A favourite place when im in the mood for noodles..good size serving..and cooked, taste really…read morewell.. prices around $10+ worth it!

This restaurant is a stone's throw away from where I live and pass by the place almost every week…read more But the realization that this is one of the best Afghan restaurants to dine in Melbourne came after reading a review by Matt Preston (Masterchef fame). The first thing that struck me walking into the restaurant was the ornate décor..... deep red brocade curtains, richly decorated wooden tables and chairs set in a large space and the low lighting which set a very inviting ambience to the whole place. Rahimi Baryalai, the owner of the restaurant, greeted us on entering and after enquiring specifics, we were seated and the menus bought out. While there are many a la carte dishes, it was the banquet option that caught my eye. And I would totally recommend this to anyone who is visiting Afghan Rahimi for the first time. Very reasonably priced, there are several banquet options ranging from $35 to $55 depending on the number of dishes and people; this is the ideal way to experience the best dishes that the restaurant has to offer. We went for Banquet 3 (Afghani) priced at $45.00 which is a five course meal. The dishes are bought out one by one to the table and soon you have a banquet to feast on. The bread and dips arrived first. I don't think I have appreciated Afghan bread so much before (have had plenty of it); it was soft and the perfect carrier to scoop the dips and chutneys. There was a simple tomato and cucumber salad, a carrot based dip, a cucumber based yoghurt dip and a chutney. The perfect way to start off a meal exciting your tastebuds for the remaining meal.... The next dish to arrive was Mantu (Traditional Afghani dumplings steam cooked, made from pastry, mince and onions topped with yoghurt and tomato gravy). Perhaps, the most famous dish at Rahimi and Matt Preston's absolute favourite. I don't think words do any justice to what these dumplings do to your tastebuds. Melt-in-your-mouth, soft, creamy, juicy....oh, it's an experience. Get yourself to Rahimi just for this. Next came a plate of Borani Banjan (Fried eggplants covered with a fresh tomato and yoghurt sauce). I am not too fond of eggplants but this dish has converted me. The flavour was so bespoke that I happily forgot that I was eating eggplants. The Afghani traditional rice came next. Now I have seen a zillion recipes claiming to be Afghani rice on the Internet; if you want to experience the real deal, visit Rahimi. Perfectly cooked rice with a generous topping of carrots and raisins with a subtle hint of spices. Along with the rice came Meatball/Kofta curry (Lamb mince marinated with diced onions and herbs, curried in a delicious tomato and pea gravy). Yet another delicious dish; I think I have repeated delicious enough number of times by now and I don't intend to stop. Next to arrive was the Chicken Tikka and Lamb backstrap skewers. Loved the flavour on these meat skewers and it was delicious but would have preferred the meat to be slightly more tender. Followed soon by the fried fish preparation (I couldn't get the name of this one). Mr. Baryalai personally bought it to our table saying that it is a special preparation that he enjoys very much. Now most of you know my obsession with seafood but it would be perfectly fair to say that I have not eaten a more beautifully cooked fish preparation before. Subtly spiced and absolutely succulent and flaky fish; it is to be experienced. The meal ended with a glass of traditional green tea that was flavoured with organic saffron and cardamom accompanied by gulab jamun (Dough balls are fried and soaked overnight in a sugar syrup) and another milk based sweet (which we call 'peda' in India but couldn't get the Afghan name) and a bowl of vanilla icecream drizzled with honey for my little one. He got the ice cream for being a wonderfully behaved child and eating all his food. What a little personal touch...this is what customer service is all about. Reading so far, you would have an idea of why this spread is called a banquet. A thoroughly delicious experience, one which I will want to return to over and over again. The customer service is exemplary; to have the owner of the restaurant taking care of every need of yours is not a common thing. Mr. Rahimi was telling us about how the popularity of his restaurant has gone up which makes it a hot destination for those living far but the locals of the suburb seem to have forgotten the place. You would easily find cabinet ministers and the elite dining at the next table to yours at Rahimi. Quality food at an affordable price for all to enjoy is what Afghan Rahimi is all about. Perhaps the closest that many of us would get to experience true Afghan hospitality and the richness of the cuisine.

