Delicious pan-Asian small and large plated for sharing at Bang Bang. Run by the same guys as Main…read moreStreet, Parker's and Corner Store, the same quality and service but a very different menu. Taiwanese, Japanese and Korean influenced dishes, including gua bao steamed buns. Lovely atmosphere with the whole roof skylight. Also outdoor seating on the footpath. Best pork belly! Ate the food too quickly to photo!!

Poke bowl was amazing!!! As were the gyoza! Will definitely come back when I'm in town! Can't…read morewait!

Melbourne is dense with excellent restaurants, and this was no exception. We chose this place…read morebased on the reviews on a different website. This is a Filipino fusion restaurant, which is a fairly uncommon entity, and we were intrigued by the menu. The restaurant is located at the southern end of Hardware Lane, across the street from the string of restaurants line the narrow alley. It's fun to walk down Hardware Lane, as long as you don't mind being waylaid by the hosts and hostesses of each restaurant trying to convince you to come in. It kind of reminds me of Belden Place in San Francisco. We didn't make a reservation, and we were concerned that we would be turned away because the place was packed to the gills. Lucky for us, there was some open space at a shared table that we were just able to squeeze into. We weren't especially hungry during this visit, so we got a small sampling of dishes, all of which were well-made and delicious. Kingfish sashimi with passionfruit and caviar - really interesting flavors here. The sashimi itself was tasty, and I thought it looked at tasted a bit like the hamachi (yellowtail) that I love. In fact, I looked it up later and found out that this is the same fish. BBQ duck with mandarin jam and thin pancakes - pretty messy to eat, and the mandarin jam made it sweeter than expected, but again this was an interesting twist on an otherwise familiar food. Lamb rump with enoki mushrooms, kampot pepper, and a burnt eggplant mash - I guess you can't be in a restaurant in Australia without finding lamb on the menu (sheep do outnumber humans here by a 3:1 ratio). I loved the lamb and the enoki, but really disliked the flavor and texture of the eggplant concoction. Other at the table also found it unappealing and kind of out of place. Short ribs lettuce wraps - boneless pieces of meat, just slightly spicy, with large leaves of lettuce. Very delicious. On the side we got an order of coconut jasmine rice and something called "kangkung", which he hadn't heard of before. It seemed like something we call hollow-heart vegetable, but apparently it's also known as water spinach. This was also pretty good. Service was prompt, and the food came out at a reasonably leisurely pace, such that we neither felt rushed nor did we wait very long between courses. The total cost for our meal (not including drinks) was just over AUD106, which seemed quite reasonable to us.

The wait time was definitely overstated which would be discouraging The food was excellent we had…read morechicken wings that were crunchy and still juicy and the sauce was good with the chicken we ordered the rice salad but I'm not sure where the rice paper was still it was a good size portion The pork belly was very tender and the sauce reminded me of chau sui the bean sprout salad was refreshing Portions are a healthy size good for sharing Outside of the seating issue the wait staff was excellent and nice enough to tell us no tip needed as they make a decent wage One negative is I could hear too many other peoples conversations

Delightful. That is the one word to describe the experience of eating and drinking at Uni Boom…read moreBoom. I have been reading about this place for quite a while, but it is not conveniently located and the hours it is open are not particularly convenient either (I lived in L.A. for a long time, everything is alway open and its tough getting used to 3 - 5 p.m. closures), but I will go out of my way for quality food, and quality is what I kept hearing about Uni Boom Boom, and I'm so glad I made the effort. Yes, it is completely as described, in an industrial area next to a roll up garage, and yes, they have done a great job of the interior of this cafe - it does have a cafe vibe, but is done well, certainly not over the top on decor. Food and presentation is another thing. I love it when restaurants with unusual dishes offer a tasting plate, and that is what I ordered - it offered a Lychee Edible Nest Drink, which is one of the things I really wanted to try, and it was delicious and cold and served in the most gorgeous little pineapple shaped cup. They also included their foie Gras dish, also superb. Australian Uni, also very good. Braised Abalone which was tasty but more whole than braised and a small salmon sushi bite, which could have had more salmon, and way too much rice, but fabulous taste and texture ! I actually took some salmon sashimi home - the absolute best I have had in Melbourne, and thoughtfully packed with ice. I also tried their uni and salmon cones, which were very good. I also had the Peach Gum tea which was delicious, and what I loved about it was that they asked what level of sugar you wanted added. You could also have it hot or cold and choose how cold. I love drinks extra cold, and this did not disappoint. It was also served in a larger version of the pineapple cup. There is a choice of 3 deserts, all containing the Bird's Nest prosperities. The ice cream was tempting, but I went for the macaroons which also came with the birds nest tea in a clear container, shaped like a bird ! and a spoon that was heart shaped ! just delightful ! Definitely coming back and committing to a full portion of so many other wonderful things offered, especially the sashimi which looked fresh, thick and oh so tasty on a couple of the other tables. Definitely worth the drive and fitting in with their operating hours !

From the owner: The Roe Australia (formerly Uni Boom Boom)is in a converted warehouse in a quiet pocket of Glen…read moreWaverley among industrial warehouse. Inside you'll find sea urchin and edible bird's nest, two of the top 10 most expensive ingredients in the world. The exterior of The Roe can be deceptive. Customers have said they thought it's a normal warehouse walking past everyday until they heard music or chatter, walked in and realised it's a private restaurant that specialize in Sea Urchin and edible bird's nest. We wants to find the balance between keeping the metal, quirky character of the warehouse and making it comfortable. The light-filled space has been fitted with informative posters of edible bird's nest and sea urchin, acting as a experience cafe for crafting experimental sea urchin dishes. The Roe specialized in sea urchin and edible bird's nest, sourcing the ingredients from its mother companies, Pacific Sea Urchin and Sen Lin Tang (AUS) Pty Ltd. We loosely revolves around Japanese and Chinese cuisines. The menu is inspired to allow customers to enjoy Australian Sea Urchin and edible bird's nest at a relatively affordable price.

