Where do I even start? The Village People had my taste buds singing. I came and was serenaded by…read moretheir food and service and oh- just everything about it. The dishes are meant for sharing. So look at what you want to choose, and order up. We ordered the Ma Hor (Caramelised Pork and Prawn with Peanuts and Pineapple) and Larb Kai (Chicken Larb with Ground Chicken, Chilli, Mint, Roasted Rice, Hot and Sour Dressing and Prawn Crackers) as starters. The main was Poo Nim Pad Pong Ka Ree (Stir-Fried Soft Shell Crab with Curry Powder, Chinese Celery and Garlic Chives) and a side of roti. Now tell me, doesn't reading that just make your mouth water thinking about the flavor combos? Don't lie. For me, there was delight in every bite, and flavor up the wazoo. The caramelized pork and prawn was tasty to sticky and tasty to start this food-venture. The chicken larb was zesty and had none of that fresh chicken taste, it was masked so well with seasoning. The soft shell crab had a rich creamy sauce to it with a certain twang I don't even know how to describe. Holy moly guys. I mean holy flipping moly. It's been a while since I had such a beautifully crafted meal. What's a good meal without good drinks? We had the coconut margarita and the Arthur's Tree. Can I just say omg yum? The fig tequila paired so well with the starters, it was one of those in sync things you just don't question in life. The location is perfect, the setting and decor was fitting with dark wood, and plants in tea pots. Service was remarkable. Not lying, every single person who greeted us, came by our table, brought us food, every single one of them checked in on us and made sure we were good. The meals came out promptly, it was one dish done okay next dish, next, the timing was mechanic. Plus side - you can eat here and not leave feeling stuffed in an unhealthy guilty way. Just satisfied as the happiest of campers. How does a restaurant leave someone in such awe? Go to The Village People Hawker Food Hall and find out for yourself.

Omg the food here is amazing! Lots of seating both indoors and outdoors. Outdoor seating has quite…read morestrong heating which is ideal for freezing Melbourne weather. Portion sizes are great. Thank you village hall for not being stingy with portion sizes. By far I've had the best Asian food here in Melbourne. A fusion of flavours drawing from Burma, Thailand, China and Malaysia is the cuisine style of the village hall. We ordered the pork and chicken ball which is fried pork with rice, peanuts, dried red chilli, cucumber and roast chicken. Ir does not come as a ball but as a massive plate of rice with ample pieces of crispy pork and chicken. It is sweet, spicy, crispy, nutty and fresh tasting. The Burmese chicken red curry comes with onion, ginger, chilli jam, roti and lime. It is seriously the best red curry I've ever had. It's garnished with crispy noodles. The chicken is tender. The curry is thick. The barramundi curry is a looker. You get an entire dish with scales and all and it has been cut for you. It's crispy and sweet in a watery sweet and sour sauce. The pineapples were so tough and inedible. Pros Great service Awesome portion sizes Delicious infusion of flavours Cons Dim lighting All the food comes out at once and trying to fit it all means eating out of your lap or eating at a rapid pace. Only one main and one starter is required between two people. Wish the waiter has warned us.

