Great ambiance, vibe, and decor. A visual and audible treat. I especially liked the 80's music…read moreplaying throughout the dining room. Service is quick, friendly, and attentive. Good menu with a lot of interesting options. Tried three different appetizers and the winner was the sashimi. Wonderful flavors with king fish. The butter chicken with curry was excellent. Just wish it came with some naan to soak up that wonderful sauce. Cocktails are creative and great. Just a bit measured and small, but I get it. Would dine here again and again.

Chin Chin is one of the popular restaurants in Melbourne and a reservation is required. However,…read morethe location in Sydney has far better food and a more curated menu. Service in both locations was excellent with very knowledgeable and attentive servers, unlike other establishments in Australia. Food was elevated - packed with amazing south East Asian flavors from the diospara.

Ph Nom is an unassuming looking eatery in the food court located on the lower ground level of the…read moreshoping center, The Emporium. The restaurant boasts of MSG-free, high quality ingredients with authentic Vietnamese recipes. My pho bo Saigon came with tender brisket, quality steak, and your usual beef balls. The beef broth was HANDS DOWN the most finest, clean-tasting, and flavorful beef broth that I have ever had. It was not oily and surprisingly had a lightness to it. No hoison sauce or sriracha needed to go into this broth. It was perfect the way it was. I also tried the Saigon sandwich, which came with housemade pate, wagyu beef, and eggs. The sandwich was delicious, flavorful, and hearty. Housemade pate truly makes a difference. I did not think a Vietnamese sandwich could've been enjoyed that much but this was an elevated version of your usual banh mi. The Vietnamese iced coffee was also delicious and almost finished immediately. I will definitely miss Ph Nom when I return home! Vietnamese cuisine is one of my favorite and growing up with it, I thought I had tasted it all but Ph Nom was a whole new level entirely!

What's that? A big fancy new shopping centre has opened in Melbourne and people are flocking there…read moreto visit MUJI and Uniqlo? Ahuh. Very nice dear. I'm more interested in the food offerings they have at Emporium and it was Pho Nom that I was most keen to sample first, as it's been spoken and tweeted about for months now, with chef Jerry Mai even giving potential new customers a sample at some pop up Pho kitchens months ago at the National. I'm glad to say that it lived up to expectations, my Saigon Pho Bo broth rich with spices and flavour and three cuts of beef (rare, brisket and meatball) bobbing around amongst the rice noodles. We also sampled the rice paper rolls - the pork skewered and the lemongrass chicken got the thumbs up from the grown ups and the crispy pork got devoured by Miss 3 before she started in on the Pho. It was only the first week when we visited and it was clear that every store in Emporium was struggling a little with the onslaught of people while trying to bed down systems. The Pho Nom crew did a stellar job, pumping on the food quickly and maintaining a smile the whole time. The only downfall? With hardly any seating (something that seems to be apparent with all food vendors in the centre) it was tricky finding somewhere to sit. Once we did, we could feel the eyes of everyone around us as we ate our last mouthfuls. Apparently more seating has been ordered, which should hopefully create a little more calm. Hooray!

The food here was amazing, ambiance was very street Korean and comfortable, and the service was…read moregood - Sunday surcharge was a bit steep, but the meal made up for it.

Cute little Korean restaurant on Rose Lane, the "new laneway" in the Upper West Side building…read more Korean Table is surrounded by I Love Chicken, Hakoya Ramen, Kyoto Mart, and Rolling Nori - and it holds its own for sure! I came here on New Years Day for dinner. The menu is 6 pages long, but there is a picture of every dish, which makes it really helpful to decide (I assume especially if you're not Korean). I kept it classic and went with the beef bibimbap, and boy am I glad I did! The only adjustment I made was no bean sprouts. Served in a sizzling hot stone bowl, you'll have to control yourself for a couple of minutes to let the rice continue to cook and get all crispy on the edges. The server was quite sweet and asked me if I knew how to eat it when she delivered the bowl. I sheepishly said, "um, mix it all together?" and she nodded in approval and skipped away. All of the ingredients and flavors blended together perfectly, aided by a generous helping of gochugang (sweet/spicy red sauce). I added a grapefruit soju to wash it down. Like many places, you'll self serve cutlery (chopsticks, spoons, napkins) as well as water from the counter. Someone takes your order either at the register or your table (didn't seem to be rhyme or reason to which or why), and then drops off your food when you're done. Space is tailored to groups of 2 or 4, though one group of about 6 or 7 kids came in together looking worse for wear after NYE. Prices are about $15 each for most entrees. The food was delicious (see photos) and I will be back!

