We dine here regularly and always come back for their Ayam Bakar. Their snack range is quite…read moreimpressive, and this is coming from an Australian who was born and raised in Indonesia! This place is definitely a decent place to satisfy your cravings for authentic Indonesian food.

Ayam Penyet Ria offer the taste of Indonesia and it is as authentic as one can get in Melbourne…read more They are famous for their ayam penyet (obviously), which translate to deep fried smashed chicken - it is literally smashed to make the meat soft and tender. I must say, they are pretty yummy! One portion of penyet plate consist of tempeh, fried tofu, steamed rice (extra $2) and your choice of protein or vegetables. I had the chicken and my brother had the beef ribs (bomb!). Crunchy, flavorful and oily - my kind of guilty and junky pleasure :P. Be warned tho, the sambal chili on the side may look normal, but they are fiery hot and will probably make your throat burns and lips whimper. Don't forget to order the Soto Betawi soup dish here to add in more fun to your dining experience. The prices here are super affordable, great place if you don't feel like splurging on food. Humble, friendly service along with lightning fast food. If you enjoy sweating to the spiciness and flavor of Indonesian food, getting down and dirty, Ayam Penyet Ria is definitely THE spot to be!

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.

Australia might be the only Westernized country that does Malaysian well. Since I started my week…read morelong trip in this country, I've constantly found restaurants that filled a void I was missing from Chicago. Sarawak is no exception, and their prices definitely make me want to come back for more. You order downstairs and they give you a number to take to a table of your choosing. It's open seating so feel free to go upstairs for more space. My friend and I split three big plates: seafood laksa, bak kut teh, and the char kwey teow. The laksa was flavorful but used thin egg noodles instead of the thicker ones I am used to. Definitely KL style and not from Penang, so don't expect a sour broth. The bak kuh teh though was on point, with big helpings of pork bone for you to enjoy. As for the char kwey teow, it was spicy, fragrant, and tasted like it had been stir fried on a wok. Loved it. The other cool thing is that they have plenty of tupperware lying around so you can bag your food as you please. There's even containers for sauces so do not forget to bring home the sriracha with your noodles. Unfortunately there are no toilets inside the restaurant, so you'll have to settle for the public ones on the streets. We nearly threw up using those, so beware. Keep doing what you're doing Sarawak! Stay delicious.

A popular local, serving up Malaysian fare. I ordered to Mee Goreng and was happy with the…read moreauthenticity of the dish and portion size. The staff are extremely friendly and prompt, making for a pleasant and casual dining experience. A great choice when in North Melbs!

One of the best Asian restaurant / take aways on Errol St…read more They have quite a wide ranging Malaysian menu and the choices I've tried always hit the spot. I feel like they put real effort into everything they do here. The flavours in the food really stand out, service is always very friendly and extra attentive without being too much. It's great for the lunchtime crowd or for an evening meal. Prices are also reasonable. I've visited a few times and KL Bunga Raya is definitely becoming a staple lunch spot.

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.

Absolutely the best Fried Kway Teow. Matt LYNEHAM and Yvonne MOH and Norah DONGLE thought it was…read morethe absolute best. Yummy yummy I want more.

Best food and flavours you can't find elsewhere. Would recommend strongly - the curry laksa and…read morebutter chicken is awesome

Blok M to me was recommended by an Indonesian local. When I asked her what to get, she said…read moreeverything. My friend who I was having dinner with wasn't so keen as she can't stand fishy food, eats chicken only if it's on a leg, and would rather eat veggies. However, she ended up enjoying the food as much as I did. There is not much table service. It's a small restaurant. When we walked in, we didn't find anyone to serve us and chairs were already up on a table. A woman finally stood behind the counter. We had to order and pay at the counter with no split billing allowed. Self-service for cutlery and disposable plastic cups (the ones you find around water coolers) I guess this is what you get for generous portions and cheap dishes. My friends and I ordered the tongseng ayam, ayam balado and spring rolls. The grilled chicken was so tender and deliciously flavoured. I liked the sambal that came with it (it is quite fishy and is spicy). The tongseng ayam is delicately flavoured with some coconut milk (not as thick and creamy as thai curries) with poached chicken in it. Not enough chicken but still filling. The prawn spring rolls were average. They tasted like they had the fake "seafood" meat in them which I don't really enjoy. I loved the rice crackers that came with the tongseng ayam. Service was quick. Food was very satisfying. Really recommend! Will definitely go back to try more.

SQUEEE! I have just found delicious Indonesian and its affordable!…read more My friend and I had only 30 minutes to eat before we had to be at a Laneway Learning class at Little Mule and we found this gem. I had the grilled squid which came with rice and a side salad, it was accompanied with a tasty peanut sauce, very pleased.My friend had Mei Goreng and that was flavoursome and authentic, she even had enough to take home with her - says a lot about serving size. Its a little bit like Christmas when you find a place that you can say has pretty decent food and isn't going to burn a hole in your pocket. Very pleased with Blok M and I can see myself returning very soon.

Straits of Malacca is a small restaurant with genuine Malay food. The portions, in my opinion are…read morebeyond generous and the food is tasty - so be ready to want to be carried home or come super hungry! On arrival we received complementary tea and were given 2 menus to choose from. There was a whole A3 menu with pictures of just nasi lemak options. I ordered the laksa with only hokkien noodles and chicken. The option, as I said previously could've fed 1.5 of me! There were hidden cockles (pipis) which I think is a little dangerous being an allergy suffer. It is so important to tell people that there is shell food in their food. There was also chicken, tofu, fish cakes, fish balls, bean sprouts and eggplant. N had the nasi lemak and he really enjoyed it. He thought there was some bite to it. He couldn't finish his either and we ended up taking it home. It was a great place with authentic food and cheap prices.

A really great little restaurant with a fantastic menu. We had the roti chanai chicken which is one…read moreof my favourite dishes and the did it fantastically. Their roti was perfectly prepared, flaky but not too much, and the curry was delicious. The char kway teow was also a great dish and well balanced in ingredients. There was plenty of food for two having ordered the curry puffs as well.

Found this place before my trip to Melbourne and glad that I was able to go! Definitely tastes like…read morethe food I grew up on. Hospitable staff, authentic ingredients, clean and relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommend and will definitely come back when I return to Australia!

I have to say I am bias when it comes to Burmese House. I started coming here when I was in my…read moretwenties and lived around the corner on Richmond Hill. It was always cheap and delicious. Every time I visit Melbourne this is at the top of our list along with Gurka's up the road. The prices have gone up over the past 15 years, but so has everything in Melbourne! We had the amazing Coconut Chicken with noodles, which had some unexpected but yummy egg in it, followed by the Stir Fry beef with chilli served with soem coconut rice. Both were to die for! I forgot to mention we started of with the roti and chickpeas, that set us off on the right foot! The service is friendly and we will be back! We will pick up a burmese cookbook and try to emulate some of the creations back at home (in the USA).