I always look forward to Friday night dinners and was especially looking forward to Hellenic…read moreRepublic since it had been raved about by a fellow yelper who goes here often as well as my client friend who had been here once and was ready to go back in a heartbeat. I booked for the 6.15pm seating on a Friday which is for two hours. Due to traffic, we got there at 7pm having informed the restaurant beforehand that we were running late. We were told that we would only have the table until 8.15pm and I jokingly said well that's fine as long as the food comes out quickly. It was quite busy and very very noisy and by 7pm, my friend and I were starving. We ignored the drinks menu and went straight for the food. My friend had had the Saganaki, Cauliflower Salad and the Lamb Shoulder before and wanted to have it again. The thick pita bread looked quite enticing but I decided I would save my appetite for the lamb and cheese as my friend had warned me that both dishes were quite heavy. Food arrived quite quickly. The saganaki covered in sweet glazed figs was quite bland and very stretchy. The cold figs were a stark comparison to the stretchy fried cheese that was just impossible to cut. I've had fried cheese in Eastern Europe and Saganaki at other Greek restaurants and this was no different or special. It lacked flavour. Was just fried cheese. Then, the cauliflower salad arrived. It was still quite raw and was surrounded by dollops of wasabi mayo. I could barely taste the wasabi. The fried onion/zucchini like veggie covered in sesame tasted nice but again it lacked salt. My friend kept saying that previously when she had this dish, the wasabi had her nose stinging but that this wasabi didn't even taste like wasabi. I couldn't taste anything either. So, now we had two really bland dishes. Hence, we had to do the most dreadest thing ever - request the salt and pepper shakers. So, we hailed a waitress and asked for some condiments. She crinkled her face and came back with wooden salt and pepper shakers. Both of us took turns at each of the shakers, twisting clockwise and then anti-clockwise, and nothing came out of both of them. Surely, we couldn't both be so hopeless with these shakers. I mean it wasn't rocket science. We even shook them, looked for a hidden opening and nothing. They were empty. We called another waitperson and told him about our predicament. He seemed confused and brought us little saucers of visible salt and pepper. Had the waitress played a prank on us? The salt and pepper made some difference, but yeah the food was still average. Then, the lamb shoulder arrived. Yes, it fell off the bone and was tender but despite the squeeze of lemon and the small garnishing of parsley chutney, it was bland. My friend again said that last time she had had this dish, it had a cinammony flavour. Something was seriously wrong. Why were all three dishes so average? We then asked for the bill. It arrived swiftly and we asked for split payment. 35 minutes passed. We asked to make a payment again. Another 20 minutes passed. Then we asked to pay again, we were told that we could stay in our seats for as long as we wanted as tables had been moved around for us. We said we wanted to pay for our bill. We waited and waited and asked 3 more people. An hour and 15 minutes later, we were able to make our payment. So much drama. Both of us felt full (portion sizes are quite good) but not satiated. What a disappointment for a Friday night! :(

first time back since their renovations... food is still pretty good .. we took out the guess work…read moreand went for the $59 set. of the memorable I think would be the cauliflower croquette!! mouth watering soft centre... and the rice pudding desert. very airy and balanced with just the right amount of sweetness... having said that... if after a supposed $59 pp price tag and all I could remember was a croquette n awesome desert!! something's wrong here! I got served bowl of chips, a bowl of lentils and salad.... amongst small serving of swordfish on skewers, 1 scallop each.... and for main slow cooked chicken n lamb shoulder... it's lost the wow for me in all honesty... and for the price tag I think I better go elsewhere for the same non wow but still great Greek food.. YMMV

I'd been walking past this place quite often, namely because I work in the area, and have been…read moremeaning to check it out for quite a while. One afternoon I decided to do just that and I have to admit that it was okay, but nothing really all that fantastic. They call themselves a Pan Asian Beer Bar, and seem to be providing an alternative to the Asian Beer Cafe upstairs. It is a bit flashier than the other, but it really didn't grab me as much. Sure, it is much easier to get a seat, and the décor is nice, though the beer selection didn't seem to be all that huge. While it is fairly convenient, it isn't one of those places that I'd probably go back to all that often.

This is a great little hidden secret in the Elizabeth street end of the Melbourne Central Shopping…read moreCentre. Tucked away in Menzies Alley is Monkey King, a Bar/Restaurant inspired by the Chinese 16th century novel 'Journey to the west'. Beers are served in the usual pots and pints, but there is no sign of any old scratchy plastic jugs that other bars seem to prefer. Instead they use over sized ceramic teapots to serve beer in, which is a nod to the prohibition times of the 1920's. The waiter guided us through the menu, which is designed to share and took us on the Monkey King journey through China, Korea and India. We selected the Beef skewers and a assortment of dumplings to start with, then shared the curry of the day, which was a velvety Malaysian chicken curry. Once we finished dinner we moved into the bar area and treated to a live acoustic duo. Which was a great way to finish the night. Monkey King has something different every night from free entertainment to a Mario Kart Comp every Thursday. The team at Monkey King are genuinely keen on making sure you enjoy your experience. Cheers Monkey King looking forward to our next journey together.

