, but the good meals can be let down by others which don't quite match up. The vegetable and oyster sauce for instance comes accross as rather bland and oily and there are a number of dishes where the msg tickles at the back of your throat just a little too much. My advice is to turn up with a few people and order a number of different dishes and share them so that you can find out what you do like and what you don't - the menu is rather expansive so it may take you a number of visits to find something that you really like - once you do however you will probably end up coming back. After all there aren't that many mock meat places in the area to choose from, decent or other wise.

It's hard to really rate places like this. That being said, you won't likely find a better deal…read morethan this super-cheap all-you-can-eat vegetarian place. They'll give you a couple of very basic curries, rice, and fresh bread delivered to your table (buttered, though they will give you a vegan one if you prefer). If you pay a bit more, you get a drink (which they managed not to give me through some confusion) and a samosa (which was delicious). I went back for seconds and thirds (on small portions) and was a rather satisfied weary traveler. It has a religious bent, but not a pushy one, and was certainly a good enough experience to justify the price. If you want a nice restaurant, pay real money and eat elsewhere. There are several locations of this place in downtown Melbourne. Notably, they also offer to feed the hungry for free during the slow hours of the day from 3-5. Not that I expect that the homeless citizens of Melbourne are likely to be perusing Yelp for this information, but it's a nice thing to know that this place is doing it.

If you are looking for a simple and affordable vegetarian meal in the CBD, OM is the place to go…read more It is located in a building on Swanston/Collins Street. However, you won't miss it as there's a guy standing outside the building on Swanston Street's side with a sign board saying "All you can eat $6.50". The $6.50 meal is a standard 2 veg curries/dhal with butter naan and rice. They also have other meal options and smaller dishes/desserts. Compliment your meal with a cup of mango lassi! This keeps me going till end of the day. Oh, I must add - lovely staff too!

Great ambiance, vibe, and decor. A visual and audible treat. I especially liked the 80's music…read moreplaying throughout the dining room. Service is quick, friendly, and attentive. Good menu with a lot of interesting options. Tried three different appetizers and the winner was the sashimi. Wonderful flavors with king fish. The butter chicken with curry was excellent. Just wish it came with some naan to soak up that wonderful sauce. Cocktails are creative and great. Just a bit measured and small, but I get it. Would dine here again and again.

The ambience was very social. Seemed like everyone wanted to be here as there was a wait list and…read morevery limited seats for walk ins. Make reservations! They also have a downstairs bar too with seating that was also booked and packed. Nice variety of dishes, chef curated plates that were visually pleasing to the eye. The drinks while good and unique were carefully measured and extremely small for the price points. 3 cocktails and I didn't feel buzzed. I feel like Australia is very big on preventing intoxication. One of the few places that had knowledgeable staff and to my surprise actually nice and welcoming. I tried the BBQ Salmon wrapped in a banana leaf, braised beef curry, and a couple of drinks. Rather your traveling or a local who hasn't tried this place, it definitely should be on your radar. I was traveling from California and ChinChin was by far the most memorable dining experience I had.

Fun, lively dining room and bar that is popular and busy. Reservations are challenging so plan…read moreahead. Our group had to sit at a high top table but it was a great spot. Middle of the restaurant and within view of the open kitchen. Good selection of cocktails and wine. Limited beers on tap but plenty bottled. We chose the "Lucy" selects menu where we all got a portion of seven different apps and entrees. All were delicious and excellent. Every plate was cleaned by the six hungry guys. Would eat here again.

Enjoyed a nice meal at the bar. Sampled 4-5 small dishes that the bartender recommended. I really…read moreenjoyed my cocktail but the food was a little on the salty side for my taste. Overall, a decent Asian fusion restaurant and very trendy atmosphere.