Kanzaman Restaurant Review

458 - 460 Bridge Rd,
Richmond, VIC 3121
Tel: (03) 9429-3402

Food
Middle Eastern/Lebanese Cuisine. A diverse array of dishes, some delicious dips and lebanese breads to start, some flavoured meat entrees, focus on meats and rices. Lovely and unusual desserts that are very sweet.
Service
Very helpful, attentive and polite.
Value
Good value, you can have as many main courses as you can eat if you choose the banquet, but you will get very full! $38 per person for this banquet or add an extra $10 for seafood, includes dips, entrees, mains, desserts, coffees. So you can find cheaper banquets but as I said, you will get a lot of food for this.
Decor and Atmosphere
The interior decoration here is unbelievable and fantastic! Elaborate murals throughout, gorgeous interiors very well decorated, pressed metal painted ceilings, lovely lighting. And add to your evening's entertainment with a featured belly dancer, who was both delightful and gorgeous.

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.

The Bengal Tiger Restaurant Review

520 City Road,
South Melbourne Vic 3205
Phone: 03 9699 4791

Food
Tandoori and Indian Cuisine. They've introduced a few banquets since I last dined here, which is a good improvement. The banquet for 2 included pappadums, entrees, 3 mains, rice, naan bread, dessert and coffee/tea. All dishes were of reasonable quality. Licensed and BYO (wine only).
Service
Top quality service - I was extremely impressed with all aspects of their service. Thoroughly attentive without being intrusive.
Value
Very reasonable. Look out for their specials on different nights of the week, which they display on the board out front.
Decor and Atmosphere
A warm and comfortable atmosphere with a bit of character. An old style building that appears to have originally been built as a hotel. Simple decoration not overdone.

Misuzu's restaurant severely damaged by fire

I hadn't been to this restaurant, but this is a real shame as I'd planned to go and it is located in a Victorian terrace on a very pretty street.

From the Herald Sun:

A POPULAR Japanese restaurant has been severely damaged after a fire broke out in Albert Park overnight.

Flames were seen coming from Misuzu's on Victoria Avenue at around 1.50am this morning.

When the fire services arrived they were faced with five-metre high flames as the blaze took hold of the two-storey building. It took 24 firefighters almost two hours to control the situation.

The fire is estimated to have caused damages of at least $500,000. An adjoining shop, owned by the same business, was saved.

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.

Nyala African Restaurant Review

131 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy, VIC
Phone: (03) 9419 9128

Food
African cuisine featuring dishes from South Africa and Ethiopia. They had banquets recommended for 4 people but they were willing to offer them to us for two peopls and we had one of the banquets which included deserts. This banquet was great value with a range of different foods, with plenty on offer in generous portions. There was cus cus, spicy dips, three different meats for mains in spicy sauces. Choice of deserts was included in the banquets - the sweet cus cus and South African custard tarts with ice cream were great choices.
Service
Exceptional service. African waiters wearing traditional African robes give it a genuine feel.
Value
All very reasonable priced, no complaints with the pricing. Large amount of food and banquets available. Reasonable corkage ($2)
Decor and Atmosphere
Interesting ornaments and paintings all for sale. The painted lights and bar were pretty funky. Ambient African music. Comfortable, relaxed and cosy.