The convenient location in Melbourne Central was the first thing that attracted us to this…read morerestaurant. The first time that we went here it was just for a light meal before a show but the food was so good that we agreed that we must return. We weren't disappointed. Although there is a mix of Chinese, Malay, Thai, Indian and other Asian dishes on the menu. This is no run of the mill Asian restaurant. The food is beautifully plated and it looks as good as it tastes. We had the Indonesian Beef Rendang which. The sambal calamari (so tender and delicious) and teriyaki that chicken, served with our favourite wakame salad. And the portion of steamed rice was an adequate size to accompany the main course. I wish that it wasn't such a small restaurant with such small tables that there was hardly any room for the three entrees that we ordered. The décor was that of a café but the food was several steps above that. The tables are so packed together that I felt we were practically having dinner with the couple at the next table. The service is good despite the cramped conditions.

Chilli Padi is ok. I probably expected more because I love its location, the look of it from the…read moreoutside and most importantly - ASIAN FOOD!! Perhaps we caught them on a bad day, it did seem to be a particularly busy lunch time. Firstly, the greeting person seemed to not know if there was enough room for us, so while my friend and I awkwardly waited at the door another, stormy looking staff member approached and beckoned to us, hurrying us over to him. At least he had us seated. We both had limited time available; my friend had to get back to work, I had a marketing deadline and a five year old to pick up from kinder. We kindly explained that we didn't have long to the waiter who took our order. Due to our rush, we ordered just two dishes; no banquet, entree and main, just a grilled teriyaki and hokkien char needles. After 25 minutes I couldn't handle myself fidgeting and the panic that was starting to take over. I asked how long it would be and the response was, "not long". First, it pisses me off when I have to spend what's supposed to be an enjoyable lunch date panicking if our food is going to come, and secondly not being given a friggin straight answer when I ask how long. Luckily the food came about one minute later. My friend and I shared dishes and neither of us could complain. Both meals were delicious, and we chowed them down whole heartedly. Nevertheless, the dismissive staff and worry we endured wouldn't be worth another visit during a lunch hour. The food was great though, so perhaps a leisurely dinner date might be best next time.

This restaurant has a bit of an identity crisis kind of like an interracial baby. It serves both…read moreAsian and Western food, but I must say it does a pretty good job on both fronts. It's situated at the bottom of the Seasons hotel on St Kilda Rd which may explain why it does both menus - it's a Malaysian restaurant but perhaps the predominantly gweilo hotel guests might find the food a bit spicy. I've been here a couple of times and tried both the Asian and Western dishes, and I've enjoyed both times. The first time I had the seafood linguini which I always get if I see it on a menu anywhere, because it seems to be a dish that's impossible to stuff up. The second time I had the nasi goreng which unfortunately was a tad spicy for my liking but I also had the twice cooked mandarin stewed duck which had an amazing flavour. Robert, the Malaysian owner, is a funny bloke who knows his wines and engages in friendly banter with the guests. I asked him how do you make the twice cooked duck and he reveals his secret: "Well, you know, the first thing is that you have to cook the duck, (pauses thoughtfully) and then you cook it again, and so you have twice cooked duck lah." Funny guy. He then told me sorry he was just joking and then SMSed me a list of all the ingredients inside the dish sans any instructions: oyster sauce, soya sauce, dark soya sauce, cinnamon sticks, szechuan pepper, star aniseed, angel root, sugar, bay leaf, ginger, tea leaf, mandarin skin, garlic, onion, yoke chook, duck bones, & kumquats. Thanks, genius. This place is tastefully decorated with large prints of Asian women from the 1950s lining the walls which provides a nice little charm and has a great ambiance. Staff provide excellent service and there's a great selection of beer and wine.

I was very surprised that what I had thought was a simple hotel restaurant served me perhaps the…read morebest nasi goreng I have had in Australia! The staff were also very friendly and helpful considering we rocked in later in the evening on a Sunday. Sadly after a weekend of power eating was I far to full to try much more, though I'd like to explore the menu more on a future visit.