Amazing dining experience. A true blessing. Beautiful, friendly and accommodating staff. Absolutely…read moredelicious food. Stunning artworks and aesthetic. Positive vibrations all around. A cultural experience. Can't wait to visit again!

Great food and service. We used Uber delivery and everything went perfectly. Especially liked the…read morelamb risotto

The place that brought the Melbourne burger scene to life!…read more I've never had a bad meal here, the food has always tasted fantastic, and no matter how busy they are, it's not a very long wait. Staff are lovely and friendly, one day, I'll try something other than a burger.

Awesome Economical Food... really delicious ... don't miss out the traditional TEA after the meal.read more

Looks like these days anyone is opening a restaurant in Dandenong. The result : Compromise on food,…read morecustomer service resulting in a bad dining experience. However, Salang is one exception. Hidden somewhere on the main Lonsdale Street. This restaurant boasts with all the goodness restaurants have to offer without any compromises. -The restaurant is serving Afghan traditional foods. On the menu is a range of Seekh Kebabs, Rice and apparently Matt Prestons favourite dish here is Ashak. Along with deserts. -The food is fresh by which I mean the bread have just come out of the tandoor and you should be cautious not to burn yourself (its not going to burn you), The Tikka Kebab that we had was lean backstrap meat which was juicy, fresh and quite possibly the best I have had. The salads and the Afghan style bread was also amazing -They have big wide open space so any large crowds can be able to manage themselves here without any intrusions of space. - This is a family restaurant being managed by family members. So their only commitment is to serve you at best which has been my experience so far so that they can make you come again and again. One thing they could do with better is their foods presentation. Does that really matter. Yes, but its not as important. Now, I have told you about the kinds of food they serve, their customer service and how big the restaurant is. GO!!

This place doesn't show up on google properly so type in the actual address…read more With a la carte and banquet options (vegetarian too) this place is my go to for Afghan food. I have visited on several occasions and the banquets are a great way to get a piece of everything on the menu if you aren't sure what to order. I have tried both banquet 3 and 4 - even the men walked away full. Taken from the menu on their website: BANQUET 3 $40 p.p 1. samosa with dip 2. kebabs - tikka, chicken, shami 3. manto dumplings 4. golden eggplant 5. qabuli Palow (rice with grated carrots & sultanas) 6. orange Palow 7. dhaal or Korma 8. drinks salad and break 9. dessert and tea or coffee My favourites: kebabs, manto dumplings, and the eggplant! Drink to try: Mango lassi as it is freshly made and makes a great sharing jug.

Definitely 5 stars! I ordered the Chicken & Mushroom pasta and it was absolutely delicious. My…read morefiancé ordered the Hellboy pizza and it was also delicious. The crust on any pizza can make it or break it - the owner certainly knows what he's doing with the wood fired grill. Highly recommend!

From the owner: Italian Woodfire Pizza Restaurant, serving authentic woodfire pizza, woodfire lasagne and…read moremeatballs, pasta, risotto, modern breakfast and using Niccolo coffee beans on a La Marzocco espresso machine. Open 7am-Late, 7days.

I love this simply because of the fact that it is completely halal, which is very rare for a…read moreMcDonald's around the area. It is a place where you can grab a quick meal and eat with friends and family. It is somewhere which you should be going for once in a blue moon but if you ever receive those random cravings, Dandenong McDonald's is the place to go.

Previously known as Melissa's, this place opened about 2-3 years ago when the council amalgamated…read moreit's offices into the central business district of Dandenong. Since I've been away for two years I didn't realise the place had changed owners, but it evidently remains a busy little hub- even on the weekend when I would expect the area to be vacant. For a Saturday morning this place was quite busy. There was quite a wait for my coffee, but I'm glad to report it was surprisingly good! Within this area decent cafes have been opening up on recent years so there is a bit of competition around at the moment and I'm glad to report this establishment can be considered a strong competitor. The ambiance is chill and the location is perfect. I'd definitely go back and would reccommend this place to people nearby in need of good coffee.

