The Cedar Tree Restaurant Review

198 Bay Street
Brighton Vic 3186
Phone: (03) 9818 0647

Food
Authentic Lebanese cuisine. To open we had a selection of hommos, baba ghanouj and labnee dips, served with lebanese bread, onto a selection of entrees including traditional middle eastern balls of spicy dried beans, vegetables, and middle eastern herbs, served with a drizzle of tahina sauce and fetta cheese mixed with mint, onion and spices in filo pastry. Mains consisted mostly of meat dishes such as the opening dish with the banquet which was chicken fillet pieces sautéed in a mixture of fresh coriander, garlic, ginger and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice. Served with cinnamon rice. This was followed by further meat dishes and then a sweet dessert of Baklawa and turkish delight combined. All the dishes were very enjoyable and well presented.
Service
Attentive and responsive. Meals came out at a reasonable pace, not too long to wait.
Value
Again I would have to recommend the banquet for better value, starting at $35 per person and plenty included. Separate mains start at around $20 each.
Decor and Atmosphere
Nicely painted interior with a number of lebanese photos and emblems throughout, featuring of course the cedar tree. Well presented. Later in the evening a belly dancer strut her stuff to some louder traditional music. They regularly feature belly dancing on weekends and look out guys, she likes you to get up and dance with her!

KL Café Restaurant

92c Acland Street
St Kilda, VIC 3182
Ph: (03) 9534 3721

Food
With the name inspired by the south east asian city of Kuala Lumpur this restaurant boasts a large range of Malaysian, Chinese and Thai foods. Some very spicy dishes which were also very tasty. A great selection to choose from in all 3 cuisines including seafood, vegetarian, rice dishes, noodle dishes, prawn specials, calamari and beef. A striking dessert which we just loved was the Kueh Dah Dah which had bright green crepe wrapped around coconut with ice-cream. The people at the table next to us were mesmerized, wanting to know what we were eating! My partner nicknamed it the 'steam rolled frog' due to the bright green colouring.
Service
Very attentive and reasonably friendly.
Value
One of the best value restaurants in the St Kilda area, which is notoriously filled with your expensive yuppy type restaurants (particularly along Fitzroy st). Not this one. The banquets that are available will give you much better value than ordering individual dishes, but the mains are reasonably priced too.
Decor and Atmosphere
I think the locals know this is one of the better value restaurants in the area, because they flock there. You will be challenged to get a table if you haven't booked. We managed to get the last one. Some very interesting artistic pieces inside. A feature ceiling with an oval shaped recessed area painted with clouds and stars and lit up which is quite delightful. Also a wall featuring a city landscape backlit and silhouetted. Some tasteful painting gives the place a nice atmosphere, though it is not a large restaurant. There were some intense flashing lights on a branch near the front entrance that were a bit distracting to the eye, but that was our only real critisicm.

The Banff Restaurant Review

145 Fitzroy St
St Kilda, VIC 3182
(03) 9525 4113

Food
Mainly known for its pizzas, they have a fabulous selection to choose from. Some very unusual pizzas, all absolutely delicious! Served with rocket lettuce and sour cream. They also serve pastas and they have a separate breakfast menu.
Service
They'll bring your meals out, but it's mostly self serve, order at the bar.
Value
Great value, some really cheap pizzas and pastas.
Decor and Atmosphere
Art deco delight, funky vibe, totally relaxed and warm and yet hip.

Melbourne Vietnam Noodle House Review

251 Swanston Street
MELBOURNE 3000
Ph: 03 9639 4911

Food
Vietnamese Pho style noodle house. Being so close to Mekong (a couple of doors further down Swanston Street) it draws inevitable comparisons, though not favourable ones. A good selection on the menu, but the food I had didn't overly impress me. Not more than a couple of pieces of meat in my special combination dish. The drink selection was interesting, but my drink was very thick and powdery and had to be eaten with a spoon.
Service
Ok. The man at the counter where you pay was quite grumpy looking :(
Value
The value is good, all very reasonably priced.
Decor and Atmosphere
Clean and neat, nothing exotic.