Last Thur. Lunch. The experience was terrible at the new establishment. Nice and clean but the…read morefood two dishes " Hor Fun (no wok hee, the beef was blend, sambal ? No chili oil for an Asian Chinese place is a NO NO NO , but you would think new place, new menu , " NOPE !!! " No new stuff to try. The menu was pretty limited like the old one. I think those chefs need to really learn from ROCK KUNG or LASKA KING (female) chef mind you !!!!! Atleast, the No.20 and Ipoh " kinda pass. Don't think I will come back any time soon. It gives the Malaysian brand a bad name !!! 2 / 10 food experience !!!

Had lunch, ordered Assam Laksa and a variety of Tong Tou Foo with noodles. Having tried Malaysian…read morefood in LA, Houston, NY and Vancouver, the taste and quality was excellent. Prices were reasonable, will definitely be back. Looks like they are also in the process of moving to a larger space 30-40m away, currently under construction.

like the Melbourne based shop, its as good, and so delicious,…read morewe have been coming here for many years and we always walk away satisfied, cafe style ordering, order and pick your serves, average price of $10 a plate, free water if you desire, menu changes all the time, Sunday always seems to have the best choices, give it a try you wont be disappinted.

The oxtail from the soup was still red, and the chicken from ayam penyet was still a bit uncooked…read more(or it was intended to be served that way). I had such high hopes. Maybe I will try another dish but these two I have ordered were not really my cup of tea (I am Indonesian).

Always love their food…read more I normally go to their Clayton branch and today my first in CBD

We were from Sarawak. This is a great place to have a quick 'hit the spot' comfort food. Great…read moreservice and a HUGE variety of East Malaysian selections. Even my 80plus parents enjoyed it.

I would definitely make a booking here if you're wanting to dine here for dinner. This place gets…read morereally packed and more often than not, they turn you away saying they're booked. They have gluten free options, which is not too tricky to find anyway in a Vietnamese Restaurant. I try not to venture out and get anything other than the Bun - Lemongrass and Beef. They come in big serves but normally it's so delicious I eat it all. I've tried a few other dishes but nothing that gets me too excited. The Spicy Bean Curd (Bean Curd lightly deep fried, tossed with spices, chilli and onion and served on a garden salad) however, I would order again, and again, and again. The specials seem to be not so special as they've been the same for a few months. I'm not complaining tho because the peking duck rice paper rolls are delicious. Packed with filling and served with a delicious sauce. The service is not amazing, and if they put you upstairs and there's a large group booking, you probably won't be able to have a conversation with the person next to you as the room seems to get realllllly loud. They have an outdoor option which is useful in the summer, not so much when it's cold.

Tien Dat is one of the most frequented places in the Box Hill strip, it's hard to find an empty…read moretable and you definitely need to call and book. The food choices are excellent here and great value, Bun to Seafood Soup, Fried rice to Rockling Fish you are spoilt for awesome choices in Asian cuisine. Don't expect amazing service, they are sometimes also slow out of the kitchen.

Never again!! Worst broken rice ever! It almost seems they have reused old ingredients! The pork…read morewas like a day or two old? Hard and DRY!! the patty thing was SOUR and hidden under some bean sprouts. Worse still it was fried and in pieces!!! As I paid I was asked "how was everything?" I gave the dude a glare and looked at my plate. Making sure he knew it was unfinished. I literally had the rice with fish sauce! YMMV

Restaurant was happy to take orders, money, and leave us waiting for a delivery, only to find out…read morethat the place was shut the entire time. Absolutely rubbish business practice and we will not ever be coming back, regardless of the fact the food is actually quite good.

I've only been here the one time. I'll probably go back at some point. The menu I suspect isn't…read morecompletely Vietnamese. In fact, I get a feeling that it's Vietnamese that has been slightly 'dumbed down' to cater for Aussie tastes. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think satay chicken was a Vietnamese dish. Either way, I thought that it was a nice dish. My wife had soup, which she said was fairly fresh tasting and had an adequate amount of meat in it. After hearing mixed reviews about the Glen Waverley restaurant, I was pretty cautious about this place. In retrospect, it's probably a good place to take people who really haven't experienced Vietnamese cuisine before. It seems like a good, safe option. There are better places around, though. Box Hill isn't that far away.

I quite like this restaurant. I've been back several times with various friends an all have enjoyed…read morewhat we've eaten. I'm not sure how true to Vietnamese cuisine this is, but the quality of the food is good and very tasty. Service is also good and I didn't find it too loud even with a full house.