Davids Hot Pot Melbourne, Chinese Restaurant
Ordering more than our group can handle, plus drinks, comes to less than $50 a head. That means things can only get better – just as long as we show up. Speaking of, they sweat the presentation, with fungi combinations coming out looking like a floral bouquet.
In lieu of Thai BBQ, we'll eat grilled, deep-fried, soup and salad dishes with either rice or sticky rice on this occasion. There are a few different types of Korean hotpots, but the most popular are budae jjigae hot pot and jeongol. There are numerous types of jjigae, but budae jjigae, also known as army stew, is typically cooked over a flame. Jeong observes broth being poured over items prior to simmering and sharing.
Our tip is to try its signature stir-fry spicy pot – it’s a dry version of their famous soup base that uses over 20 kinds of Chinese herbs and spices for a fiery kick. Remember to ask for a complimentary bowl of steamed white rice for a match made in malatang heaven. Think of it as the Asian version of fondue – a bubbling pot of broth sits in the middle of the table surrounded by platters of meat, seafood and vegetables, all ready to be cooked in a cauldron of soup. Choose your own hotpot adventure at this all-you-can-eat Sichuan joint. The dark, red-lit interior feels like it’s straight out of a Wong Kar Wai film. Complex flavours define its Sichuan hotpot, assorted grilled seafood dishes and steamed and braised meats.
Modern Korean BBQ with an innovative gas-powered charcoal grill. Dine on all-you-can-eat hotpot and Korean BBQ at Ten BBQ Hotpot in Southbank. There are also more than a dozen varieties of som tum, or papaya salad – from plain and simple to versions with fermented fish paste, raw prawn and raw blue crab. Be sure to heed the warning printed on every page – it does get spicy.
Contemporary and fresh food awaits you at Pad Cha, and they’ve got a massive variety to keep the whole gang fed. Just off the Crown Riverwalk, there's a lot to like aboutGing Thai. The menu is a harmonious fusion of Thai classics and innovative dishes that artfully intertwine with traditional flavours. From kingfish ceviche and gai yang salad to half-roast duck, yellow vegetable curry, pad see ew, and pork eggplant, the offerings are diverse. At Le-Feu Cuisine, we pride ourselves on our expertise in applying traditional French slow-cooked methods to Vietnamese cuisine. Our dedication to creating healthy, gluten-free options has earned us accreditation from Coeliac Australia, making us the go-to restaurant for those with gluten sensitivities.
It’s a colourful spot with blue neon signage and bamboo baskets in the window, a modern-industrial fit out and laneway tables. Lau comes with rare sliced beef, mushrooms, fish cakes and seasonal vegetables. Today, the main distinction is the use of thinly sliced lamb.
There’s excellent all-day yum cha, then tasty classics like scallops in XO sauce and stir-fried vegetables until well past midnight. This stall in Box Hill has got cooked meat, entrees and vegetable dishes pre-packaged in takeaway containers, ready for you to grab and take to work or reheat at home. Take a seat at the black granite bar for hot and sour shredded potato, charcoal-roasted char siu and cured pork belly with rolled rice noodles in XO.
Fried udon noodle with your choice of meat, vegetable, and special sauce. Fishpot uses a grouper based broth/soup that originated in the seaside Shantou, China. In the early 19th century, Chinese immigrants spread the soup across South East Asia.
If you’re feeling a bit strapped for cash, Damiao Panda Fan has your back. They pride themselves on delivering high-quality ingredients for a fraction of the price – their lunch buffet will only set you back $39.90 per person. For lunch, take your pick from any of the roaming yum cha carts that pass by every few minutes, or dig into an à la carte dinner featuring black bean sauce-slathered prawns or seafood in clay pots. Enter for a sumptuous feast cooked by Cantonese chefs who have more than three decades of experience. This 160-seater used to be a hotpot spot, but now it's a grill-yourself Sichuan restaurant.