Swan Palace Restaurant Review

96 Swan Street
Richmond Vic 3121
Ph: (03) 9427 8491

Food
Vietnamese cuisine. An interesting selection on the menu. We had plenty of time to look right over it as we waited and waited to be served. We could choose from such interesting dishes as Combianation Seafood and Vegetables, X.O. Sauce Specia, Pork with Black Beab, Sate and Oyter Sauce, a few different dishes with 'prwan', work fried noodles, coleslow and many more.. The soup was pretty ordinary, our water tasted frighteningly like detergent and appeared to be rather blue. The garlic prawns or 'prwans' were about the only redeeming feature in the mains. The calamari was ok but a little strange tasting. I felt a bit sick afterward but not sure if that was due to the food or the taste of detergent I couldn't seem to get out of my mouth.
Service
The one waiter flew around the place like a bumbling bee, with smoking hot dishes flying at people and the man barrelling backwards through doorways straight into customers exiting the toilets, flying so fast in every direction that I felt I needed to duck at times. And yet despite all this frantic flying about, the service was as slow as I have ever come across, and when we were finally served he ran away before we could barely get words out of our mouth to order. When he cleared dirty dishes off customers' tables he just piled them onto other tables and left them there. To be honest I nearly got up and left the restaurant before the mains finally came out.
Value
Reasonable prices. No banquets available.
Decor and Atmosphere
Pretty plain, not a lot of style. A cute row of christmas santas hanging along the wall.. in late March.

Chine on Paramount Restaurant Review

Shop 9 & 10, Paramount Centre
101 Little Bourke Street
MELBOURNE 3000
Ph: 03 9663 6556

Food
Chinese Cuisine. The standard type of chinese fare found in most chinese restaurants in Melbourne. The banquet was quite small compared to most, not entirely fulfilling. The presentation was very meticulous. Live fish and lobsters swimming in tanks to choose from if that's your cup of tea.
Service
A La Carte service, very professional with great attention to detail.
Value
Not great. Most dishes were quite expensive for chinese. The wine prices were out of this world. The banquet wasn't great value.
Decor and Atmosphere
Beige invasion with brown wood panels. Quite simple and plain. Easy listening elevator style background music. Probably more suited to the older folk.

Lao Tuojia Restarant Review

19 Glenferrie Road,
Malvern 3144
Phone: 03 9500 1919

Food
Cuisine originating from north western China, as are the owners of this recently opened restaurant. This style of chinese cuisine (actually Xinjiang or Uyghur) is really quite different to your average chinese restaurant in Melbourne. Featuring hand made noodles and specialising in lamb dishes. A most interesting and delightfully unusual won ton soup. The dishes have more of a home made feel.
Service
Very friendly, helpful and happy for a chat as we were the first ones to arrive for the evening (though it certainly got busy later!). There were no banquets on the menu but when we asked she created one for us at a great price!
Value
Awesome value if you ask for a banquet. Only $16 per head for 4 courses and very large portions.
Decor and Atmosphere
Comfortable atmosphere. A little eclectic with knick nacks. Not overly classy.

Mahjong Restaurant Review

165 Fitzroy Street,
St Kilda Vic 3182
Phone: 03 9534 8833

Food
Asian Cuisine. There are two sections to this restaurant. The front section serves Yum Cha, which are small portions, small dishes; and out the back is a more traditional restaurant which serves standard size 3 course meals. We dined in the Yum Cha section as the back restaurant was very pricey. The small dishes were very delicate and well presented. Tasty flavours. You would want to be sure to order several courses to fill up though!
Service
Waiters, waiters everywhere! You certainly won't lack for service, they have kind of overdone it. They are very well presented though, professional and classy.
Value
The prices aren't too bad in the Yum Cha section, you can order a few courses and still come in under budget. If you wish to dine at the full restaurant out the back though be prepared to pay for it.
Decor and Atmosphere
This place screams expensive interior designer! While the building it is in from the outside is a 1960s nightmare, the interiors have been immaculately designed and detailed to a T. A little clinical feeling for my taste, but they have really made an expensive effort here and it is very classy looking with no aspect untouched. If you like Boj at Docklands, I would say you get a similar atmosphere here. The front section is light and open, and the back restaurant area has dimmed the lights and changed the music and atmosphere entirely for a more private feel.

Koh Samui Thai Restaurant Review

130 Erskine Street,
Middle Park Vic
Phone: 03 9696 3080

Food
Thai food. No banquets or set menus unfortunately. There were some nice flavours in the tradtional thai dishes. I didn't try as many of the dishes as I often would because the price was a bit more expensive.
Service
Average service. Never hugely busy, but not overly attentive.
Value
As expected in the Middle Park village, Albert Park area, restaurants tend to be pricier as the areas are somewhat upmarket. Would be ok if the food and service was sensational, but nothing special there.
Decor and Atmosphere
Nice quiet atmosphere. There are 3 sections of this restaurant with two entrances, meaning the restaurant is much bigger than it first appears. In fact I have been there twice each time thinking the different entrance was a different restaurant ! The front section is small and quiet in a beautiful plane tree lined heritage street. Going down a narrow corridor leads you to a larger back section, which is more spacious. There is a television which plays some video and soft music. An outside courtyard leads upstairs open air function space - the courtyard carries the heritage "blue stone" brick theme. Interesting look for the area.