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.

Amazing place that is as cool and trendy as the name suggests. What isn't trendy is the food which…read moreis so delicious that you keep coming back to a staple of awesome entrees and tapas. The staff are eclectic but attentive without intruding. A great bar and interesting cocktails compliment the Japanese and Asian fusion menu. Try the beef cheeks with roti along with some fried squid and salmon tartare. The dessert menu is so interesting I won't spoil the fun. Cheltenham is fast becoming another interesting place to have eclectic food as good as anything in Fitzroy. Reasonably priced and easy to get to it's a newish place that will continue to grow popularity.

Went here on recommendation of a friend of a friend. New restaurant in Cheltenham. Trendy, modern…read morelayout and wait staff tried hard. Unfortunately the food was very disappointing - bland, unseasoned and uninspiring. The highlight of the meal was the salted endamame! Need i say more?

Bain marie style food. Lots of choices, it's like a food court all in one…read more There isn't much to say. You know exactly what the food'll taste like when you order. You know it'll be somewhat warm, and that some part of it has probably been deep fried. You know that there's a good chance the food arrived ready made and was reheated to sell. Typical food court stuff. So you won't be surprised to hear that Meeting Point has a reputation for food poisoning. I myself haven't been, but that's because I returned the sushi I bought with the rotten cucumber stick in it, and being gluten free my choices are severely limited. Iron stomachs go for it. Worth a mention: at the very end of Meeting Point is the coffee stand, and the coffee isn't too bad. It's also fairtrade, so big thumbs up there.

The food here is amazing. Have been here a couple of times and have loved every bite. We stopped…read morefor lunch and had the 5 selection deal for $32 per person. You get to choose 5 plates from the menu and they come out tapas style so a share plate. There are so many great choices on the menu to choose from. But sharing the 5 plates is enough for you to feel satisfied with out being overly full. Every plate was a delight and the accompanying salads were light and refreshing. I especially lives the tempura eggplant dish with the green mango salad with chilli it was delicious. The crying Tiger was also amazing with the wagyu and the spicy citrus dipping sauce. It's to die for as is the sticky pork belly The staff were great they were attentive and happy to explain any part of the menu we were unsure about. Also very friendly and made sure we were happy with everything. I will be back here for sure pity it's so far away for us but it's a good place to look forward to coming back for a great feed.

Never did pay attention to this restaurant when it first opened... until recently... it's been…read morechoca blocks most nights for the past few months especially the weekend. Had no idea and no expectations... on arrival I had a quick scan of the packed room. the restaurant is not that big. But the atmosphere was great! all the tables were filled with families feasting and having a good feed! One thing I noted was that they all had crab noodles on their table.. it was part of an 8 course banquet. see pics.. food here overall is great! the oysters.. I prefer the ones from Gold Leaf. besides that everything else we tried was pretty darn good. Nothing too creative or funky or BS... like "fusion". It's good ol Chinese banquet fanfare. The usual dishes you'd expect on any Chinese menu but done well! There's an a la carte menu that I'll prob try next time. A good alternative to consider if want to eat away from the Springvale centre. Oh the outside partitioned area is great on a sultry night but def not when a storm suddenly decides to come through with huge wind gusts!!

From the owner: Khe Sanh is a great venue for family & work functions. Smokers also find the large landscaped wine…read moreand beer garden particularl

Newish springvale eatery that specialises in local dishes from Hue Vietnam. I've had a lot of viet…read morefood and thought I knew it all. I guess not!!! It took me time to go over the menu as I had never heard of some of the things / variations offered. I guess it is the regions take on some of the popular Viet dishes... There is a section on the menu for Kitchen's Specialisation... As I was going through this, the owner who looked like a reformed viet gangster came across and started talking to us. Nice guy.. :) Went for #137 (Bánh t), #5 (Banh Loc) .. and the broken rice on a hot plate. cus the dude suggested it. I told him that there is no where in Springvale that serves good Com Tam anymore.. and asked whats so special about his broken rice... he said try it... you wont regret. serving it on a sizzling plate tastes better he says... I couldnt agree more. The sizzling plate also makes the broken rice a bit harder at the bottom, almost like a claypot. Which was an interesting twist. The Pork.. I haven't had this good in a while. Not the best I have had as it still lacked the flame grilled flavour. But great all the same. Banh Loc - I've not tried this before... very similar to most of the "banh" style dishes but wrapped in banana leaf and not heavy. Banh Uot - is very similar to the normal banh cuon (translucent rice noodle rolls) that I am used to however this variety... the "uot" (opaque rice noodle rolls) which means wet banh uses a thicker noodle sheet as wrapper and the filler used was small amounts of pork. I think marinated grilled pork.. the 'cuon' uses those ear mushroom / fungus thingies. and the pork is finer. Arrrggg .. Anyway... bottom line... its frekn YUM! just go try it! :) and no I dont have shares there and the reformed gangster owner has not threatened my family or anything!! PS: the observation of the dude is in jest only! please dont track me down. :)

Went here for dinner with a friend on Sunday night and the food was just amazing. I lived in…read moreVietnam for 6 years and it was just like being back there only the temperature was a lot cooler. We will definitely be going back again. I have found my new Vietnamese restaurant.