We had been to this restaurant a few times for lunch but recently we went for the first time for dinner. We went on a weeknight, but the restaurant was still almost full - a testament to the quality of meals.

However, service was efficient but not warm or friendly at all - both waitresses and the head waiter were abrupt and a little rude when answering questions and taking orders. Even something as little as asking for a menu was greeted with a surly expression. Wine was served quickly but no ice bucket was provided, though our glasses were topped up promptly by the unfriendly waitress. There was also one waitress who was probably a little inexperienced, as she struggled with carrying our dishes.

Dishes came quickly, all at once. Quality and flavour of the food is pretty good, though we were a bit disappointed with the Mongolian beef served on a sizzling plate - it was a bit soggy and had far too much shallots. We might ask for onions instead of shallots next time if we order this dish again.

Value-wise it's great, portion sizes are generous for very reasonable prices. All in all, it is quite a nice restaurant with a decent ambience (they renovated last year, updating the decor) that serves good value meals but they definitely need to improve their service.

Approximate cost: $20 - $25

A small, old-fashioned yet comfortable restaurant. The fireplace is cosy and a nice touch especially now as the weather gets cooler. We also noticed a wall-mounted air-conditioner which would presumably serve for warmer months.

We went on a weekend and the restaurant was absolutely packed. There was just one waitress on duty but the service was not affected - still friendly and efficient!! She even took the time to speak to us, rather than just setting down our meals and leaving.

The menu is simple and a little limited, especially in terms of vegetarian options, but the food tastes nice. With regards to dessert, the chocolate pudding with praline parfait was a standout - the pudding is moist, the parfait subtle, and the dish overall is well presented.

Cost is a little bit on the expensive side when compared with some other restaurants, but this restaurant would make a great choice for a birthday or other special occasion - just make sure to book ahead of time.

The only downside is that they do not seem to have any ice buckets. Every time our wine glasses needed to be topped up, the waitress had to run back to the kitchen to fetch our bottle & refill them. After this happened a couple of times, we asked that the bottle be left on our table, so we could pour it ourselves and save her a few trips. However this meant our wine remained unchilled, which was a bit disappointing.

Approximate cost: $30 - $50

A busy cafe on the main street. Generous serving sizes and very good value, but food was a bit oily. Decor was OK but didn't seem very clean. Our table was still littered with some leftover tomato, the walls were dirty... no wonder flies were constantly buzzing around all through our meal.

Service in general was efficient though not overly warm or friendly, even at the beginning of our visit when the cafe wasn't that busy. One waitress in particular was abrupt in her manner, and began constantly dropping hints to make us leave quicker even before we had finished our meal.

In the middle of our visit, one of the staff members stood on the coffee serving counter near the cash register, wearing shoes, and tried to write the new menu with chalk on the wall near the ceiling. It was about noon, and the restaurant was pretty full. An alternative could be having a menu board somewhere, or using a step ladder, or something. Afterwards, they used the same countertop to make coffee for the customers. That's why we had our coffee somewhere else.

Overall it was an interesting experience, but I think I would try somewhere else next time.

Approximate cost: $Less than $20

We timed our visit specifically to be able to watch the advertised demonstration. Unfortunately, the demo was not conducted very well. We were a group of about 40 people, including many children, squashed inside the little shop, looking through the glass at a lady who was demonstrating how to make chocolates. A male staff member, who was very knowledgeable, tried to make the talk more interesting by passing around a big 5-kg block of Belgian chocolate to let us have a feel, and also explaining the differences between natural vanilla (used in good-quality chocolate) and vanillin/artificial vanilla. After a short 5-10 minute talk, the demo was apparently finished and we were left to our own devices, without even a proper goodbye. We did purchase a few of their chocolates, but without trying any from the shop, we were a bit unsure as to what to pick from the many flavours on offer.

However, the ice cream and hot chocolate offered in their attached coffee shop tasted really great and were good value, just $4.00 and $6.00 respectively. The ice cream was a generous serving size, two big scoops topped with a flavour of chocolate of your choice. The hot chocolate was served in a big bowl and tasted really fantastic, if a little watery.

It would be a nice touch if they handed round some samples at the end of the demo or something, especially on weekends when so many people purposely drive all the way up to this shop, which is located in the middle of a highway and easy to miss.

Approximate cost: $Less than $10.00

They have recently relocated from Golden Square, to this much more convenient location. The new venue is a more cosy, trendy place with the comfort of A/C & heating for different weather conditions. The graffiti-decorated walls are an interesting touch, in keeping with the quirky nature of the establishment, and its bare, stripped-back decor makes the space feel bigger. It's a comfortable place to catch up with friends, and you can tell thought has gone into the furnishings, from the lights to the tables and chairs.

Service is alright, not overly friendly or solicitous, but as it is a cafe we didn't have very high expectations.

