The convenient location in Melbourne Central was the first thing that attracted us to this…read morerestaurant. The first time that we went here it was just for a light meal before a show but the food was so good that we agreed that we must return. We weren't disappointed. Although there is a mix of Chinese, Malay, Thai, Indian and other Asian dishes on the menu. This is no run of the mill Asian restaurant. The food is beautifully plated and it looks as good as it tastes. We had the Indonesian Beef Rendang which. The sambal calamari (so tender and delicious) and teriyaki that chicken, served with our favourite wakame salad. And the portion of steamed rice was an adequate size to accompany the main course. I wish that it wasn't such a small restaurant with such small tables that there was hardly any room for the three entrees that we ordered. The décor was that of a café but the food was several steps above that. The tables are so packed together that I felt we were practically having dinner with the couple at the next table. The service is good despite the cramped conditions.

Chilli Padi is ok. I probably expected more because I love its location, the look of it from the…read moreoutside and most importantly - ASIAN FOOD!! Perhaps we caught them on a bad day, it did seem to be a particularly busy lunch time. Firstly, the greeting person seemed to not know if there was enough room for us, so while my friend and I awkwardly waited at the door another, stormy looking staff member approached and beckoned to us, hurrying us over to him. At least he had us seated. We both had limited time available; my friend had to get back to work, I had a marketing deadline and a five year old to pick up from kinder. We kindly explained that we didn't have long to the waiter who took our order. Due to our rush, we ordered just two dishes; no banquet, entree and main, just a grilled teriyaki and hokkien char needles. After 25 minutes I couldn't handle myself fidgeting and the panic that was starting to take over. I asked how long it would be and the response was, "not long". First, it pisses me off when I have to spend what's supposed to be an enjoyable lunch date panicking if our food is going to come, and secondly not being given a friggin straight answer when I ask how long. Luckily the food came about one minute later. My friend and I shared dishes and neither of us could complain. Both meals were delicious, and we chowed them down whole heartedly. Nevertheless, the dismissive staff and worry we endured wouldn't be worth another visit during a lunch hour. The food was great though, so perhaps a leisurely dinner date might be best next time.

I actually don't mind this place at all! Its very relaxed,…read morethe staff are fun and friendly and the menu has variety and food is really good. Its very reasonable in price and they often have drink specials on during the week. We enjoyed $10 tasty laksa's and a $10 jug of beer one night and were really happy with it. I recommend Laksa Bar if you are in the area and hungry, give it a try!

Okay, so I guess when things go wrong I judge an establishment by how well it responds to a…read morecomplaint. And Laksa Bar did a pretty good job I guess. So firstly I want to say that they do a lot of things right for a restaurant. Friendly staff, nice layout and atmosphere, good drink prices, and fast service. The downside? I thought the food wasn't very good! Pretty big downside. I have had a hankering for laksa for weeks and upon reading the menu it sounded so promising. But the thing is, the description of laksa is for traditional laksa, not what they actually serve! So when it appeared it had not much substance. I had vege + tofu as my toppings, not realising that it'd just be only a few veggies and a couple cubes of fried tofu + noodles. It didn't have all the other stuff that usually also goes in. (Maybe my fault?) The flavour of the broth was very ho-hum. Just not much to the whole dish. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good. When the waitress asked me I said the above to her. She looked concerned, check the order with the kitchen that it had been made correctly etc. Then the owner came over and enquired. He suggested extra sambal, which I accepted, but honestly it made no difference. It just wasn't tasty. Still, they seemed to genuinely care and are proud of their restaurant (but not arrogant) and want customers to be fans too. So yeah, I wasn't keen on the fod at all, but the other factors which all play a part can't be faulted really.

Had a taxi driver from Bangladesh and he stated that their food is as good or better than Indian…read morefood. I have never had true Bangladesh food so I took him up on his offer. I was the only one in the restaurant, finally someone came out from the kitchen and sat me down. They had Indian foods as well as Bangladeshi foods. The food was so spicy I couldn't finish them. I ordered the rice pulau, chicken Do Piaza, and Lamb Dall Gosh. Next time when I try this type of food I will for sure have them tone it down on the spice index. Just way too much for me and I am a wuss at super spicy things anyway.

Madhumoti has been around for ages and gone through a number of owners, yet retained its unique…read moreflavours probably due to the consistency of the Chef who is one of the happiest people around. Last year Madhumoti was taken over once again by the same people that run a Bangladeshi lunchtime joint on Lonsdale St in the City. Instantly small things started to change...some for the better and one for the worse. Gone were the multiple disfunctional aircon units. Gone was the friendly counter staff and gone were the spices and flavour. Fast forward six months and Madhumoti has had a facelift although you'll notice that the ugly vinyl signage without the colourfast inks still drapes around the awnings. I don't know what they did in those six months, but I can only assume they were in the food laboratory perfecting their menu. If you've ever been there before you'll notice a few additions to the menu like the Sri Lankan dishes. On our first return there we chose to distance ourselves from our previous favorites (Chicken Tikka Butter Masala, Buna Kachuri with Meat and Pumpkin Masala) so as to avoid disappointment. Thankfully were stoked with the results. With Bangladeshi food it's all about the spices and the ability to see the ingredients before you. No mushy and blended mystery pastes here. Daal Gosht was perfectly balanced without a hint of excess moisture and the potato dish (forgot the name) was as tasty as the chicken korma. In the excitement of opening day, they forgot to bring out our chicken biryani, yet made up for it with deserts on the house. We had a todler with us that made a mess of the complimentary kids tasting plate and they greeted the display with a smile. A good sign for sure. We'll definitely be heading back to our usual haunt.

