One chilly evening, after missing the tram and at least half a dozen taxi's that suddenly claimed…read moreto be occupied (with no one in them), we decided to stop at The Old Raffles Place in Johnston Street. It was actually meant to be a drink-stop but the greedy pigs in us couldn't resist the sweet aromas coming from the open concept kitchen. And so we ate. Our intended "drink-stop" began with the Lobak ( deep fried chinese spiced pork wrapped in beancurd skin) and soon followed with an order of chai tau kueh (fried carrot cake). Not only did we enjoy both dishes but let's just say, if The Old Raffles Place had a Facebook page - we would definitely be clicking on "like" - but since it doesn't, this is the next best option. Since that first visit, we've been back a couple of times and highly recommend trying everything on the menu - go slow and work your way through. I love that the restaurant is old-school with the walls adorned with black-and-white newspaper clippings with stories and photographs of people and places in Singapore. Even though it's just a restaurant, there's a certain element of charm and authenticity about this place that just keeps customers coming back for more.

You can't go past the chicken rice at Old Raffles Place. It is perfectly poached in seasoned stock…read moreand is always consistent. I used to come here every week for lunch but have been living OS. So when I was home for Christmas recently I had to pop in for a quick meal. It was everything I had remembered and the couple who owns the place greeted me as though I had never been away. I suggest you go there with friends and try everything. It is old school decor, with the focus on flavour and quality of the food. Can't wait to be back in Melbourne again for another visit.

I was craving for something Indonesian/ Malaysian/ Singaporean and that's how I ended up here. I…read moregot here before the lunch crowd did so, I had the place to myself...but not for long. You order your food and pay at the counter. They give you a number. You find a table and wait for your food. They have so many good options to choose from. I was so torn. I wanted sambal, nasi Goreng, mee goreng, roti, laksa...pretty much everything on the menu. But I had to calm myself down, clear my thoughts and focus on getting 2 entrees, kaya toast and teh. Sambal Fried Fish: Different chilies + deep-fried fish = amazing! Pass me the rice! 4/5 Singaporean Laksa: They have different varieties of laksa. I picked this since it has everything in it: tofu, fish, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, noodles in a coconut curry broth. 4.5/5 Kaya Toast: Basically, butter + sugar on toast. This reminds me of what my nanny would make for my afternoon snack when I was little. This is what made them famous (their tea and coffee are good too). 4/5 Teh: Hot or iced. White, black or green. With or without condensed milk. I got mine iced, black with condensed milk. 5/5 They have lots of dishes, drinks and desserts I remember having as a kid living in SouthEast Asia. Milo, longan, durian, lychee, mango sago, etc. I would have ordered more but I realized I had Canadian dollars left in my wallet instead of AUD. Mother of all failures!

Came here with partner and auntie. We ordered a signature vermi, chili crab and kung po chicken…read more The vermicelli was a single portion and spread pretty thinly for three people. The kung po chicken barely had any flavour (despite having dried chili) and was less than a portion. The chili crab2 (2) had a really nice sauce, though no taste of chili - but were $45 for the dish. This last was the best of the three. My partner mad to order more food, though, so went for a set meal for himself: Singapore laksa, grass jelly drink, and durian pancakes. The laksa was apparently good, but the durian filling of the pancakes appeared to be a flavoured cream filling.

Best Mee Goreng i had in years. Even better than most i have had in recent years in Malaysia itself.read more

What a wonderful find in Melbourne! As we walk in the door we were greeted with the aroma of fried…read morechicken marinated with spices. Just like any mamak in Malaysia. The food is fabulous, the servers friendly and warm...just the right place to get a taste of home.

Friends from NYC ate at Mamak in Melbourne and highly recommend it, so I had to go. It is part of a…read moresmall chain but the menu reads like a small family owned restaurant. The food was simply delicious; packaged with yummy Malaysian flavors. If you like Nasi Lemak, this is the place for you. Service was average as it is the case in Oz.

