I came here for lunch and got the spicy boiled fish lunch special and switched out the rice with noodles. I expected the noodles just to be dumped into the spicy boiled fish, but out came a huge bowl of soup noodles. I ended up scooping the noodles out of that soup into the fish sauce instead, much better. I think they used a lot of MSG though because I was pretty thirsty afterward. The fish was a bit floury I think, but the spicy flavor was great. The price was fair at 12 AUD for the great amount of food. read more

Spicy Fish Restaurant - spicy fish - Chinese Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Mentioned Szechuan food to the local, you will most likely be referred to Spicy Fish. Immensely popular and centrally located, precisely next to Target Center in Chinatown. I came here many moons ago for their full set dinner menu, and honestly, I don't remember much of it. This time around, came for the lunch menu and I must say, I was pretty impressed. Deep fried chicken with chili. The crunchiest chicken ever, covered with piles of dried chilies. Although it almost looks explosive, it also tastes so good that you might not be able to stop. Service was decent, unless you asked for them, they will mostly leave you alone to enjoy your meal. The ambiance is quite welcoming, feels very clean and new. Also do check out their lunch specials (Mon-Fri until 4 p.m), which listed some of their popular dishes for $10. xx! :) Tip: Mins $20 & no splits bills...boo! read more

Spicy Fish Restaurant - Deep fried chicken with lotta dried chili underneath. - Chinese Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

After a hellish flight from LA to Melbourne, a large pot of sinus clearing soup sounded perfect. After a quick walk around China Town we found our answer; Behold! The Man Maker; http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/spicy-fish-melbourne?select=wZ8Hlc0RpMGZa84BfughOw#MV43USTwt2j3dOPQvR5toA It's hard to tell from Yelp's scaled down image but that huge bowl was a solid mass of tender white-fish soaked in chili oil and littered with Thai peppers and all manner of capsicum. While it wasn't a sharp spice, the slow build stretched to the heights of my tolerance. I would have shied away sooner had the flavor not been so on point and the fish so good. This dish alone was worth the visit. Beyond the restaurant's namesake dish, the pork belly was everything you want from fatty pig stomach; fork-tender and jelly like fat with falling apart meat under it; http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/spicy-fish-melbourne?select=wZ8Hlc0RpMGZa84BfughOw#5PcWxvtQGfqpeVSjad7OVQ The whole fried shrimp were also another treat worth trying; http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/spicy-fish-melbourne?select=wZ8Hlc0RpMGZa84BfughOw#CaK3mtFl6_clOkmsr0ZPyQ Overall it was a great meal with portions way too large for two weary travelers. I'd go back. read more

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I first heard of this place a few years ago when I lived in Auckland. My boyfriend wouldn't shut up about some magical far away utopia called Spicy Fish. All I could think was what kind of name for a restaurant is 'Spicy fish'? I was not prepared for what I was about to discover upon moving to Melbourne. (From this point onwards, I'm talking about the dish 'Spicy Fish'. Because why would you order anything else?) My father in law couldn't handle it - he said it was a whole new dimension of spicy. It transported his tastebuds to a place so far away, so foreign, that they were left tired and unusable for days even after they found their way home. It burned. He is WEAK. Spicy Fish is a brilliant combination of soft, salty and spicy. If you haven't had any form of Szechuan fish before, it will BLOW YOUR MIND. You've never tasted anything like this. It's radically different from any fish you've ever eaten. If you like it, it will leave you craving more. Note that if you order it from the main menu it comes in a swimming pool sized bowl of red chilli oil - WAY too much for one person. You're probably not going out for dinner alone, though, so you should be safe with two people. I'd also recommend some of their dumplings and a spring onion pancake. I've noticed that a lot of the haters didn't order the Spicy Fish... WHY WOULD YOU GO TO A PLACE CALLED SPICY FISH AND NOT ORDER THE DISH CALLED SPICY FISH? But yeah, I'll agree that service can be a little bit shocking. If you're upset about the cost, my advice is go on a weekday at lunch time - you can get a glorious, craving quenching portion of fish, rice and pickled bamboo shoots for only $10. Bam. read more

Spicy Fish Restaurant - Spicy Fish. - Chinese Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

After Dainty Szechuan I didn't think I could find a place that really hit the mark, but the other Yelp reviews were not wrong. We waited nearly 30 minutes on a Friday night and watched as many glorious plates came flying out of the kitchen. Finally it was our turn and after carefully reviewing the menu, we made our selections. Stand out dishes were: sweet potato noodles in hot and sour soup (spicy), honey walnut prawns (mild), wontons in chill oil (medium spicy) and fried green beans. Everything we ordered was great but those were my favourites. Service is fast once you are seated. They want you in and out quickly, however we ordered a bottle of wine and it took us awhile to finish it. Prices are on par with other similar establishments. Decor and ambiance is average. This is probably where Dainty Szechuan wins out. Our table was next to another that was basically in the pantry, so we had a view of the refrigerators. They could work on making it a bit more presentable. Overall it was a delicious meal and I would recommend it for your spicy Chinese food fix! read more

