Gyoza Gyoza Doncaster

Westfield Doncaster, 619 Doncaster Road, Doncaster

A long time ago when only the Bourke street location was open, Gyoza Gyoza was one of my favourite places to visit for some Japanese-style gyoza. Since then they have expanded and opened a few new branches in the city as well as Westfield Doncaster and Chadstone. 

Pan-fried pork and garlic gyoza $4.80

As Gyoza Gyoza is a restaurant that specialises in Japanese gyoza, we had to try the pan-fried pork and garlic gyoza. The filling of the gyoza was quite fragrant with a nice texture, and the skin was the perfect thickness, which made the gyoza a tasty bite. I did however find that most of the gyoza only had a tiny bit off filling which was a little bit disappointing.

Soft shell crab mini burger $6.80

I was also slightly disappointed by the soft shell crab burger. The soft shell crab wasn't as crispy as I would expect and the other ingredients in the burger weren't quite balanced. 

I wont deny that Gyoza Gyoza definitely lives up to their name serving delicious gyoza, albeit with some serving size issues. The problem I found though was that although they are a gyoza specialty restaurant, their menu has a huge amount of different dishes ranging from the soft shell crab burgers we tried, to beef tatare and oysters. This problem inevitably leads to some dishes of low quality finding their way through, which is a problem many restaurants with large menus face.

Food Rating 7/10

Overall Rating 7/10

Ampang Tofu

13 Village Avenue, Doncaster

Ampang Tofu is a popular Malaysian restaurant located within Village Avenue in Doncaster, along with a selection of other small restaurants and take-outs. I find myself visiting Ampang Tofu quite often, as a good friend of mine lives in the area, but it is often quite hard to find a table available, as I have never seen Ampang Tofu when they aren't busy.

Ampang Tofu

Ampang Yong Tau Foo - Dry

Ampang Yong Tau Foo - Tom Yum

Ampang Tofu is one of my favourite places in Melbourne for Yong Tau Foo, which is a dish found in many Asian countries which consists of stuffed tofu and vegetables along with other various items, such as fish balls and dumplings. I chose to have the tom yum soup as my base since it was best of the choices available. Although I was impressed by the flavour of the soup and the balance of the dish, the real star of the dish was the various pieces of stuffed tofu and vegetables.

Although I have had better variations of this dish overseas in Hong Kong, Ampang Tofu has delivered some of the best and most consistent Yong Tau Foo that I have tried in Melbourne. Unfortunately, they are a bit out of the way, but if you ever find yourself in the eastern suburbs with a craving for Asian food, I would definitely give them a try!

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall  Rating 8/10

Don't Tell Mama Shh

751-753 Doncaster Road, Doncaster

Don't Tell Mama Shh is a Korean restaurant just a few minutes walk away from Westfield Doncaster. They serve many different types of Korean specialties, from bibimbap, to fried chicken and even Korean army stew, all of this in their restaurant with walls that are adorned with quirky little phrases such as Don't tell mama our cooking is better than hers (which we would never dare to do).

Fried rice cake $5

The fried rice cakes were the first thing we ordered. They were covered in a sweet chilli sauce which was a lot more sweet than spicy, but not to the point where it would be unpleasant.

Japchae $17

Mama's fried chicken two flavours $34

Korean fried chicken is a staple dish of many of Melbourne's Korean restaurants, with many specialist restaurants creating a menu based solely on the dish. Despite having these specialist Korean fried chicken restaurants to compete with all over Melbourne, Don't Tell Mama Shh's fried chicken is definitely a contender. Unlike many other places, the sauce coatings aren't overpowering in terms of flavour and sweetness, and form a nice consistency, which creates an even coating for the chicken. All of this is accentuated by how the chicken is cooked, leaving it nice and tender with a good amount of juiciness. 

Don't Tell Mama Shh has become one of the go to Korean restaurants in the eastern suburbs. Although there aren't actually that many competitors in the surrounding area, they are definitely up there in terms of what Melbourne has to offer. 

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8/10

TGI Fridays

Westfield Doncaster Shopping Centre, 619 Doncaster Road, Doncaster

TGI Fridays is one of the biggest American restaurant chains in Melbourne and as such has found much popularity. While they have always been quite popular, I have generally avoided visiting TGI Fridays due to the poor experience of some of my friends. Despite this, as TGI Fridays features in this years Entertainment Book, we decided to visit them for a family dinner anyway.