Quality of the coffee here is pretty good, and they roast their own, which makes it a little bit more special.

The menus for both food and drinks remain much the same. It is good but would benefit from a bit more variety, as there aren't many choices beyond the basics.

Hopefully we see some changes on this front in the future, it's got great potential, nestled right in the heart of Bendigo.

Approximate cost: $Less than $20

A tiny, yet clean & brightly lit restaurant in between Little Lonsdale Street & Healeys Lane. It is conveniently located and easy to find as it is nestled among a lot of interesting restaurants along Healeys Lane, a little restaurant precinct on the edge of Chinatown.

We ordered their most famous dish - the Salt & Pepper Chicken bento box, priced at $10.40. According to reviews, this was the best example of authentic Taiwanese food. The bento was served in a compartmentalised takeaway box, which was a nice touch as it kept the various components of the box separate. The portion size was very generous and great value. The pickles were tasty, the tea egg was yummy, and the rice had minced meat sprinkled on top which added some flavour to the plain white rice. However, the focal point of the dish - salt & pepper chicken - had been cut into tiny little pieces, and the colour was not as brightly coloured or fresh-looking as the photos in the menu or online. They tasted a bit like KFC, except smaller and darker in colour. Overall it tasted okay though. However, one thing we noticed after eating this bento box was that we were very thirsty.

Approximate cost: $Less than $10 for all the snacks

Restaurant is modern, clean, well lit & conveniently located, with great views overlooking the park and the street. Plenty of parking is available nearby. There is a very comfortable seating arrangement, with tables not too close to each other. Service was excellent, and waitresses were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The antipasti platter was good, and pizza was tasty. Both were of great value. A tip if you get the antipasti platter to share though, it's very large! Luckily we were forewarned by our friendly waitress and did not order too much.

However, we were a bit disappointed with the desserts. The orange scented mascarpone tiramisu tasted a bit artificial, and the chocolate & cointreau sauce was served in a small sauce plate, which didn't look very attractive. The Italian chocolate & expresso cake did not have a very strong taste of espresso, but presentation-wise was much better than the tiramisu.

All in all, it was a nice meal, and the ambience and service were great. However, maybe next time we will avoid the cakes and have coffee instead.

Approximate cost: $20 - $25

Don't expect great service as this is a casual pub/bar restaurant. However, the view is fantastic as it faces the beautiful beach!! Food was surprisingly excellent and great value, especially the pizzas.

This is a restaurant with great ocean views, modern decor, in a tourist area, but with reasonably-priced food and drinks, and definitely worth visiting.

Approximate cost: $15-$20

We searched the internet and found this restaurant ranked no. 1 in the Phillip Island region. We went with high hopes but were extremely disappointed with the food & service. No wonder the lady next to us complained so much to her partner.

First, the table was extremely small for three people, and felt cramped, as though we were in the way. We had called ahead and made a reservation yet were shown to a table for two. An additional seat was arranged awkwardly at a small square table. Absolutely no apologies were made for the less than ideal conditions, nor was there any reference to the special requests we had made when booking (for a window seat).

There were set menus available but we chose to order a la carte as we thought we would be able to order confidently, and we also wanted to experience a greater variety of dishes.

Sashimi and the Youki roll were just OK - not as fresh as expected since they had another takeaway shop a few streets away. The Yakitori Chicken was acceptable and reasonably priced - sadly it was to be the highlight of the whole meal. The Gyu Sara (beef) was soggy. The Daikon Ni (slow cooked fish) was like pork and tasted bland, it was pretty terrible. Seafood tempura was a horror - we could only find sliced vegetables, to the point where we thought the order was wrong, and called a waiter over to check. Only after careful examination (and several rude comments from the waiter) did we finally find small bits of squid and maybe "prawns" inside among the tiny portion of tempura. By then, we did not have any appetite nor confidence in ordering any desserts, though we were still hungry and the menu looked tempting.

As for parking, I would suggest parking along the main road rather than on the street right next to the restaurant, which is way too narrow and dangerous for traffic, especially at night.

Went on a Saturday morning and was informed they only had buffet. We were a bit disappointed as we wanted to try their a-la-carte menu. However, there was an excellent variety of food available, a lot to choose from - various kinds of steamed dumplings in both Cantonese and Shanghainese styles, various kinds of Shanghai-style appetisers including prawns, cold vegetables, and other meats. The desserts were definitely the highlight - yummy, and a great variety as well. The best one in my opinion would have to be the custard bun or the dark chocolate pralines.

For $35 per head with so much food to choose from, it was a nice experience. Restaurant itself was modern, with a lot of thought put into the decor - even the bathroom sink was different, and pretty special. It's located very conveniently, with parking available nearby.

I'd go again but probably in the evening, to try their a la carte menu.