Melbourne Victoria, Chinese Restaurant
The tropical aromatics belie a palate that elegantly balances fruit & savoury elements. Citrus & stone fruits, exotic spice and a refreshingly delicious grip soar throughout this wine. French-Vietnamese fusion menu is all about innovation and carefully balanced flavours. Nab the crispy tapioca and prawn betel leaf with kaffir lime and green chilli for starters, and chase it down with Beijing crispy aromatic chicken with plum salt.
Pinchy’s is one of the best vegan restaurants in Melbourne. Matching their ocean-based tasting menu is their ‘Made Friendly’ menu which is a flavour-packed clever reimagination of some of their hit dishes. On the cards, you’ve got options like the carrot tartare with pumpkin and cashew cream and pickled cucumber, leek croquettes with vegan parmesan and herb oil. Of course, the plant-based answer to the famed Pinchy's lobster roll is the lion's 墨尔本川菜 mane mushroom with charred mushroom, Pinchy's seasoning and lemon in a golden semi-toasted roll. Nestled in the bustling Hardware Lane in the CBD, it’s a combination of European-styled outdoor dining and a cosy interior for colder nights. Traditional Sicilian cuisine has been reimagined to an earth-friendly take, with the vegan menu including spaghetti carbonara, risotto with champignon mushroom and a breadcrumb grilled swordfish dish.
If you’re looking to really step things up, the caviar service is always a go too. Asian-style hawker feeds with a disco spin, Gingerboy is a vibrant and playful eatery and bar. Renowned for its colourful plates and sweet treats, Gingerboy sends out dishes celebrating seasonal ingredients, best enjoyed when shared. Look out for the ‘Bottomless Sunday’ sessions, featuring endless mimosas and signature dim sum. Combining award-winning interior design with authentic, artfully-plated cuisine,RuYiis relaxed fine dining at its best - and one of Melbourne's best modern Chinese restaurants since its conception in 2013. Tucked away in a quintessential Melbourne laneway, the menu here aims to transport you beyond these city streets, to a modern China.
Nepalese cuisine with a modern twist is what you’ll find at Pans on Fire on Synnot Street in Werribee. This adventurous dining destination boasts an inviting vibe of traditional artwork, polished w... Those seeking Greek delights in Altona make their way along Civic Parade to find locally-loved restaurant, The Greek Grill.
Order thin slices of lamb encrusted in cumin and laced with chilli. There are always dishes you'll want to try at Dainty Sichuan, but this is the one you will keep coming back for. There’s only one number you need in Melbourne and it’s 1800 Lasagne. You may already have these local legends on speed dial from their highly popular dial-for-delivery lasagne hotline, which popped off during lockdown.
The pork is soft, the heat is not overly intense and there’s a good balance between sweet, salty and sour. The pork threads at Sichuan House were very tasty, although not quite as good as the ones that I’ve eaten at Dainty Sichuan, which have more of a gelatinous texture to them. They were, however, better than the ones that I ate at China Chilli. The Kung Pao chicken is one of the specialities of Sichuan House and it’s not hard to see why. The plate comes out and it’s piled high with chicken, chillies and a whole lot of peanuts.
Chef-owner Philippe Mouchel’s signature is all over this basement bistro in more ways than one. This bar and restaurant inside Curtin House is all about agave-based spirits – but the food's no afterthought. Baja-style rockling tacos, achiote chicken quesadillas and Mexican doughnuts with salted espresso dulce de leche all go dangerously well with a margarita or the spicy riff on a pina colada. The tables at Bottega spill out onto the footpath much like they would in Rome or Florence, luring in passers-by with an energetic atmosphere. Mains usually feature produce from owner Denis Lucey’s farm, while an expertly curated wine list offers around 150 bottles from both Australia and Italy. Its revered xiao long bao has drawn crowds since it opened in 2008.
The interior design might be a bit dated, but the cooking is very authentic. If you can’t tolerate a decent hit of spice, this probably isn’t the best Chinese restaurant for you to try. This is a great choice for some of the best Sichuan food in Melbourne if you’re looking to fill up on a budget. With a spacious dining space fitted out in traditional Chinese decor, it as great place to try when you have few mouths to feed.
It's no surprise to us that it's one of the greatest Middle Eastern restaurants in Melbourne, given all of the above-mentioned features. The menu contains a variety of options, with a heat scale for each menu item that ranges from 0 to 3 chillies . The servings here are huge and the food is definitely designed to share. My wife and I couldn’t finish what we ordered, which could have easily fed 4 people.
Just ask Melbourne’s top chefs – especially after a closing shift. Come for chicken congee, XO pippies with Chinese doughnuts and roasted suckling pig. Offering no-nonsense Cantonese dining in the heart of the CBD, Ling Nan has been satisfying Melbourne’s late-night cravings for around three decades. An award-winning woodfired pizza joint from one of the guys behind Movida, Rosa’s Canteen and Lee Ho Fook. The pizzas have a sourdough base that’s fermented overnight, then blasted in the custom-made furnace for peak crispiness.
At this moody neon-lit diner, you’ll find regional Thai dishes rarely seen outside the country. Expect 24-hour-stewed pork belly, caramelly mackerel with green-mango relish and aromatic ant larvae soup. There’s also a killer list of lo-fi wines from Australian producers. Designed by EAT Architects, this restaurant incorporates light timber and lighting that takes you away from the crowds of the shopping centre and instead creates a busy dining experience. Over a steaming pot of noodle soup, it's the perfect place to warm up and people watch. If the extensive Asian food offerings at Box Hill Central weren't yet enough for you, the addition of DIY hot pot joint Little Sichuan will surely sate your need for noodle soup.