I love the coffee here and the staff are on the ball plus all the staff no me by name and they…read moreknow how i like my coffee

Situated on 159 Lonsdale Street, Beletti Restaurant, Café and bar primarily serves modern Italian…read morecuisine. Given the time, there weren't too many customers inside save for a couple enjoying a cup of coffee outside; there is an al fresco seating area too. We were courteously greeted by the staff, who after understanding our late lunch needs, seated us inside in a comfortable area. The ambience was sophisticated, inviting with comfortable seats and sofas. There were two dining areas, the larger, stylish and plusher one reserved for large groups, parties and events. Beletti has a good bar and the selection is really good; given the time of day, we settled for two cocktails. I went for the Cosmopolitan (vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, lime juice) and my husband had the house-special, Beletti Sea Breeze (amaretto, Malibu, cranberry juice, pineapple juice). I loved the Cosmo; it was refreshing, delicious and just what I needed to unwind. My husband enjoyed his drink but he felt that the cranberry taste was slightly overpowering. And while we sipped on our drinks, my son was handed a colouring sheet and pencils which kept him occupied, a real simple trick to keep the kids silent and let the parents relax. The colouring sheet also had the kids' menu outlined and he chose to have a cheeseburger and chips. We started off our meal with a platter of fresh oysters, followed by a delicious, indulgent bowl of Beletti salad (mesculin lettuce, olives, feta, semi dried tomatoes, capsicum, carrots, onion with a balsamic dressing) with smoked salmon. The salmon was an extra topping. For mains, I chose a duck breast with plum sauce and a wild mushroom risotto. I was a little skeptical choosing the risotto but it turned out delicious, perfectly done and flavoured. The plum sauce was sweet but flavourful and with duck, it was heaven on a plate. Totally recommend this dish. My husband went with an aged porterhouse steak with a marble score 2 which was served with a red wine jus, fresh green salad and chips. He felt that the steak was a tad bit tough but the flavours were impeccable and he enjoyed the dish. And though we couldn't eat a morsel more, I still decided to get a dessert, something light to cut through all that richness we had just gobbled. For dessert, we ordered the Passion fruit and Lime Bavouis with double cream and passion fruit lime jelly. And this turned out to be the most delicious part of the meal. We wanted something light and less sugary and this dessert was just that. The bavouis was light and creamy which went really well with the tangy jelly. The citrus flavours were refreshing and it was a beautiful end to the meal. I am definitely going back for this one. So to summarize, we had a great time and a great meal too although, must admit that the prices were on the higher side. Towards the end of our meal, the restaurant started getting busy so it would be a good idea to book ahead especially on weekends.

A few years back, when Beletti's was brand spanking new it was a busy little hub for those in…read moreDandenong on business or working in the area. Fast forward a few years and the success continued, with good coffee and a decent food available. Fast forward to today, Dandenong has continued to grow and some amazing small businesses have come to the area. I would say since this time Beletti's hasn't been the busy little hub as smaller (and better) coffee shops moved closer to the bigger offices, making the walk to Beletti's for coffee obsolete. Also, with the huge success of The Pavilion just around the corner I'd be surprised if Beletti's hasn't taken a hit. After telling my sister over three years ago (back when it was really good) I'd take her here for brunch, I finally got around to it yesterday. The interior of Beletti's is modern, well-lit and spacious. I've never had bad service here, they're so friendly and welcoming. I just had a latte and a ham, cheese and tomato croissant from the breakfast menu. The coffee was decent, the croissant was quite soggy at the bottom which was disappointing. My sister reported her soy chai was delightful. In its heyday, this place was great. Still good for the odd work meeting or breakfast if you work nearby, or for dinner if you live local. I think it just happens to be that better coffee shops and restaurants have moved into the area in recent years and are in closer proximity to the Dandenong CBD so it makes makes coming to Beletti's a bit... unnecessary, for lack of a better word.