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.

Well, one Friday evening I decided that I would go and check out a couple of Restaurants that I…read morehave regularly travlled past on the tram - Red Pepper and Green Pepper. Well, it seems as if Green Pepper is no more leaving us with only Red Pepper (which is a bit of a shame since I liked the fact that there was a Red Pepper and a Green Pepper next to each other, but I digress). Anyway, since Green Pepper is no more I had to satisfy myself with Red Pepper, which isn't a bad thing mind you, it's just that I no longer had that choice (and for all I know I could have spent two hours standing out the front trying to work out which one to go inside). Okay, this isn't your standard Indian restaurant, in that it is actually more Indian that what you tend to get when you walk into your typical curry joint. Sure they do curry, but the food was much more traditionally Indian. What caught my attention (as it always does) was the goat curry, but I was also interested in the onion salad. Turns out the onion salad is basically a single onion that has been converted into one long strip. Still, it's onion and I quite like onion. Not a bad place I have to say, not cheap, but still it was nice.

There is not a lot I need to say about Red Pepper: It is…read morecasual, tasty, and affordable Indian food on the East End of Bourke St. It's not terribly atmospheric, but the laid-back order-at-the-counter vibe suited me just fine. And can recommend the vegetarian Thali. I'm a big fan trying various smaller sized dishes and this one comes with paneer, seasonal vegetables, daal, plus rice, raita, and a plain naan (we upgraded to garlic nan for an extra dollar.) For $14, it's a great price for a filling meal in the CBD.

Great food, fair prices, Very friendly staff! We had a Thali with three curries and chicken tikka…read more All was fantastic, especially the garlic naan!

Blown away by this place. Killer Indian street food. Never had anything like it in the US. Flavor…read moreturned up to 11.

My Australian coworkers made a reservation here when I came to Melbourne and boy was I pleasantly…read moresurprised! I was smitten the moment I walked in, beautiful, upscale, contemporary vibe and for a Monday evening, it was pretty crowded! Staff was excellent, very attentive the entire evening. I started off with a blueberry punch which came with delicious pieces of sugary blueberries on top. Delightful. We told the waiter to bring us his top dishes and he did not disappoint. The burrata cheese with fresh coriander relish was one of my favorites, I have never had a burrata like this before, fresh, summery and delicious. The soft shell crab was another favorite of mine, nice and crispy and full of flavor. They brought out a bunch of mains including Petuna Ocean Trout, which just melted in my mouth, a chicken dish and some fried cauliflower. Easily the best Indian restaurant I have ever been to. The Som on staff was also great in pointing out some delicious red wines for me. Desert is the best part. Believe me when I tell you, you cannot say no, we ordered three deserts and I could have easily eaten 10 more and I'm not a huge desert person. If you only get one thing here, get desert. Excellent meal!

I'm a back-alley kinda guy…read more That's where I like to eat, drink and party, yo. So when it's hella warm and you're hella hungry and someone goes "Yo, wanna bang out a quick thali?" and then they tell you it's at Tonka then yeah, I'm in. It can be a wait to get seated in the main restaurant part on a busy workday, but here's a pro tip coming atcha: sit in the front section or at the bar and order a meat or vegetable thali - a few minutes later a giant, gleaming silver tray will be ferried out to you groaning beneath a burden of butter chicken, salad spiked with chili and vinegar, incredible yellow dahl, pomegranate yoghurt, and some of the softest naan you ever tried, home gurl. Pair that with a spiced mango lassi jacked full of crushed ice and you could be in the backstreets of Bombay via Melbourne.

Absolutely amazing food. The service was great as well as the flavor of the food. Everything tasted…read moregood and I would definitely go back.

We stopped for a quick lunch and this place was very close to Flinders Stn & Fed Sq. In Melbourne…read more We ordered Paneer Tikka and it was amazing. Sarso da Saag w Makai di Roti and Chhole Puri were very tasty as well. Thumbs up to this place and our hostess Raman.

One of my regrets is that I didn't come back here more often because as an Indian restaurant, this…read moreplace was fantastic. Okay, it is probably not traditionally Indian, but honestly, their curries were fantastic, even if I tend to only go for the beef ones. More so, this place actually had more seats that appear, namely because there is also an upstairs area. Oh, and they also have Nepalese food on the menu as well.

I visited chilli India long with 3 other friends and ordered chicken and mutton biryani for 3 of us…read moreand it was average . Another friend who is a vegan couldn't much vegan options for her and finally she settled with ordering a dosa - dosa was huge and not enough chutney to eat, she had to ask them couple of times ! Lastly we also ordered gobhi 65 which was fully of chilly powder although we requested them to bring in mild spicy. We had to return that as we unable to eat, and replaced with onion bajji which was soaking in oil and chilly powder ! It was very very disappointing and not a worth of the money. The only thing I appreciate is , they able to accomodate us without any booking but the experience was bad.

Went here for chai and Gulab Jamun…read more Chai for three despite restaurant being near empty took 20 minutes Waitress told us Gulab Jamun was available then took our orders and came back and told us it wasn't. Menu said ask for other dessert specials but we were told that there were no other desserts. So disappointing

The fish curry on rice (lunch menu) is delicious. The curry is unique in that it is watery unlike…read morethe thicker Indian varieties. It is fragrant and tasty, rather than spicy hot. However the quantity of the standard size is not quite enough for a hungry adult like me. I once requested to up-size to extra-large (added $3 I think), but in hindsight it wasn't worth it because I didn't really need a mountain of rice. Staff is friendly, though its self-service everything. Seating is limited and a bit cramped, so don't come in a big group. I give this place 4 stars, because at the end of the day, I leave satisfied.

This was surprisingly good for food court food. The food was really tasty and the portions were…read morequite large. The surrounding seating areas are also nicer and cleaner than some of the other food courts in the area.

My girlfriend and I were wanting something cheap but nice for lunch. Stopped past this place and…read morethe food smelt amazing! We opted for a double dish which was two servings. We had butter chicken. We also got rice and papadaam with it for a total price of $11. We were impressed! The place looked very clean as well. Well worth the price!

The curries were ok, could have had more spices…read more The crisp edges of the dosa were nice, but otherwise I prefer a more sourdough flavour. Service was friendly and prompt, and decor was clean and practical.

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.