TGI Fridays

Coconut thick-shake

Although I am a big fan of coconut, the coconut thick-shake at TGI Fridays was a little lackluster. The thick-shake mainly tasted of cream and dairy rather than coconut and while there was a small amount of coconut taste in the shake, it was a little strange.

Dry aged rib-eye on the bone

Jack Daniel's rib, steak and prawns platter

TGI Fridays is quite well known for their meat dishes, ranging from wings to burgers, steaks, ribs and many other dishes. The meat dishes we ordered for our meal had a lot of ups and downs. The Jack Daniels sauce and the ribs were tasty and tender, the sauce in particular was packed with flavour which I enjoyed. On the other hand, the steaks on both of the dishes were overcooked and had become a little tough, with the rib-eye dish in particular being disappointing in both taste, execution and presentation.

We specifically visited on a weekday night where there would be fewer patrons in the restaurant, as we had seen the restaurant quite packed on other nights due to its popularity. Despite this, our food still took over 50 minutes to arrive, by which time we were absolutely starving. A redeeming factor was that the waiter who was serving us was very friendly and apologetic about the wait for the food.

Food Rating 6.5/10

Overall Rating 6/10

Pappa Rich

540 Doncaster Road, Doncaster 

Although when I first started dining at PappaRich they were still a relatively unknown name in Melbourne, they are now the largest and best known Malaysian chain restaurant in Melbourne. PappaRich specialises in a variety of Malaysian cuisine favourites, ranging from snacks to their special toasts, as well as many noodle and rice dishes.

Coconut paradise

Mixed satay skewers

The mixed satay skewers were a decent dish, but a little on the expensive side. The skewers themselves had a decent amount of flavour to them, which was quite pleasant and the satay sauce had a very distinct nuttiness to it.

Seafood curry laksa

The seafood curry laksa at Pappa Rich is definitely not up to the standard that I would expect from a Malaysian restaurant. While I did enjoy the fried bean curd and eggplant in the dish, the flavour of the soup was weak and the noodles were overcooked and mushy.

The service we received at PappaRich was sub-par at best. This was especially disappointing, as the exceptional service of the QV PappaRich restaurant was what kept me as a loyal customer. Overall the experience was disappointing, however if you are looking for a quick Malaysian fix, then PappaRich is definitely a place worth looking into.

Food Rating 5.5/10

Overall Rating 5/10

Zumbo

Westfield Doncaster Shopping Centre, Level 1, 619 Doncaster Road, Doncaster

Zumbo is a very well established name in the desserts and sweets field. Ever since his first appearance on MasterChef, Adriano Zumbo has expanded his brand and opened many new stores, including the Doncaster Shoppingtown store, which is located very conveniently for me. The stores are well known for their range of "Zumbarons", as well as a variety of unique cakes.

Assorted "Zumbarons"

Zumbo

6 Pack Macaron $16.50

At Zumbo, they are most widely known for their macarons and their cakes. As a person who has trained in patisserie, I can honestly say that the macarons at Zumbo are some of the best that I have tried. The shells have the perfect density and a smooth sheen to them, while the filling was smooth, light and did not have an overpowering flavour.

Apart from the macarons themselves, the staff were also very friendly and helpful. I was a little indecisive when it came to picking the flavours, as there were so many and the staff were very helpful and informative, which allowed me to make a quicker decision. Although the price point is quite high, I would definitely visit Zumbo again.

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Green Thai

Westfield Doncaster Shopping Centre, Level 1, 619 Doncaster Road, Doncaster

Recently I posted about a certain Thai restaurant which served me one of the worst tom yum noodle soups that I have ever tasted. Feeling completely unsatisfied, I made the journey to Westfield Doncaster's food court, where I have been ordering Green Thai's tom yum for many years. 

 Green Thai

 Tom yum

While the tom yum at Green Thai is not the best tom yum that I have ever tried, it is possibly the best that I have tried from a food court fast food restaurant. The tom yum had a well flavoured base, albeit not very spicy, as well as a good amount of seafood for the topping. My favourite thing about the tom yum though is that they give you a pile of fresh bean sprouts on top, which gives the dish a freshness and texture that you would not find from the soft and soggy beansprouts that other places usually have. Although some of Green Thai's pre cooked dishes may look questionable, the tom yum has never let me down.

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8/10