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The Cedar Tree Restaurant Review
2008-04-27 04:00:00
198 Bay StreetBrighton Vic 3186Phone: (03) 9818 0647FoodAuthentic Lebanese cuisine. To open we had a selection of hommos, baba ghanouj and labnee dips, served with lebanese bread, onto a selection of entrees including traditional middle eastern balls of spicy dried beans, vegetables, and middle eastern herbs, served with a drizzle of tahina sauce and fetta cheese mixed with mint, onion and spices in filo pastry. Mains consisted mostly of meat dishes such as the opening dish with the banquet which was chicken fillet pieces sautéed in a mixture of fresh coriander, garlic, ginger and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice. Served with cinnamon rice. This was followed by further meat dishes and then a sweet dessert of Baklawa and turkish delight combined. All the dishes were very enjoyable and well presented.ServiceAttentive and responsive. Meals came out at a reasonable pace, not too long to wait.ValueAgain I would have to recommend the banquet for better value, starting at $35 per pe...
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The Base Camp Restaurant Review
2008-04-19 07:44:00
648 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, Vic 3122Phone: (03) 9818 0647FoodNepalese cuisine. The menu showed some reasonable selections, though only upon asking did we discover they also had a great value banquet available. The range of dishes on the banquet set menu appeared extraordinary at first, seeming to be a LOT of food. We asked if we should choose which dishes we wanted and were informed that we got ALL the dishes on the menu included. So we thought - great! As it turns out they were only small portions of each dish, but nonetheless it was a great banquet in which you got to sample a large range of foods of the nepalese cuisine, including lentil soup, 3 entrees, many mains with mildly spicy meats and veg with sides as well as 2 desserts - fruit salad and rice pudding.ServiceVery friendly service with a smile. A charming waiter served us. Professional and prompt.ValueEspecially good value if you go with the banquet. Pretty standard prices for mains, under $20 generally.Decor and Atmosp...
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Tien Tien Restaurant Review
2008-04-02 11:21:00
2/29 Fitzroy StreetSt Kilda, VIC 3182Ph: (03) 9537 0889I was told by one of the friends I dined with that Tien Tien meant "every day". Special mention and thumbs up to the management as we went to Tien Tien at 'Earth Hour' and they had all their lights out and served all meals by candlelight for the hour.FoodA large selection of thai, malaysian and vietnamese cuisines. The soups were reasonable and the mains were very enjoyable from our selections of thai lemon grass chicken and malaysian curry with rice. Decent sized portions.ServiceCompetent, professional and prompt.ValueNo banquets available. Mains from $13 to $25 generally.Decor and AtmosphereFunky lights, but particularly lovely by candlelight at earth hour. Well presented and warm atmosphere. Comfortable seating.
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Swan Palace Restaurant Review
2008-03-24 02:11:00
96 Swan StreetRichmond Vic 3121Ph: (03) 9427 8491FoodVietnamese cuisine. An interesting selection on the menu. We had plenty of time to look right over it as we waited and waited to be served. We could choose from such interesting dishes as Combianation Seafood and Vegetables, X.O. Sauce Specia, Pork with Black Beab, Sate and Oyter Sauce, a few different dishes with 'prwan', work fried noodles, coleslow and many more.. The soup was pretty ordinary, our water tasted frighteningly like detergent and appeared to be rather blue. The garlic prawns or 'prwans' were about the only redeeming feature in the mains. The calamari was ok but a little strange tasting. I felt a bit sick afterward but not sure if that was due to the food or the taste of detergent I couldn't seem to get out of my mouth. ServiceThe one waiter flew around the place like a bumbling bee, with smoking hot dishes flying at people and the man barrelling backwards through doorways straight into customers exiting the to...
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Gurkhas Nepalese Restaurant Review
2008-03-16 01:48:00
190-192 Chapel StreetPrahranPh: (03) 9510 3325Gurkhas have several restaurants in Melbourne, located at Brunswick, Richmond, Carlton, Melbourne and Prahran. This review is for 'Gurkhas Brasserie' in Prahran.FoodNepalese Food, a cuisine from the Himalayan Kingdom. I have to admit I'm not much into vegetarian dishes, but the 'Gurkas Special" vegetarian appetiser was refreshing and scrumptious - a vegetable mixture topped with yoghurt, sauce and plum sauce. I particularly enjoyed the goat curry in the mains and the chilli chicken wasn't bad. The nepalese rice pudding was a great way to top off the meal as a sweet and tempting dessert. All of this was provided in their 'simple feast' banquet option, along with tea or coffee. Also available are main courses from their 'vegetarian bazaar', 'meat bazaar', 'seafood selection' and 'gurkha grill' and most of these are reasonably priced individually as mains.ServiceThere were plenty of waiters on hand and they provided prompt an...