Amazing!!!!!!! The food is incredible!! The stir fried beef…read morewith lemongrass was absolute favourite!! Also fried rice was delish, grilled chicken... yum!!!! Salt & pepper Squid was a bit oily and tasteless but tender.

Cheap but good quality & tasty food. Quality of service is only so so…read more For their "Bun" selection (vermicelli salad with fish sauce), you can mix & match the meat choices at an extra cost, although it doesn't specify on the menu. If you're deciding on a drink, try their "custard apple" smoothie - I put inverted commas because it's actually soursop, not custard apple - many Vietnamese restaurants get this wrong since these 2 fruits look similar.

I will start with service Monday night no smiles looking like the 2 girls wished they were…read moreelsewhere. Table was filthy asking for it to be wiped I was met with a blank I'll get to it eventually look . The bar lady was wearing sweat pants wtf . The atmosphere was good despite the staff . Ordering a Rib Eye Medium my partner the Irish Stew her meal looked great mine ....Rare . Reluctantly my partner asking what happened with my steak No apologies just ripped it from my table to be heated up . My vegetables arrived so I ate them and waited Steak came back how I ordered it . Still no smiles from staff . My partner loved her stew which made me happy. So overall it was ok for food and ambience but the staff should get some hospitality training.

I'm sure some people like this pub, but as it turns out I'm not really one of those people. Then…read moreagain that probably does have a lot to do with it being an Irish Pub, and I certainly have got sick of them quite quickly, namely because they simply seem like they are everywhere, and really have very little to offer, which includes beers on tap. Oh, this place is also pretty small, which means that it does get quite crowded on a regular basis. Honestly, there are better places to go to in the city.

I have no idea who Polly is, but I will say that she is damn clever. In fact, let's nominate her…read morefor a Nobel-Frickin-Prize and get it over and done with. Fill an intimate space with warm lighting, pack it with natural wines and craft beer, throw in friendly staff and then shove in a tiny open kitchen producing great value and interesting food and you have yourself a winner. I really enjoyed my first experience here. The bread and olive oil is outstanding and a good way to line the stomach. You'll be offered more bread, but show some restraint because you'll want to save room for proper food. The menu is short, inventive and for the most part exceptional value. A slippery jack, liver and coffee dish clocks in at only $17 and is a really terrific combination of flavours and textures. A smoked sweet potato with onion puree was cheaper still and very satisfying even for meat-o-saurs like us. The Wallaby "carpaccio" is mis-leadingly named. It's less carpaccio and more rare steak meaning it's terrific value for those wanting a hunk of protein; the contrast of creamy macadamia nuts a great addition. The cheese plate ($30 for three small slithers), in comparison to these house-made dishes, seemed a tad expensive. Like Stephanie, I thought the glass pour was a little stingy and found better value in the carafe and bottle prices. Most of the wine is natural, which means you'll be trying some very interesting vino if you plunder the entire list. I don't know of any other bottle shop and/or restaurant in Australia that specialises purely in natural wines so I was pretty much in heaven with the selection. Also, did you know that natural wines generally have less/no preservatives added meaning less of a hangover in the morning? If you choose carefully this can be a really great experience. My advice is to stick to things that are cooked in house and drink bigger portions of wine! Pro tips: - This is also a bottle shop so buy something to take home, or just pop in when you want a bottle of something interesting. - Beer lover are also well taken care of with a huge craft selection. - At lunch time they do a $25 lunch special. 2 courses and a glass of wine!