Always good food at Mamak - have tried the Sydney establishments multiple times and Melbourne does…read morenot disappoint. If you are looking for ambience or a romantic experience this is not the place for you, but if authentic Malaysian food is your thing then get along here!

Very genuine noodles and rice dishes. Love the kway teo and nasi lemak. Look out for cakes when…read morethey have them.

Char Kwee Tiaw after hours, no cooking needed…read more A long day, BoxFit session done around 8:30pm, now I'm hungry for some quick goodness to satisfy this craving. Woohooooo, Eureka this place is still open, we were the last customers. As we walked in two Ceiling fans were working hard, I don't think the AC was on, it was HOT, steamy, the room is filled with South East Asian aromas and it's not even a 40 degree Melbourne day, lots of goodness has been cooked and served before us, humidity, smells & sweats, reminiscence of a Hawker street somewhere in KL, Kuala Lumpur. I can feel my sweat from the BoxFit session has a new flavours now. From the Street level, this place is nothing fancy, the bright Green Jade colour is the only attractive feature about it, BUT what they are serving are incredible for what they are charging, they could and should charge more. Started with the CKT (Malaysian and Singaporean loves to abbreviate words) or Char Kwee Tiaw, Fried Rice Noodles, then Char Hor Fun, Combination Fried Rice Noodles with Egg Gravy sauce and lastly some Curry Puffs or Samosa (Indian) or Pastel (Indonesian). This pastry varied inside, but has common ingredients; Potatoes, Curry and Chilly. It was the right decision, not sure whether my muffin top would agree, worry about that later. In under than 5 minutes after we ordered, those goodness were flying onto our table .... so QUICK .... they served the best first ..... CKT - Char Kwee Tiaw, easy 8.5/10 ....VERY strong aroma of the Pork Crackling and Chinese Sausages, BIG Prawns just needs that burnt-wok taste, makes it a little drier .... That was a joy for around $12 Char Hor Fun 7/10, not quite there, rice noodles needs to be fried more but the Egg Gravy Sauce was tasty, it can be better and traces of the egg yolks still prominent, that tasty runny eggs .... about $12 Curry Puffs easily 8/10, fried to perfection, balanced ingredients and served hot, very important in my opinion, the aromatic flavours lingers as you bite into it, $5,50 for three. All these flavours plus Sambal & Chillies makes my palate sings. Life doesn't get much better than this after a long long day. Simplistic Joy and no drugs needed, just some CKT. A decade ago or so we might not be able to get these kind of offerings, so I must thank & commend the Chef and proprietor of the business for bringing that Hawkers' spirit and providing these goodness for us to enjoy.

Self serve and order first at the counter. Minimum $15 CC spend…read more Laksa comes in two sizes! I got the small chicken curry laksa. It was quite flavorful and the chicken was just so tender!!!! Good amount of meat in the small. I almost finished the creamy broth but controlled myself. The soft shell crab isn't as good though. They put way too much batter!

Laksa Bar is a humble eatery that makes one of the most stunning laksa in Melbourne…read more The location was a little hard to find, away from the bustling CBD restaurant scene, tucked at the corner street of Little Lonsdale, and more precisely next to the famous "The League of Honest Coffee". I came in for a late lunch and the atmosphere of Laksa Bar will definitely take you to the comforting atmosphere of the eating street food in Singapore/Malaysia, from the Southeast Asia ornaments, old nostalgic posters and memorabilia as well as on wall screen projectors that depicts short scenes from the past. This is a self-served restaurant, where we order directly to the cashier first, given a number, get your own utensils/water and choose where to sit. There are many interesting selections of Malaysian classics as well as street nibbles, such as house curry, nasi lemak, satay and etc. But of course, we tried their signature dish, and that is Soft Shell Crab Laksa. The soft shell crab laksa come in a drool worthy presentation - with a generous portion of fried wonton, fish ball, and a flour battered soft shell crab. Taste-wise, expect a robust flavor that will jolt your taste buds. The laksa was a perfect balance of creamy, salty, spicy and savory goodness, and the crispy soft shell crab just adds a touch of yum to the already scrumptious dish. On other occasions, I tried their nasi lemak with soft shell crab as it looks so damn tempting, but sad to say, it was such a let down; stale toppings and flavorless rice.. Clearly, this is not their strength. In all, Laksa Bar is such a precious spot for those who enjoy the richness of Malaysian cuisine. The service, food and price point are all on point. Definitely a spot that's worth many return visits!