What a lovely little fromagerie in bustling Carlton. We decided to come here for a snack before…read morelunch and ended up gorging on so much cheese and charcuterie that we didn't need lunch afterward. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. The ambiance is relaxed, and it's awesome to check out the huge glass display of hundreds of cheeses when you walk in. There are so many different types of cheese pairings and flights, with beer, wine, whiskey and even sake and cognac. They even do fondue, frittatas, pates and baked cheese dishes. We ordered a wine and cheese pairing and a side of prosciutto, honeyed burrata and some fresh bread. The cheese pairings were divine, a great way to sample mostly Victorian cheeses and wine but a few amazing French ones in there too. The burrata had a bit too much honey on it for my liking but it's all a matter of preference. There's also a huge space upstairs, and they do cheese trivia nights and special dinners like a Vietnamese and cheese meal (I'm so curious how those can really go together?!), I was bummed we don't actually live in Melbourne to take advantage of the fun events. If we're back in the area, we'll definitely come back!

This was such a fun and unique experience - such a great way for four friends to get together over…read moregood food and wine. Our table ordered 2 x wine flights, 1 x sparkling wine flight, a 5 x cheese board (too much for one person but oh my god that Gorgonzola!) and a mix of cold cuts and extras with the help of the staff. The atmosphere is cosy and friendly. The staff were friendly as well; one struggled with the tasting notes and forgot one of our drinks but perhaps this comes to experience? The staff were helpful in other ways talking us through the menu and assisting with which sides to have (although a couple were unavailable) The cheeses were amazing and I look forward to returning to try more dishes on the menu. For those first timers a flight and sides is a great way to get the Milk the Cow experience! They also do a beer flight and a whiskey flight - bottoms up!

If you love Japanese food you will be in love with hinoki Japanese pantry. Walking through the…read moreglass doors you quickly learn that this is no ordinary ethnic supermarket but rather an ode to Japanese cuisine. You can get everything from sake to soy sauce, soba to sashimi and everything in between. There is a delicious range of freshly prepared sushi and sashimi as well as everything you would need to take home to make your own. All the packaging is in Japanese so you may need some help from the staff. They are super friendly and eager to help. Loves: 1. Assortment of products 2. Freshness 3. Value for money - quite inexpensive 4. Staff picks and suggestions - help you navigate the different brands

What a great find! I've been here a few times for a quick sushi lunch and it's a bonus it's also a…read moreJapanese convenience store. (This is where I'll pick up some frozen udon, soba noodles and sauces). The good thing about this place is that it's got variety, from sashimi to different sushi rolls, even seared ones too. The sauces aren't too over powering as other sushi joints may smother mayo all over the sushi! There's only been one time that sushi I ordered there wasn't as good, salmon was a bit chewy. I recently ordered a platter for dinner and it was ready to be picked up in 1hr (called to order). Great presentation for a dinner party or if you just want to indulge in a sushi platter for dinner.

All other reviews from years ago on here, totally disregard. This place is AWESOME! You really get…read morea bang for your buck. The chicken is so delicious and crispy. The spicy rice cake is better than most restaurants I've been to, not too spicy and not too mild. The KSP is better than any random old HSP you'll have, gooey cheese and bulgogi beef on top... to die for! The kimchi pancake is the best, it's thick and cut up for you (making it a lot easier to eat with chopsticks)! The service is lovely, you definitely could get a lunch or two out of all we ordered, but the price was awesome for what you got. Highly recommend coming here if you're looking to try out some great Korean food!

Came here at 7pm on a Saturday night, we were told that the upstair tables are all reserved (the…read morerestaurant was not packed) and anything we wanted to order was already sold out. Pretty disappointed.

We were visiting Melbourne and wanted to visit a more unique kind of place. Supernormal fit the…read morebill! Here's what we noticed: - You'll definitely want a reservation as the place gets packed. For our party of two we were seated at the bar, which is a really long bar and appears to be the primary area where parties of two get seated. It was nice, fun to be able to watch the action behind the bar. - They had a great cocktail menu and so we ordered some unique drinks. Both were really good. - The menu is pretty broad with small plates to share and larger entrées too. We end up starting with the Korean Rice Cakes, which was probably a highlight of the meal. It was also a pretty generous size. Then they brought out the Lobster Roll, which was good, but probably a poor ordering choice for us since it really wasn't that unique...although it was very yummy. And finally, we had the Duck Bao, and it was excellent. There were so many other things we would've liked to order from the menu, but this was a lot of food for just two of us, although we saw other parties of two order so much more. But, we wanted to save room for the peanut butter parfait. It was worth the weight/wait! - Service was good. At first, it seemed like they were rushing to move us along, but then as more people came into the restaurant, it calmed down a bit. - The place has a great vibe, but it's a little bit loud as you would expect with a place like this. Bottom line: This was one of the best meals we've had so far during our trip to Australia.