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Purple Shells Restaurant Review
2008-03-10 04:10:00
153 Acland StreetSt Kilda 3182Ph: 9525 4988FoodSeafood and BBQ Chinese Restaurant . No added MSG. Mostly your standard sort of chinese fare as generally found around Melbourne. Large servings of soup which were hot and filling. Good selection of hot entrees which I enjoyed. The mains were a bit more luke warm and ordinary, but not too bad. Lemon chicken was a bit too battered and deep fried. They also have a vegetarian's selection, omelettes, roast dishes and prawn/scallop dishes available.ServiceThe first waitress was a bit scattered, but a second lady took over and took control and looked after us.ValueGood value banquets available. Your standard mains are reasonably priced. You'll pay a bit more for individual seafood and roast dishesDecor and AtmosphereNeat and colourful, not overdone. A few simple decorations.
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The Chopping Block - a new TV show
2008-02-26 00:40:00
I must say that after seeing "The Chopping Block " on channel 9, I personally think it is a terrible show and far worse even than "My Restaurant Rules" or that tv show about Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant the name of which has slipped into obscurity. I feel sorry for these restaurant owners who put their hearts and souls into their family business to be told what to do by a bunch of snobs. The last thing I want to see is for some of the great ethnic restaurants in Melbourne turn into Docklands style yuppy havens without any character. For those who didn't see the first show, it had two family owned restaurants in Sydney, one Greek and one Egyptian named after their owners. They visited by a mystery critic and told what was good and bad. The problem was that the really harsh critic would probably be better off going to one of the upmarket restaurants in town. Rather than talking about the value, they simply slagged off about the decor and the traditional cuisines. Then they ...
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KL Café Restaurant
2008-02-23 06:56:00
92c Acland StreetSt Kilda, VIC 3182Ph: (03) 9534 3721FoodWith the name inspired by the south east asian city of Kuala Lumpur this restaurant boasts a large range of Malaysian, Chinese and Thai foods. Some very spicy dishes which were also very tasty. A great selection to choose from in all 3 cuisines including seafood, vegetarian, rice dishes, noodle dishes, prawn specials, calamari and beef. A striking dessert which we just loved was the Kueh Dah Dah which had bright green crepe wrapped around coconut with ice-cream. The people at the table next to us were mesmerized, wanting to know what we were eating! My partner nicknamed it the 'steam rolled frog' due to the bright green colouring.ServiceVery attentive and reasonably friendly.ValueOne of the best value restaurants in the St Kilda area, which is notoriously filled with your expensive yuppy type restaurants (particularly along Fitzroy st). Not this one. The banquets that are available will give you much better value than orderi...
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Tandoori Times Restaurant Review
2008-02-11 09:11:00
196 Barkly StreetSt Kilda, VIC 3182Ph: (03) 9593 8166FoodTraditional indian cuisine. A piece of advice, skip banquet A and go straight for Banquet B. We had dined here previously and enjoyed the A menu, but having B this time we were blown away. Absolutely delicious! A real step up, and our discussion with the manager proved he was of the same opinion. With entrees of lamb cutlets, fried coconut mushroom, tandoori chicken; generous portions of king prawns, lamb saag, butter chicken, garlic naan and chicken rice and then dessert of your choice to top it off. It was hard to believe this banquet went for under $30 per person. Top quality, loved every bite. ServiceVery friendly service, a bit slow at times. But it was worth the wait.ValueAny of the banquets are excellent value and all meals reasonably priced.Decor and AtmosphereBe treated to some interesting Bollywood on the projector screen if you're not too involved in conversation. Pretty simple decor, tasteful and relaxed. Certainl...
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Australian F1 Grand Prix - Restaurants and Cafes close to the track
2008-02-07 22:42:00
I'm not the biggest fan of the Formula One Grand Prix, and I don't intend on going to the Albert Park racetrack myself, but since you can't really miss the fact that it is coming up to that time of year again, I thought I'd give some tips to some of our interstate and overseas vistors. So if you are dining on a budget, don't want the marquee food and still want something decent, here are some of my personal tips. Make sure you read the reviews though. Please note that in this article I have included all my reviewed restaurants, but I don't recommend all of them !Fortunately there is a wide range of restaurants and cafes within short walking distance to the Albert Park track and several tram lines make reaching other restaurants easy.Fitzroy Street, St KildaFitzroy Street is on the south end of the track and Armstrong Street in Middle Park is right next to the west end of the track. It is a really busy street with a huge range of restaurants and cafes.If you are after somet...