This is an average busy place for lunch. There are some tables indoors and also available seatings…read moreoutside for a gorgeous day in the Southern Cross Plaza. Today I ordered the usual Char Kway Teow but emphasized that it's not to be spicy. Sadly, they got this simple request very wrong and as a supertaster, I'm very disappointed because I spent a good couple of minutes speaking to the counter lady, and she assured me of my requirements. Utensils and water are self served, and the menu has plenty of variety. Service is mediocre, see above. For better service if you're after Malaysian cuisine, go to Killiney's around the corner. There's no toilets available here.

Great curry laksa, or technically, a Curry Mee (curry noodles), which is similar to a laksa, but…read moretopped with curried chicken rather than shredded poached chicken. The curry soup was nice and spicy, no skimping on the spices here! Loads of lemongrass, star anise, coriander and chilli. Although spicy, it is tempered by enough coconut milk, but not enough to make it overly rich. This is a street-food branch of the original Mabrown Restaurant in Balwyn, run by the son, with the same chef, ie. his dad.

Bali Bagus (Bali Very Good) is a great find. Tasty and simple Indonesian food. Maybe not a…read moreValentine's Day treat, but an excellent place for a quick bite with friends or the obligatory second dinner following drinks in the city. Expect to pay around $12 or less for a fairly substantial and authentic Indonesian meal and a drink. All of the popular Indo flavours are available here too. The Mi Goreng is a trusty staple and the rich Beef Rendang with anchovies and peanuts is a winner too. I've happy added Bali Bagus to my list of fav places for a quick city bite and am pleased to say it ranks just a little above its cheerful Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean counterparts. Bagus!

Despite the fact that I am an Asian. Indonesian food is as alien to me as.... well.. aliens (not…read moreexactly, but close). Nevertheless, I had to take my cousin for lunch somewhere we had never tried before and this made perfect sense since we were right next to a restaurant that was on my bookmarks list forever and one of those places that is so easily missed since it looks like any other shops in its proximate brethren. We had the Sate Ayam (grilled chicken), Iga Penyet +rice (beef ribs), Ikan Bumbu Penyet +rice (who Barramundi fish). The ribs were cooked perfectly, it was moist, flavoursome, perfect quantity of spices and rice. The Barramundi was also cooked to perfection. The most surprising part of this restaurant is how cheap the food was, which makes perfect sense for those price conscious and their main customers, university student while at the same time not being cheap ( I hope you know what I mean). The most expensive thing that we had was the very underpriced "whole Barramundi" for less than $13. Enjoy. CHEAP But not in a cheap way.

A popular local, serving up Malaysian fare. I ordered to Mee Goreng and was happy with the…read moreauthenticity of the dish and portion size. The staff are extremely friendly and prompt, making for a pleasant and casual dining experience. A great choice when in North Melbs!

One of the best Asian restaurant / take aways on Errol St…read more They have quite a wide ranging Malaysian menu and the choices I've tried always hit the spot. I feel like they put real effort into everything they do here. The flavours in the food really stand out, service is always very friendly and extra attentive without being too much. It's great for the lunchtime crowd or for an evening meal. Prices are also reasonable. I've visited a few times and KL Bunga Raya is definitely becoming a staple lunch spot.

Studied abroad in Melbourne a few years ago and I just came back to reminisce about the CBD's Curry…read moreBowl. My stop ins were embarrassingly frequent. It was delicious and cheap and you get so much bang for your buck (cash only, from what I remember). Beware, food can get greasy but who cares! Grease is good, sometimes. Friendly and helpful staff made me feel at home. Be sure to get the eggplant side (never knew what it was called) and butter chicken. This is my first and only yelp review and it comes a few years too late but whatever. Try curry bowl.

This small Indian eatery is for some reason situated in the most awkward of places in Melbourne…read moreCBD. A top near the Theatre district, Curry Bowl is aimed at Students and your average joe alike whom would like some Indian on the cheap and quickly. You can grab it take-away or eat in. We ate in and i had the Veggie Curry which (for around $8) was quite good, a friend had the lamb and said it wasn't that great. The venue is small and could probably on house about 15 people eating at one time. Indian on the cheap or in a hurry? Then this is the place for you!

Went back here a few nights ago, after a long time in Adelaide…read more It's still the same cheap feed, and it's generally good stuff, but I think the quality is slipping just a little bit. My beef curry wasn't quite as tender as I remember the last one, and my partner's ginger duck noodle dish had a hell of a lot of gristle in it to the point of it not being particularly nice or edible. So at the moment, I've got to give them only three stars for the food, but they keep star #4 just because where else can you get a curry at 2am?

Great hawker food that is affordable and consistent. Truely authentic and average service. Good…read morequick eat restaurant in general.