On the lighter side of things, the cucumber side dish is a nice palate cleanser. Offers a premium K-bbq experience that really excels in its top-of-the-range ingredients and a wonderful warm ambience. For those of you who care about plate presentation, you’ve come to the right place. Each dish here is made with such care and attention to detail. ChangGo’s most popular yet irresistibly Instagram-able item is the ‘Palsaik’ set, which translates to eight colours in Korean. This set includes, you guessed it, eight different types of pork belly marinated eight different ways.
Everything is fresh and flavoursome, plus the serving sizes are generous and everything’s affordable—as the best Thai Melbourne options should be. Best dishes include soft-shell crab on a green papaya salad, traditional Pad See Ew, and hot pot restaurant Melbourne grilled Moo Yang . There are plenty of veggie options, like the fried tofu with steamed greens and peanut sauce, and most mains can have a meat option omitted. The Thai beef salad is also one to look out for, as is the Pad See Ew.
Centrally located , Cookie is one of the city’s most popular restaurants. Fusing together a Thai restaurant, a beer hall and a cocktail bar, Cookie is a one-stop-shop, guaranteed to delight everyone in your party. Always buzzy, you’ll find diners digging into the likes of drunken noodles, crispy pork belly curry and moreish beef ribs with lemongrass and star anise.
So prime your taste buds for coal-fuelled Korean barbecueor bibimbap cooked in a hot stone dish, tables crammed with every banchan imaginable and hot soups to warm your cockles on a chilly evening in the city. Arguably the overlord of malatang in Melbourne, Dragon Hot Pot has franchised aggressively over the past few years, with 11 stores now open between Springvale and the city. Chief among them is this snug Russell Street outpost that's open late every night. Choose any combination of meat, seafood, noodles, tofu and vegetables to be cooked in broths ranging from the signature malatang to the 12-hour-steeped bone marrow broth or the vegan malatang.
Order luxurious ingredients like lobster, sashimi and premium wagyu to cook at your expert-designed hotpot station. With the tap of a button the cooking basket automatically lifts up, no effort required. The chain — known for its sichuan-style hot pot — already has 400 international outlets under its belt in China, Malaysia, Japan and the US. But, keen to spread even more love for the traditional Chinese dining experience — this will be its Down Under debut. Base flavours include seafood, mushroom and spicy (and they're not kidding when they say spicy!).
Even dessert is soup-ified, with a sweet Chinese-style soup made of brown sugar jelly, red bean, sultanas and goji berries. Da Long Yi is clearly home to one of the best hot pots in Melbourne. Things are a little more old school here, so you’ll do your ordering by ticking boxes on a paper menu.
The hot pot chain prides itself on dishing up Sichuan-style hot pot brimming with numbing Sichuan chillies, and offers punters the chance to be served by a robot. Tantalise your tastebuds with a diverse array of food and beverages. From hot pot to cold beers, QV is the place to meet, eat and drink. Be it coffee and brunch, dinner, or a quick lunch, there are so many options to delight your appetite.
Butter adds an oily richness to the base, with sesame oil the preferred dipping sauce to curb heat. Dainty Sichuan Hotpot and Panda Hotpot are favourites for a reason. Panda Hot Pot is Melbourne's largest premium Sichuan hot pot restaurant. To enjoy a delicious meal, just add the finest ingredients to any of the dozen broths they have developed.
Offering fresh food, friendly service and great prices, Home Kitchen & Bar is perfect for relaxing around a pint.. Grossi Florentino is famous for its vintage murals and modern food. The star dessert is the French-inspired chocolate soufflé. On the menu for as long as anyone can remember, it’s made with dark Callebaut cocoa and Valrhona dark chocolate.
Tuck into the Smokin Wednesday’s $85 all-you-can eat BBQ Buffet ($40 for kids) with a selected drink of your choice from tap beer, house wine, house iced tea or soft drink. The breakfast buffet is the star of the show at Dock 37 Bar & Kitchen. Winner of the Best Restaurant of the Year (Hotel Category – 2019 Restaurant and Catering Awards), Dock 37 offers a modern aesthetic to go along with truly delicious food. Stunning marble floors and extravagant décor provide a great frame for the picturesque Yarra outside. Breakfast is first come, first served but reservations are a must for all other mealtimes.
Take, for example, the Bò tái Chanh, which is a rare beef salad but instead comes in the form of Melbourne-y beef carpaccio – sumptuous pink beef fillet topped with shallots, herbs and crispy garlic. It's vibrant, fresh and has the well-rounded, sweet-salty-sour-profile that's the signature of Vietnamese cuisine. Oysters come grilled or fresh, the latter topped with zesty nuoc mam and popping citrus finger lime pearls, an invigorating one-biter that leaves me cursing myself for only ordering one. Bánh khọt, coconut and turmeric pancakes are crispy-outside-gooey-inside perfection. Tucked inside Collins Street’s heritage-listed Olderfleet building, the street visible through a trio of ecclesiastical windows, Freyja is a restaurant immune from any accusations of culinary copying.
Ending a big night with a hot Stalactites souvlaki is basically a rite of passage in this city. This 24-hour icon of Melbourne has been operating for over 40 years, doing simple, classic Greek fare across dips, giros platters, grilled meats and homey comfort food just like yiayia makes. Let’s be real though, the souvlaki is the main calling here – fluffy pita wrapping crisp lettuce, tomato, onion, homemade tzatziki and your choice of lamb, chicken, spiced bifteki or veggie and feta patties. Far from a flash in the pan, iconic Asian eatery Chin Chin has become even more popular since it’s 2011 opening debut. A local institution turned tourist destination – there’s a reason you can expect to wait up to two hours for a table. From gooey, sticky pork to sizzling jungle curry – grab a seat at the bar and savour the wait.
Where to Find The Best Hot Pots in Melbourne for 2023
·
4 min read