Melbourne is a treasure trove of hidden gems and Clever Polly's is an exciting recent addition…read more Even living in the area, it took nearly six months to notice it. In fact, it took crossing paths with one of the staff, a veteran of the cafe scene, to become aware of its existence. Nestled amongst a block of hairdressers and small bars, Clever Polly's is an interesting concept of a restaurant crossed with a boutique wine bar and bottle shop. Its design like that of a typical cafe with a large communal table, long bar and a scattering of small tables - and it could almost be seen as one on a passing glance if it weren't for the giant wall of wine bottles. Seating on the bar gave an intimate view of the small and simple kitchen, consisting of a few induction cooktops and a toasting oven, and a focal point of the shiny red hand-cranked meat slicer. This is matched by the simple of powerful food menu. There is a selection of cured meats, starters, mains, cheeses and desserts, each with a handful of items. The menu caters for all with a mix of vegetarian, seafood and meat options. On this visit I went straight a main dish and opted for the Saltgrass lamb with beetroot, mustard greens and balsamic juice with a side of kipfler potatoes with chipotle mayo. My eyes have been opened to the world of beetroot. There is not one but three different style of beetroot in this dish - beetroot jam, pickled beetroot and golden beetroot. These unique flavours mix well with the tender and flavoursome lamb cuts, topped with a nice bite from the mustard leaves. The kipflers were a great side, cooked in duck fat and herbs and a spice kick, but not overpowering, from the chipotle mayo. Intrigued by the dessert selection, I finished with the Ginger poached peach on a bed of lavender and honeycomb parfait, topped a slice of burnt honey meringue. Words cannot describe this tantalising flavour combination. The sweet parfait and meringue combined with the still sweet but slight hint of spice from the ginger poaching. Divine. Coming from the children's book Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf - a story about a clever girl who outsmarts a wolf - Clever Polly's really is a testament to its name, with its exciting and smart dining concept.

There's a cinema out the back that you can hire out. It seats about 20 and you can show whatever…read moreyou want. You can't take food in there but you can take your perfect margarita or whatever classic cocktail you've ordered. The bartenders here are a talented lot. They know what they're doing and they'll make you a delicious drink, whatever that may be. The food is also great - simple flavours that really bring out the best in each dish. The room itself is pared back, elegant and not at all showy. I can't fault this bar. It's almost perfect, and that's the highest compliment I can pay it because to be absolutely perfect would be boring.

I gotta say, I don't frequent many 'bar' type bars, I'm generally more of a pub guy. LongPlay has…read morebeen a sweet awakening... The folk at LongPlay know about making the customer happy. They are super friendly, they serve very good cocktails, they play good tunes and they even show movies. They've started showing limited/no release films out the back here on a regular basis and their selections have had me intrigued. They'll pull out obscure rockumentaries and rarities and for this I salute them. My buddies turned me on to Handsome Sailors (the drink, not the seamen) and this spot has now become one of my favourites to stop in for a nightcap after dinner or a night out. We rocked up one night as the dude was locking up and he even opened the bar back up for us for just out of good nature. He even let us spin a few records and we did some cocktail sampling. He's a champ, this is a winner. Go there.

Loved the food here, great atmosphere and service. I chose the Steak sandwich and it was delicious…read more It was nice to have the music on the patio while we ate.

Hi my family and I were over from Adelaide for the weekend. We decided to go to your establishment…read moreon Saturday 20th July @1930. We walked in and walked straight up to the bar and asked the two gentlemen behind the bar if meals were still being served they replied YES take a menu sit anywhere and when your ready to order come back up. Now mind you my daughter was standing next to me with a starbucks drink. We found a table started looking at the menu when another gentlemen came up to the table and said you can't have that in here and moved it away from my daughter, he then lifted it up again and said you can't have that in here because we dont know what's in it. To which I replied my daughter is 13 what do you think is in it, we stood up and walked out. We found somewhere else to go. On returning to out hotel we walked past and I saw a family walking out and at least 3 off them had drink bottles on them that were NOT clear so my question is they were allowed too as adults but my 13 yr old daughter could not. We were so looking forward to eating there because we had heard so many great reviews.