In the heart of Chinatown is the Daughter in Law restaurant. Brought and colorful and billed as…read more'the unauthorized Australian Chinese restaurant'. We had the great lamb chops as well as delicious garlic naan. You've got to try the Ball of Happiness - a hollow shell that you pour mint, yogurt and tamarind sauces into and eat it in one bite. Excellent!

As a Indian food lover I had to absolutely try some in Melbourne while I'm here. Went to Daughter…read morein law last night. Now not your typical Indian restaurant. This was kinda upbeat, trendy hipster a little bit. I did enjoy the music very much while there. Service was good. I would say it was a very solid 4 stars . More closure to 4.5 Just not the insane depth of flavors like I've had in many other places but good non the less. Had the lamb Rojan Josh. And we did the naan Bread and condiments sampler.

I like this place. It's simple but delicious Indian vegetarian food. And for those of you who think…read more"vegetarian" can't mean "filling" -- well, you need to try this place! The potatoes, lentils, chickpeas, rice, naan bread, and unlimited refills make for a very filling meal, and the flavours are very nice. Plus, you can't beat the price. It's $6.50 for all-you-can-eat vegetarian thali. It comes served in an ugly metal platter with raised partitions that makes you feel vaguely like you're in institutionalised home -- or prison. Luckily, all you have to do is look up and around you to realise that you're actually in a pleasant, cozy place -- the atmosphere is nice, cheap and cheerful, with brightly painted walls and a view out onto Elizabeth Street. They also have a variety of sides like samosas that you can order, as well as a few drinks (mango lassi, etc.) It's definitely authentic-tasting Indian food, as well -- as evidenced by the fact that many of the patrons here are Indian themselves. This place also supports the homeless -- anyone who is hungry and needs a meal but can't pay is welcome at Om for a free meal between 3pm and 5pm. For vegans, note that the vegetarian thali is all-vegan, but specify when you order so they make you vegan naan bread. (The naan bread by default is non-vegan, but they don't mind making it vegan for you.) Also, the mango lassi and a few of their desserts contain dairy, so just be aware. There are 4 locations of Om Vegetarian -- one near Southern Cross, one at Capitol Arcade between Collins and Little Collins, one at Wales Arcade between Collins and Flinders Lane, and this one (Elizabeth Street, just north of Flinders Street station). I've been to this one and the Capitol Arcade one and definitely prefer this one in terms of atmosphere. To get to this one, you have to go into the Gurkhas Institute Building and go up the stairs. It may seem a bit confusing at first, like you're going the wrong way, but you'll find it :) It's definitely worth it. (There are lifts as well.)

It's all about the naan. ALL ABOUT THE NAAN…read more Omg. Delicious bready goodness to sop up the amazing curry on your plate without shame as you eat with your hands. I don't know what the dishes are called and one day I plan to learn but it changes every month or so. If you ever find them serving a yellow curry yogurt potato dish PLEASE CALL ME. I have been hanging out for that to come back on the menu since forever. They also rock an excellent lentil dish and their spice/curry ratio is just perfect - enough to hit the taste buds but not to make you cry. Get on that mango lassi too - a sweet treat to balance out all that curry. Also don't be afraid to try the little sweet treats they put on your plate - I hesitated at the ghee nut and carrot mix that was sitting under my naan once but then it put it in my mouth and it was delicious. Apart from all the good food is the good vibes this place is rocking. Instant inner peace, well almost. And at $6.50... I actually couldn't ask for more from a place.

This has to be the best vegetarian fare in Australia. Reminds me so much of a yoga retreat I went…read moreon a few years back. Perfectly balanced curries combine with fresh salsa with important items like chick peas and quinoa. Top it with tahini dressing and down with mango lassi (the best I have ever had). A perfect meal! And then there is cake.....