Spicy Fish Restaurant - Plates of goodness - Chinese Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Their eyes. Their eyes. Their tiny little fried salt-and-pepper whitebait eyes, staring up at me. I can't take it. I have to eat them all. It's the decent thing to do. (Lucky me, they're tasty). read more

Spicy Fish Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Hmm well as the name implies, the food here is spicy. A few friends and i came here and just like many places in China Town, served pretty average food. We were seated straight away and ordered. The wait staff were nice and took our orders quickly. The food came out and i was shocked at how much chilli they put into the food! There was mounds of chilli in my friends Chicken, and my veggies were quite spicy as well. To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of spicy food but do enjoy it occasionally. This was severe over-kill. Not only did the i find the meals to be 'eh', after the bill came i almost had a heart attack. Eating in Chinatown I'm use to paying around the $50 or $60 but we got knocked with $100 for three mains and a bottle of wine. read more

Spicy Fish Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Delicious Szechwan chili oil fish, Shanghai noodles were tasty. Xiao long bao aren't the best, but tasty if you're craving xlb. Portions are generous. Service was excellent. read more

Bring your appetite or a few dining partners for some mighty big portions of Szechuan food. My housemate and I had a hankering for Kung Po chicken and were not disappointed. We ended up with a mountain of delicious and spicy chicken for around $20. Between the two of us, that really would have been suffice which would have worked out to be a cheap meal. We were too intrigued by the Szechuan fish though, so we ordered that and ended up with an enormous bowl of fish, swimming in chilli oil. Everything was tasty and very spicy (to our liking), but we couldn't come close to finishing the food. Would definitely bring more people or order much less food next time! read more

Delicious food - very authentic - great service, very quick to bring out meals. I found the pricing to be reasonable, they have quiet a few options for apitizers around the $6-7 mark. we order serveral to share for the table. read more

It's been 4 years since I left Aussie land having spent a total of 9 (combined) months down under for work: I still remember a few great things about Melbourne; but what would you think this Southern US Gent remembers the MOST about Australia? None other than my FAVORITE Eatery: The Spicy Fish on Little Bourke! The signature dish (The Spicy Fish) with all its glory, is all that is cracked up to be! It is Not for the faint of heart as the name well befits the dish.....nothing but Good Ole' SPICY Eating Goodness of tender fish and fresh vegetables in the super hot delicious broth!! Still miss my Bundy, The Footy games, our Friday Morning 'Big English Breakfast' wake me up gathering at the Roozervelts on Collins Place Food Court, as well as some of the best hidden 'Red' gems of the the Great Yarra Valley Wine region; BUT the one place that truly takes me back to Wonderful Melbourne is this 'Little Joint': The Spicy Fish!!! Guys...You need to really think about expanding to the Washington DC region! We are a nice culinary bunch here in need of a GREAT place like the Spicy Fish! Cheers!! read more

Been here twice and every time the food has been spot on. I recommend trying some of their speciality dishes and especially dishes you don't see at your run of the mill Australian-Chinese restaurant. Looking for authentic Chinese with popping flavors? Spicy fish is one of my go to spots. I recommend the steam fish, it had the melt in your mouth texture! read more

Traditional Chinese restaurant with real Chinese dishes, like jellyfish salad, eel with mushrooms, cold salte duck, dumplings. You can also try some kangaroo or crocodile. read more

Spicy Fish Restaurant - Eel with mushrooms - Chinese Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Since moving to Melb I've been looking for a small Asian place that serves alcohol (for a working lunch) and great food, but it not overpriced... Well this is it. What is even better is that there is a bottle shop next door that substantially expands your wine list and for a $2.00 corkage well worth it So many dishes that are fantastic but a favourite of mine is the dried chilli chicken with more chilli than your have ever seen on a plate Also tried the chilli mud crab which had great flavour unfortunately a little overcooked for my liking Other than that I'll be back again and again read more

On the more costly side of restaurants in Chinatown. The staff are neither friendly nor rude. The is amazing. Good authentic Chinese food that doesn't hold the chilli or the flavour. read more

I only come here for the weekday lunch deals. The spicy fish with rice or noodles is delicious. It comes with big chunks of fish fillet swimming in a little clay-pot of authentically oily, very spicy soup, accompanied by lots of peppers and bean-sprouts. At less than $10, it's fantastic value. read more

Spicy Fish Restaurant - Spicy fish noodles () - Chinese Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