Supernormal is an Asian fusion restaurant owned by famous Australian restauranteur Andrew…read moreMcConnell. The place is widely popular so I suggest making reservations if you want to give it a try. Overall, I thought the food was solid with a nice modern atmosphere, and efficient service. You start off with complimentary roasted pumpkins seeds which were a nice touch. They are highly addictive as I couldn't stop eating them! They offer a number of small plates for you to try various dishes so we ordered the shrimp cakes and selection of seafood on ice. We were here for lunch so didn't want to eat too much. The sesame crust on the shrimp cakes made for a nice crunch. The seafood on ice included a sampling of octopus, tuna sashimi, Australian abalone, etc. The seafoods were all OK. Nothing really stood out. For entree, we shared the slow cooked lamb shoulder. It's braised and cooked in what they called Yu Xiang Sauce. I have not had this type of preparation before so it was an interesting flavor. The lamb shoulder was a large portion and the meat was tender. The sauce is slightly spicy and is similar to Sichuan spices. It's really savory and probably best eaten with rice. Portion is large enough to be shared.

Yeonga is one of my favourite kbbq restaurants if you can get a booking so make sure to call at…read moreleast a few days in advance to make a booking to avoid the long wait (can be a 2 hour wait). There's something special about sharing a meal with friends by cooking meat with friends and sharing it, everyone has their preferences. Some like it medium, some prefer we'll done, some don't pay attention and it burns. Don't be that person. It's always busy and the price is affordable. We ordered the set and other items. You now get handed a menu where you circle what you want which is efficient.

Entrance, tables, and seating was nice. I think my biggest issue is that the tables are way too…read moresmall... We had a hard time trying to fit everything in the table once everything came out so I deducted a star for that. Also... Our waitress used the same tongs she touched rare chicken and immediately right after moved our other cooked meats to the side. My cousin noticed that instantly and as a precaution, moved it back in to cook for a little longer. Other than these two, the food was good and we had a good time. It was pretty expensive though for two people (A$135) but we did order a lot of food so makes sense.

4.5 rating, but will round up for good value and portion sizes…read more It seems like Korea's reputation to produce fine things has been continuously growing over the past couple decades. 20 years ago, Korean cars and electronics didn't exactly carry with it a strong association with excellence. Today, they're an absolute giant in these regards - not to mention becoming an economic powerhouse. Korean food has also grown in popularity too, and one can go to many restaurants and find some "Korean-flavoured" dish on the menu. That preamble brings me to fried chicken. Even five years ago, how many non-Koreans would have drawn an association between fried chicken and Korean food? Flash forward to today, and Korean fried chicken has an association with excellence in a similar way that Samsung does with phones. At my final evening in Melbourne, I didn't really have a plan where I was going to eat, but when I spotted KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), the decision was made for me. One thing that stood out to me on the menu was the reasonable prices. $15 all in for a dozen large wings is a great deal almost anywhere. In a CBD in an Australian city, this is almost a steal. At this point in my trip, I was accustomed to tax and tip being worked into the menu prices and it was apparent that this meal wasn't going to eventually hurt my credit rating. Flash forward to the wings themselves, I ordered the soy+garlic. Very good wings, terrific value though I have to say I have had better. I'd say those were 4 star. The surprise of the meal was actually the ribs. The full rack came with fries and salad and was somewhere around $28. Loved, loved, LOVED the ribs. Honestly, the fries were just ok, the salad was just a salad, the aforementioned wings were a 4, but the ribs were so perfect that I just have to give the place 5 stars. That, and I think I paid about $50 all in for a massive amount of food for two people.

Convenient place to grab a quick dinner! We ordered the chicken soup w/rice (the broth is flavorful…read moreand really warms you to the core, with a surprisingly good amount of chicken) and the bulgogi hot pot (interesting way to serve bulgogi) - satisfying, filling meal. Busy place, but once we placed our order, the food came out quickly!