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Tamarind Spice Restaurant Review
2008-02-03 07:05:00
257 Glenferrie RdMalvern Vic 3144Ph: 9576 0597FoodIndian, Malaysian and SIngaporean cuisines.. at least that is what it says on the menu, however the front window boasts a couple of extra cuisines such as Sri Lankan - a little confusing. If you look through the menu though I would say the dishes are 85% Indian, with just a few other dishes thrown in here and there. The food was of reasonable quality for the price. The 'chilly' (?) chicken was hot and spicy. A few quirky titles for dishes on the menu too with some questionable spelling.ServiceThe waiter seemed to have a great deal of trouble understanding english. We tried over and again just to request a spoon. I guess he was trying his best though.ValueThe restaurant claims it has the best deal in town, and it comes pretty close. Extremely cheap banquets available - $30 for two people or $50 for 4 people! Every individual meal on the menu is under $14, so there is some really great value to be had here.Decor and AtmosphereConserv...
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Good Food Guide 2008
2008-01-29 03:32:00
The Age has been running a "Good Food Guide " for Melbourne for several years now. This mainly focuses on the featured and best rated restaurants in Melbourne, but not necessarily the cheapest or best value. So you'll typically find modern, contemporary cuisines and a la carte restaurants here. Occasionally, you will find something affordable here, but I'd personally recommend "Cheap Eats" which comes out in early February for the less fussy. Though why both of them tend to leave out a few of my favourite restaurants, I'm not entirely sure.The latest edition for 2008 is out now (it has actually been out since late last year) retails for just under $30 and can be purchased at newsagents or via the Age website online.

The Banff Restaurant Review
2008-01-28 10:39:00
145 Fitzroy StSt Kilda, VIC 3182(03) 9525 4113FoodMainly known for its pizzas, they have a fabulous selection to choose from. Some very unusual pizzas, all absolutely delicious! Served with rocket lettuce and sour cream. They also serve pastas and they have a separate breakfast menu. ServiceThey'll bring your meals out, but it's mostly self serve, order at the bar.ValueGreat value, some really cheap pizzas and pastas.Decor and AtmosphereArt deco delight, funky vibe, totally relaxed and warm and yet hip.
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Automatic Cafe Review
2008-01-28 10:19:00
at crown casino,SouthbankPhone: 03 9690 8500FoodMixed cuisines, a selection of pizzas and all manner of assorted dishes such as indian, pastas, steaks, asian. The tandoori chicken salad was very appealing. The steak is a bit more expensive on the menu, but cooked well. This restaurant/cafe is very much the sister to the Blue Train at Southbank, on the Yarra.ServiceYoung hip waiters, friendly and helpful. Patient when we had a toddler with us.ValueThe individual dishes are of reasonable value. There are a range of prices depending on what you choose to order.Decor and AtmosphereFunky, modern and relaxed atmosphere situated right on the river with some lovely outdoor seating on a warm evening overlooking the city on the Yarra. Pretty casual.
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Afghan Gallery Restaurant Review
2008-01-22 00:48:00
327 Brunswick Street,Fitzroy Vic 3065Phone: 03 9417 2430FoodTraditional Afghan Specialties. A good selection of dishes, some interesting entrees with a little spice, mains had mostly mild tomato based sauces with rice. Afghan food also seems to feature beans in a few entrees and dishes. Very sweet desserts. I have to admit though I was just a little disappointed with the food only because the last afghan restaurant I dined at had taste sensations to die for, and this didn't quite live up to that standard.ServiceMostly pretty good service, a little slow at times as they were busy. Polite and friendly.ValueThey had several good value banquets available to come in under $30 per person budget, or you can pay the extra $5 and have dessert included.Decor and AtmosphereI really liked the interior, it had an old style tavern atmosphere with exposed bluestone and wood on the walls, dim lighting. A little tasteful music. Some nice tapestries and pictures.
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Jaisalmer Palace Restaurant Review
2008-01-12 05:36:00
98 Bourke StreetMELBOURNE 3000A brand new restaurant at the time of this review. We were unable to obtain a business card from them so do not have the telephone listing as yet. They did not yet have credit card facilities available either, though I believe that is coming soon.FoodTraditional Indian. Generous servings, but not living up to my expectations of the high standards of indian cuisine in melbourne restaurants. An unusual start with a tomato based soup before entree. A rather dodgy tasting sausage in the entree dish. The sauces in the dishes of the mains didn't have the intoxicating spices and flavours I so treasure in traditional indian curries. A couple of the dishes I just didn't like too much - and indian is usually my favourite of all cuisines! ServiceSome peculiar waiters. Once we were seated they then told us to get up and stand aside while they reset the table. They asked my partner if they should bring dessert out while I was still in the bathroom, then they took ...