Warwick Thai Restaurant Review

400 Sydney Rd,
Brunswick Vic 3056
Phone: 03 9381 2111

Food
Thai food, not a very large selection on the menu. No extras. Not the fanciest or best ever thai dishes, but they do provide really large portions, so you get plenty of food with your main meal.
Service
Good service. They have a very large room to wait on, so they miss you occasionally, but they're pretty good considering.
Value
Good value, as you get plenty of food for your dollar. Banquets only available for large groups.
Decor and Atmosphere
Really quite an interesting interior (see photo above). Huge space! Looks like an old style hall or church inside. A separated section for takeaway at the front, and a gorgeous looking dining room up front that must be for special occasions. A bit stuffy, could do with some better air circulation. I wouldn't want to be there on a hot night. Some music wouldn't go astray.

Minh Minh Restaurant Review

94 Victoria Street
Richmond 3121
Phone: 03 9427 7891

Food
Vietnamese, Lao and Thao dishes are all available on the menu. All quite tasty and of a good quality. I particularly enjoyed the Phat Bai Ka Phrao which had a hot and spicy flavour.
Service
Frenzied, frantic and forgetful. The place was packed, and the waiters were trying, but struggling.
Value
Reasonable value, no banquets or set menus available other than for large groups.
Decor and Atmosphere
Noisy! A lot of people talking over the top of one another and if there was music I couldn't hear it over the ruckus. Also being so full it was a bit cramped. The decoration was quite nice with a decent paint job.

Sugarcane Restaurant Review

268 Park Street
South Melbourne 3205
Phone (03) 9699 3637

Food
Thai food. No banquets available, but a lovely selection of dishes. The mixed entrees were delicious and the main meals were well portioned. We dined with an extra couple this night and all were very impressed with their meals, most complimentary.
Service
Good service, not too intrusive but there when you need them.
Value
Main meals were around the $20 mark, so with no banquet available this could cost a little extra, but not too expensive overall.
Decor and Atmosphere
A cosy atmosphere, modern music rather than reflective of the cuisine. Some lovely decoration and lighting. Well presented.

Sakura Restaurant Review

329-331 Clarendon Street
South Melbourne 3205
Phone/Fax (03) 9699 4150

Food
Japanese Teppanyaki. Prepared in front of you with flair. The show is just as important as the food in this style of restaurant. The chef did put on a good show with his food, but I think that while the food was decent, I've had better teppanyaki.
Service
Fair service. We were left waiting throughout the whole meal dying of thirst with the salty dishes, and no waitress in sight to ask for drinks.
Value
You will pay a bit more for Teppanyaki which is to be expected. Banquets started from $42 per person.
Decor and Atmosphere
Very well presented, traditional japanese decorations. The atmosphere was very good and the chef put on a good show with egg flying into our mouths and deft catching of the rice into our bowls. It made for some good entertainment.

Phuket Thai Restaurant Review

229 Glenferrie Rd
Malvern VIC 3144
Phone (03) 9500 0100

Food
A large menu selection of curries, soups, salads, fish, flaming jet wok specials and vegetarian. I tried a mixed entree and it was a selection of deep fry. The main courses were not bad, traditional thai dishes.
Service
Good service. The waitresses all in very smart, thai dress.
Value
Very reasonable.
Decor and Atmosphere
Nicely laid out, some thai decorations but not over the top. Fairly simple with some colour. A busy but fairly relaxed atmosphere.

Ipoh Jaya Restaurant Review

90 Queensberry Street
Carlton VIC 3053
Phone (03) 9349 2988

Food
Malaysian hawker style, with a few other cuisines mixed in to the menu. Some nice hot curries available. Also a full bar service for parties etc.
Service
Fairly attentive service.
Value
Banquets at a slightly higher price than some, but not too bad. Average meal price around $15 a head for a single dish.
Decor
Kind of quirky and ecclectic. The restaurant is on the first floor, upstairs in an old style building.

Bambu Malaya Restaurant Review

442 Glenhunty Road
Elsternwick VIC 3185
Phone (03) 9528 3842

Food
Superb. Very filling and well flavoured malaysian cuisine. Fantastic coconut juice.
Service
Generally good service, I've been back a couple of times and there was one occasion where it was a little slow, but mainly they are very good.
Value
Good value. Not too expensive.
Decor
Cute, not way classy but well presented. A small restaurant with a few cute decorations and some fish and interesting instruments on display.