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The food at Spicy Fish is undeniable in my experience. The prices, however, are pretty drastically high and the service can often be lacking. If you head to Spicy Fish, you should take it on the authority of the name that they specialise in extra spicy food. Their speciality dish is Szechuan fish, which is basically buried in a soup of live chillis. So er, Steven S, what did you expect? If you can break through the spice, you enter a world of flavour in Szechuan cooking that you don't find anywhere. Underneath the heat, there is this intensity of tart flavour that you feel to your bones. It's an endorphin rush like nothing else. You sweat, you eat more, your eyes water but you push through the pain into a brave new world of taste. There are also plenty of non spicy dishes on the menu and the gyoza here are awesome for a starter. It just sucks that for the price, you don't really get that well looked after and wait times can be excessive. Be warned. read more

Been there for the first time. Tried the spring rolls, sha long bao, vegetarian fried rice. The food was good. Typical chinese food. But no wow factor.. food service is not good because we had waited 15 minutes for the rice to come after serving the t other dishes very quick.. well I understand its lunch and very busy but they should put out the meals all at once. read more

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Disappointed. I am traveling on holiday, from New York City where my partner and I frequently eat Chinese in the LES and Flushing for some decent restaurants that we love. Expecting similar or better, we received dishes (eggplant and chicken) loaded with grease. Not just covered but actually soaking in soup of grease, lacking flavor. After 2-3 bites and attempts, we gave up. Staff were not understanding. Avoid this place. Plenty of other options around. Not worth the money. This place lacks authenticity, quality and flavor. read more

If you like traditional Szechuan spicy food then come here. They have many traditional items that you may see in China. My favorite is the numbing, hot fried chicken and the mapo tofu. I have been coning here for over a year and sometimes I just get "take out" which is perfect. The dumplings are ok, but what they are known for. read more

Great service, very good food. Spicy is part of their name for a good reason. We had the least spicy dishes and that was right for us. Take your waiters advice. read more

The waitress was talking around but not serving the guests; that's what I saw when I had dinner there. And their spicy fish was not like the one I had in Sichuan. Their seafood was a little bit smelly. read more

The food's good value money, but the service is terrible. Especially the three Taiwanese waitress who were rude and acted like children through out the meal. They forgot our order and when I was trying to speak to them about it they burst out laughing and walked away mid sentence. I won't go back as long as those girls work there! read more

It was ok. Others with me seemed to have enjoyed the food where I just found my Chicken noodles bland and needing a bit of spice or something (ironic I know). Apart from the food, the service was good and the place overall had a good atmosphere. read more

Your trip to Chinatown is incomplete without dining here. They have a huge variety of dumplings and their chill chicken is the highlight.

Walked into this place seeing a fair number of people inside. The portions were big and generous but I did not enjoy the taste. The red chile chicken came hit but was too greasy for me - one could see the deep fried oil all over. The green beans with minced port were also oily and I felt they were stir fired in old oil. Over all, not a good experience. read more

A friend brought me to this restaurant that serves Sichuan cuisine. The sighnature dish is the spicy fish. Food was generally good.

Rude manager, food was okey ... we had the Shanghai dumplings which were dry, such a shame because it came highly recommended. Was really looking forward to having a meal, the Asian greens were nice and the fried rice we suspect had MSGs read more

Really disappointed. We came here as a group on my recommendation as I liked it the last time I went and it wasn't too expensive. Well a year from then and it has really gone downhill. Everything was just so salty. We ordered many different dishes but the chili flavours of each very different dish just weren't nuanced enough. Everything just tasted the same. We even tried the spicy fish dish but it just wasn't impressive. Overall it was the saltiness and overly oiliness of the food that ruined it for us. Sadly I won't be going back. read more

Spicy fish is the worst restaurant EVER because: 1. The food is so so 2. You have to wait anywhere between 15-45 minutes to get a table. 3. Once you do get a table you get shoved in a corner and have to perform circus tricks to get the attention of a waitress 4. Once you do get the attention of the waitress she will force you to order a minimum of $20 per head. Please note, this can only include mains or entrees NOT dessert!!!! 5. There were four of us so obviously we had spent way more than $20 per head but once we were done with our dinner we got this huge lecture from the host that went like this "I cannot waste my time on people who come here and sit for three hours ( we had been there only for 1.5 hours after waiting for 45 minutes!)and bring their own wine(its a BYO restaurant) please buy wine from here next time!!! we can't keep making dessert for you!! We need people to leave fast so that we can make more money!!) 6. I think its plain racist cos there were other people sitting there who seemed to have ordered lesser but did not seem to get the lecture. Of course they were Australian or British! SO PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE!!!! read more

I was walking through china town and the door was open to the street so I could see into the kitchen. As a chef I am always curious to see chefs work. What I saw was shocking. There was garbage on the floor which had been swept into a pile. The chef used his wok shovel (stirring utensil) to scoop the garbage up and poured it into a bin. He then continued to stir fry with the same wok shovel. I walked into the restaurant and informed the manager. Hopefully he fired this guy. Do not eat here. read more

Worst service ever, wait for 45 minutes forgot to make the order , the waiter is suck too

Ive never eaten chinese food as good as I have there and I have travelled all over Australia