Great value for money at this place, which is run by Hare Krishnas and is completely vegetarian…read more(with heaps of clearly-labelled vegan options). It's located up a staircase on Swanston Street. Look for the white sign that says "Vegan Vegetarian" and the stairs that seem (oddly enough) to lead straight to a men's restroom and you've found it, ha! They have salads, curries, a few sides like samosas and pies, a couple of desserts, and three drink options. You can load up on rice, 2 curries and 2 salads for only $9.50. Or you can do the Vegan Platter, which is what I did -- rice, 2 curries, 2 salads, dessert, and drink for $11.95. Throw in a soup for $12.95 (the "Feast Plate.") Or you can just pick and choose which curries or salads you want from the display case, although this isn't as good a value for your money as the platters because each salad and curry is $4.50, which adds up fast. The food here is good but not great. Their hot food is way better than their salads, which are bland and uninspired. But the curries are hearty and warming and flavourful. I got the vegetable kofta ball (amazing) and the kidney bean curry (yummy) with the cold chickpea salad (boring) and the beetroot salad (meh). You can choose your dressing on the salads -- two of three are vegan. I got the tahini and it wasn't a very nice tahini. But the nice flavours of the hot food, dessert, and drink made up for it. They have 1 vegan dessert -- when I was there it was a date, raisin, and cashew halwa -- delicious! For the drink I chose the lemon and mint, which was light, sweet, and refreshing. Other places similar to this are Crossways (close by) and the Om Vegetarian locations (there are four). All are Hare Krishna vegetarian places with cheap, tasty food. I find Gopal's to be the one with the nicer, sleeker atmosphere, with its trendy hanging light bulbs and dim lighting and white walls, whereas the Om Vegetarians and Crossways are more into fluourescent lighting and brightly painted walls, giving off more of a "cheap and cheerful and maybe a little dirty" vibe. The food choices are also more varied at Gopal's. All of these places are great value for money, but if you're dining with more of a pickier friend, I'd probably say choose Gopal's.

The Vegan Collective is a new food stall that's part of the Queen Victoria Winter Night Markets…read moreevery Wednesday night. It's great to have a 100% vegan option at the Queen Vic night markets, which for years have been very heavy on the meat. Not to mention, the food here is YUM. Right now they have 5 things on the menu, all vegan: - Middle Eastern Open Wrap - Japanese Udon Noodles - Yellow Lentil and Coconut Curry - Laksa Noodle Soup - Sesame Crusted Tofu I've had the Middle Eastern Open Wrap and the Laksa Noodle Soup. My friend had the Yellow Lentil and Coconut Curry. All very tasty. The Middle Eastern Open Wrap was my favourite -- it's probably one of the best falafel wraps I've had in a long time, and it seemed like a real step up from the junky kind you get at kebab shops. This one actually tasted somewhat "gourmet," if you know what I mean. Real thought was put into the flavours and the sauce, which was delicious. The laksa was OK -- a bit messy to eat if you can't find a seat and you have to stand around awkwardly holding the bowl in one hand and trying to navigate with your chopsticks/spoon in the other. (I'm bad with chopsticks anyway and nearly stabbed myself in the eye at one point.) This food stall is located next to the Sri Lankan food stall, away from the main row of food stalls, so you kinda have to hunt for it. It's further south than the main row of food stalls, if that makes sense -- kind of in the middle of the building, with more of the non-food stuff. On the plus side, that means the queue is much shorter than at other food stalls! Prices are right in line with every other food stall at the Queen Vic Night Market -- i.e., a couple of dollars overpriced, but you're paying for the atmosphere of the place. Really great food stall. I'll be back.

Their service and staff are perfect and very hospitable and friendly. Their menu has only few item…read morebut they are all vegetarian and all are very tasty and yummy.

At The White Lotus you'll find a casual and friendly atmosphere. Food-wise the place offers great…read moremeals with a standard price range accordingly to the dish. Overall a great quality restaurant.

I'm giving this place 5 stars because I love it! This is like coming home for dinner - friendly,…read morecosy and warm. The decor is a bit dated but the food is always consistent and absolutely delicious! Try the wonton soup, sweet and sour pork and the fried rice is awesome! Best to book ahead because they're only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Enjoy!

I came here with some friends on night. One of them has been here before and she really liked it,…read moreso I was excited to try out this mock meat restaurant. For 8 people, we ordered 6 banquets and one additional main dish and wow, there was a lot of food! Some of the "meat" dishes was more convincing than others. (I really liked the duck. The beef was a good attempt.) But more importantly, the sauces and spices were balanced very well with the mock meat, so each dish was great. None of them made you feel "here is a failed attempt at mock meat that tastes terrible" because even the not-as-convincing dishes tasted great. The menu can be quite entertaining, because most of the plate names don't have the word "mock" in them. So as I read something like "sizzling beef," I thought "I'm vegetarian, so I can't order this," and then I realized "oh, this is actually sizzling mock beef!" I wonder if it would be possible to bring a friend into the restaurant and trick him/her into thinking it was all real meat!

Every so often you come across a restaurant that will keep on dragging you back, it's cheap, it's…read moreeasy, the food is fantastic... Enlightened Cuisine is one of those restaurants. Sort of. Though maybe not for the right reasons. As a vegetarian living in Southbank I have eaten here a number of times and have always found the food to be rather hit and miss. Sometimes everything will be fantastic and other times you will leave the restaurant with the sneaking suspicion that you've just wasted your money. While not overly expensive, Enlightened still isn't exactly cheap for the quality of the food that you're getting - you're going to struggle to find a main on the menu for under $20 and some meals really feel like they should be priced in the 12-15 dollar range. Don't get me wrong - I have eaten here may times and enjoyed myself - the beef with black bean sauce is excellent and the chicken with satay is definitely a worth a try, but the good meals can be let down by others which don't quite match up. The vegetable and oyster sauce for instance comes accross as rather bland and oily and there are a number of dishes where the msg tickles at the back of your throat just a little too much. My advice is to turn up with a few people and order a number of different dishes and share them so that you can find out what you do like and what you don't - the menu is rather expansive so it may take you a number of visits to find something that you really like - once you do however you will probably end up coming back. After all there aren't that many mock meat places in the area to choose from, decent or other wise.