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Customer complains .... restauranteur - kills him
2008-01-10 03:32:00
As if eating the food isn't a gamble enough at some restaurants.I guess the moral of the story is think twice before you complain when dining ... may be safer to write an email instead.A DINER was stabbed to death by a restaurateur after an argument about slow service, a court heard yesterday.The Supreme Court was told Khanh Vo, 35, fatally stabbed customer Anh Dung Nguyen, 54, after the two men argued about the service in Vo's crowded Abbotsford restaurant, Bon Mua, on April 16, 2006.The men and their friends fought before Vo ran into the kitchen, grabbed a fruit knife and stabbed Mr Nguyen, the court heard.Vo, of Ivanhoe, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Nguyen.The court heard Mr Nguyen had been drinking before he and a group of nine friends arrived at the restaurant about 10.30pm.Prosecutor Peter Jones said Mr Nguyen became upset after midnight about slow service, banged his hand on a table and exchanged words with Vo's wife, Vy Huynh.Vo became upset when he heard Mr N...
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Foodie's Guide to Melbourne 2008
2008-01-09 05:53:00
The Age has been running a "Foodie's Guide " to Melbourne for several years now. This handy little book contains a huge list of Melbourne restaurants as well as the Foodie's Guide Awards for the best restaurants in Melbourne for the year (2007). The latest edition for 2008 is out now (it has actually been out since late last year) retails for just under $30 and can be purchased at newsagents or via the Age website online.

Chine on Paramount Restaurant Review
2008-01-06 07:23:00
Shop 9 & 10, Paramount Centre101 Little Bourke StreetMELBOURNE 3000Ph: 03 9663 6556FoodChine se Cuisine. The standard type of chinese fare found in most chinese restaurants in Melbourne. The banquet was quite small compared to most, not entirely fulfilling. The presentation was very meticulous. Live fish and lobsters swimming in tanks to choose from if that's your cup of tea.ServiceA La Carte service, very professional with great attention to detail.ValueNot great. Most dishes were quite expensive for chinese. The wine prices were out of this world. The banquet wasn't great value.Decor and AtmosphereBeige invasion with brown wood panels. Quite simple and plain. Easy listening elevator style background music. Probably more suited to the older folk.
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Melbourne Vietnam Noodle House Review
2008-01-04 06:05:00
251 Swanston StreetMELBOURNE 3000Ph: 03 9639 4911FoodVietnam ese Pho style noodle house. Being so close to Mekong (a couple of doors further down Swanston Street) it draws inevitable comparisons, though not favourable ones. A good selection on the menu, but the food I had didn't overly impress me. Not more than a couple of pieces of meat in my special combination dish. The drink selection was interesting, but my drink was very thick and powdery and had to be eaten with a spoon. ServiceOk. The man at the counter where you pay was quite grumpy looking :(ValueThe value is good, all very reasonably priced.Decor and AtmosphereClean and neat, nothing exotic.
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Kanzaman Restaurant Review
2007-12-30 02:14:00
458 - 460 Bridge Rd,Richmond, VIC 3121Tel: (03) 9429-3402FoodMiddle Eastern/Lebanese Cuisine. A diverse array of dishes, some delicious dips and lebanese breads to start, some flavoured meat entrees, focus on meats and rices. Lovely and unusual desserts that are very sweet.ServiceVery helpful, attentive and polite.ValueGood value, you can have as many main courses as you can eat if you choose the banquet, but you will get very full! $38 per person for this banquet or add an extra $10 for seafood, includes dips, entrees, mains, desserts, coffees. So you can find cheaper banquets but as I said, you will get a lot of food for this.Decor and AtmosphereThe interior decoration here is unbelievable and fantastic! Elaborate murals throughout, gorgeous interiors very well decorated, pressed metal painted ceilings, lovely lighting. And add to your evening's entertainment with a featured belly dancer, who was both delightful and gorgeous.
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Lao Tuojia Restarant Review
2007-12-23 09:02:00
19 Glenferrie Road,Malvern 3144Phone: 03 9500 1919FoodCuisine originating from north western China, as are the owners of this recently opened restaurant. This style of chinese cuisine (actually Xinjiang or Uyghur) is really quite different to your average chinese restaurant in Melbourne. Featuring hand made noodles and specialising in lamb dishes. A most interesting and delightfully unusual won ton soup. The dishes have more of a home made feel.ServiceVery friendly, helpful and happy for a chat as we were the first ones to arrive for the evening (though it certainly got busy later!). There were no banquets on the menu but when we asked she created one for us at a great price!ValueAwesome value if you ask for a banquet. Only $16 per head for 4 courses and very large portions.Decor and AtmosphereComfortable atmosphere. A little eclectic with knick nacks. Not overly classy.