Whats not to love? You combine great, affordable food in Abbotsford and add in a few other factors…read morelike tastes good and clean! Btw, i may be biased because new yorkers dont get the insane amount of variety of south asian food as Australians do!

I love the Food & Service at Chinta Ria Soul Emporium Melbourne. It's awesome…read more 1. Why not update your Specials chalkboard e.g. Sweet n sour fish. Add "with rice" word on board. to max sales? 2. Love the Unique Yeo's grass jelly drink. Love the yummy and flavorsome Chicken wing which are juicy on the inside. The skin is crispy. Sauce is sedap. Well presented in "v" shape sia like Fighter Plane - woohoo. SEDAP SIA!!!!!! 3. The Fried Chicken Image Sign in stuck to the table in a hard to see spot. Why not relocate the sign to Cashier machine so its higher and facing the customer just like McDonald's? People buy more of your delicious chicken to max your money.

They are in the Emporium which was great as I wanted laksa at the time…read more Their servings were big and the food was flavorful. I liked the seafood laksa and my sister liked her roti and vegetarian nasi goreng. Value for money and tasty food. Would come back if Im around the area.

What's going on? It's rare for me to visit a venue more than once a week. But I visited Ayam Chef 3…read moretimes in a week and it performed solidly. Got myself hooked - great food and price as well as a location that is convenient to me with no parking traumas. The decor is modern Malaysian and the staff attentive. Clearly there are experienced hands back of house. I'm told that the people behind this venue are the former owners of Kota Raya Malaysian food in Elsternwick. The Kota Rayas long had a reputation for the best Hainan Chicken rice in the southern suburbs. So naturally both the Hainan and roast chicken rice dishes are notable. In the stir fried dishes the wok hei - breath of the wok - is all there, especially in the cha hor fun. The focus is Nonya hawker food, so you won't find Mamak(indian) specialities like mee goreng, but you will observe that there's a specials board, an occasional dessert special like durian crêpe cake and interesting menu items like the school prawn pancake. The curry puffs are tasty but I personally prefer the Singaporean style flaky pastry puffs containing hard boiled egg over at Mr Loys puff. Not a big deal. The chicken satays they call 'skewers' here are big, hearty and tasty. This generousity carries through to most dishes so if dining in the evening go with friends and share plates. The lunch menu has meal sets ideal for one person, plus the regular menu is available. The lunch special of pepper beef came with rice, fried wonton and salad. The drinks list is small but I am so hooked on their kumquat drink my eyes glaze over once they've read those words. There is outdoor seating for sunny days and those who lace their palate with nicotine. Take away is also available. Parking outside is 2 hours metered before 6:30pm weekdays. But just near Victoria Barracks it is also accessible by Sturt Street and St.Kilda Road trams. After four visits I still haven't exhausted the menu. I'll definitely be back. Hey - might see you there?

Don't go to this restaurant! They have minimum $30 for you to use visa or any card! But not just…read morethat - we were order some take away and it's $50. But we would like to order some vegetables , they are ask us again to spend another $30 to be able to use card ! This is ridiculous! We will definitely not go back to this restaurant, not just cus their ridiculous unreasonable policies but for as customers just spend $50 and they dare to ask for another $30 to just use the card ! If there's 0 star rating! I would put that in here for them! The food is also too sweet and full of sugar! No other flavor at all.