Good, simple, wholesome, cheap food from a Hari Krishna place on Swanston Street, upstairs one…read morelevel. The meals are basic curries and rice, rotated based on the day of the week -- they have Thai curries, red beans and rice, Malaysian curries, and Indian curries. The food is basic but very flavorful. The meals are hearty and warm, which is especially great on a cold dreary day (of which Melbourne has many, even in summer.) Crossways is very cheap -- the standard meal + dessert + drink is $8.95. If you have a concession card, it's $5.95. It's all-you-can-eat, so if you're really hungry, this place is excellent value for money. Note that it is more expensive for take-away -- I'm not really sure why they do this, as many eateries do the opposite -- but maybe the takeaway containers add up in price for them or something. Most of the food is vegan, but if you're vegan, make sure to tell them that when you're paying because they might have to give you a special dessert instead of the regular one. (They use some dairy in their cooking.) In terms of atmosphere, Crossways feels vaguely institutional, like you're eating in a school cafeteria. They have a mix of ordinary small round tables and then several long rectangular share tables. When you get your cafeteria tray with your meal and dessert on it, and you turn around and face the room and all those share tables, you'll have flashbacks to primary or high school. And then you have to choose which clique you'll sit with -- the cool girls? the band geeks?! the sporty people?!? the cheerleaders?!? In the case of Crossways, there are no cliques but rather a mix of people from all walks of life -- elderly retired people, young students, thirty-something hipsters, Indian professionals, you name it. And maybe a band geek or two. The Hare Krishna-ess of the place is noticeable. One wall has a bookshelf filled with spiritual books for sale, and there are Hare Krishna posters and signs everywhere. But you don't feel pressured to convert in exchange for your meal or anything -- it's more like they're saying, "The information is here if you want it!" Upstairs, they have a yoga/meditation studio and a lounge area that you are welcome to relax in. The yoga/meditation studio often runs special nights where you can take a yoga class or meditation class along with a cheap meal. (Google "Urban Yoga.") When you're done eating your meal, make sure to be a good diner and take your food up to the front right-hand side of the room and stack your empty dishes there. As you're leaving the restaurant, you can ring the little bell to signify "thank you, I enjoyed my meal." Or just to annoy the crap out of all the other diners. Definitely worth a visit if you're looking for inexpensive, hearty food in the CBD.

This place is a gem, main with two curries and rice, desert and a drink $9:50, concession price…read moreavail. Lovely friendly service, delicious vegan veggie food

It's hard to really rate places like this. That being said, you won't likely find a better deal…read morethan this super-cheap all-you-can-eat vegetarian place. They'll give you a couple of very basic curries, rice, and fresh bread delivered to your table (buttered, though they will give you a vegan one if you prefer). If you pay a bit more, you get a drink (which they managed not to give me through some confusion) and a samosa (which was delicious). I went back for seconds and thirds (on small portions) and was a rather satisfied weary traveler. It has a religious bent, but not a pushy one, and was certainly a good enough experience to justify the price. If you want a nice restaurant, pay real money and eat elsewhere. There are several locations of this place in downtown Melbourne. Notably, they also offer to feed the hungry for free during the slow hours of the day from 3-5. Not that I expect that the homeless citizens of Melbourne are likely to be perusing Yelp for this information, but it's a nice thing to know that this place is doing it.

If you are looking for a simple and affordable vegetarian meal in the CBD, OM is the place to go…read more It is located in a building on Swanston/Collins Street. However, you won't miss it as there's a guy standing outside the building on Swanston Street's side with a sign board saying "All you can eat $6.50". The $6.50 meal is a standard 2 veg curries/dhal with butter naan and rice. They also have other meal options and smaller dishes/desserts. Compliment your meal with a cup of mango lassi! This keeps me going till end of the day. Oh, I must add - lovely staff too!

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.

Enjoyed a nice meal at the bar. Sampled 4-5 small dishes that the bartender recommended. I really…read moreenjoyed my cocktail but the food was a little on the salty side for my taste. Overall, a decent Asian fusion restaurant and very trendy atmosphere.

The staff were nice and accommodating, but the flavors weren't impressive. Reservations needed I'd…read moresay if more than 2 people or eating after 6p