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The Bengal Tiger Restaurant Review
2007-12-17 05:36:00
520 City Road,South Melbourne Vic 3205Phone: 03 9699 4791FoodTandoori and Indian Cuisine. They've introduced a few banquets since I last dined here, which is a good improvement. The banquet for 2 included pappadums, entrees, 3 mains, rice, naan bread, dessert and coffee/tea. All dishes were of reasonable quality. Licensed and BYO (wine only).ServiceTop quality service - I was extremely impressed with all aspects of their service. Thoroughly attentive without being intrusive.ValueVery reasonable. Look out for their specials on different nights of the week, which they display on the board out front.Decor and AtmosphereA warm and comfortable atmosphere with a bit of character. An old style building that appears to have originally been built as a hotel. Simple decoration not overdone.
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Misuzu's restaurant severely damaged by fire
2007-12-16 23:30:00
I hadn't been to this restaurant, but this is a real shame as I'd planned to go and it is located in a Victorian terrace on a very pretty street.From the Herald Sun:A POPULAR Japanese restaurant has been severely damaged after a fire broke out in Albert Park overnight.Flames were seen coming from Misuzu's on Victoria Avenue at around 1.50am this morning.When the fire services arrived they were faced with five-metre high flames as the blaze took hold of the two-storey building. It took 24 firefighters almost two hours to control the situation.The fire is estimated to have caused damages of at least $500,000. An adjoining shop, owned by the same business, was saved.
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Mahjong Restaurant Review
2007-12-11 22:43:00
165 Fitzroy Street,St Kilda Vic 3182Phone: 03 9534 8833FoodAsian Cuisine. There are two sections to this restaurant. The front section serves Yum Cha, which are small portions, small dishes; and out the back is a more traditional restaurant which serves standard size 3 course meals. We dined in the Yum Cha section as the back restaurant was very pricey. The small dishes were very delicate and well presented. Tasty flavours. You would want to be sure to order several courses to fill up though!ServiceWaiters, waiters everywhere! You certainly won't lack for service, they have kind of overdone it. They are very well presented though, professional and classy.ValueThe prices aren't too bad in the Yum Cha section, you can order a few courses and still come in under budget. If you wish to dine at the full restaurant out the back though be prepared to pay for it.Decor and AtmosphereThis place screams expensive interior designer! While the building it is in from the outside is a 1960s nigh...
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Koh Samui Thai Restaurant Review
2007-12-02 09:28:00
130 Erskine Street,Middle Park VicPhone: 03 9696 3080FoodThai food. No banquets or set menus unfortunately. There were some nice flavours in the tradtional thai dishes. I didn't try as many of the dishes as I often would because the price was a bit more expensive.ServiceAverage service. Never hugely busy, but not overly attentive.ValueAs expected in the Middle Park village, Albert Park area, restaurants tend to be pricier as the areas are somewhat upmarket. Would be ok if the food and service was sensational, but nothing special there.Decor and AtmosphereNice quiet atmosphere. There are 3 sections of this restaurant with two entrances, meaning the restaurant is much bigger than it first appears. In fact I have been there twice each time thinking the different entrance was a different restaurant ! The front section is small and quiet in a beautiful plane tree lined heritage street. Going down a narrow corridor leads you to a larger back section, which is more spacious. Ther...
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Nyala African Restaurant Review
2007-12-02 09:12:00
131 Brunswick StreetFitzroy, VICPhone: (03) 9419 9128FoodAfrican cuisine featuring dishes from South Africa and Ethiopia. They had banquets recommended for 4 people but they were willing to offer them to us for two peopls and we had one of the banquets which included deserts. This banquet was great value with a range of different foods, with plenty on offer in generous portions. There was cus cus, spicy dips, three different meats for mains in spicy sauces. Choice of deserts was included in the banquets - the sweet cus cus and South African custard tarts with ice cream were great choices.ServiceExceptional service. African waiters wearing traditional African robes give it a genuine feel.ValueAll very reasonable priced, no complaints with the pricing. Large amount of food and banquets available. Reasonable corkage ($2)Decor and AtmosphereInteresting ornaments and paintings all for sale. The painted lights and bar were pretty funky. Ambient African music. Comfortable, relaxed and cosy.
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