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Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne Reviews
Does Not Do Well Accommodating for Allergies
We did not love the Flower Drum despite it's big reputation. My wife is allergic to shellfish and tree nuts - while we did not call ahead to see if they can accommodate for this, we've never had any issue with substitutions in the many places that we have been. In this case for my wife, things were just left out or pretty subpar compared to the original portion of the tasting menu. While I got the albacore to start, my wife got a few pieces of pork - it didn't feel on the same level. For the fried rice, they just didn't give her shrimp. Lastly for the cookies that come at the end of the meal, neither of us got anything but the bill as we listened to the table next to us talking about how great the cookies are. I believe service is likely a large part of the charm for the Flower Drum - overall it felt subpar to us. Maybe some will say I'm being too critical - my wife and I have had a number of tasting menus in places all around the world and usually the substitutes are equally as great. The textures, the flavors - all balance to the original part of the tasting menu. This place just leaves it out and I would expect better from a famous place like this.
Best Chinese Food Ever!!!!!
Best Chinese food ever and fantastic staff. Couldnt fault it. Would give it 10 stars if I could!!! Everythiing was awsome and the wine list is amazing.
We ordered the 5 course meal.
The duck and scallops were great. The rest of the courses were adequate. Service was mediocre and not friendly based on our waiter harassing us about a tip. He paid more attention to an adjacent table with an attractive woman. Flower Drum is getting by on old school reputation. It needs an update.
A Treat,
Celebrating 52 years of marriage with style flare and faultless food. Freshest scallops and prawns. Tender roast duck and yummy Gai lan. We hope to be back for our birthdays.
Needs reservation days before
My son raves about this place and took me there with his family (am on a visit to Melbourne), after booking it weeks ahead. Although they had been there only very few times before, they were instantly recognised and greeted personally. Serves Chinese food, many exotic dishes such as abalone and century eggs, and bird's nest for dessert are available. A large selection of wines. Came across the word 'cakeage' to match corkage if a cake is brought from outside.
Exceptional on all levels
The most beautiful and exceptional restaurant. The food is top notch, the best Chinese in Melbourne. I cannot rate this restaurant highly enough. Fantastic friendly staff who provide an exquisite evening of delicious food and good wine and make your evening truly memorable. I hope to visit this restaurant every time I'm in Melbourne
Bland food, terrible service
My family had dinner at Flower Drum earlier in the week. Overall it was an extremely disappointing and underwhelming experience compared to previous times when we have visited. The food was not up to expectations for the price we paid, and waiters were also rather inattentive and not overly friendly. I would like to echo one of the previous reviewers who wrote a one star review in August, to note that one of our waiters Derek was very rude and patronising to us. There are far better quality Chinese restaurants in the CBD and the suburbs with better value for money. Standards have significantly dropped at this famed institution which is sad to see.
Excellent cuisine, ambiance and service
I made a booking for tonight and by mistake got the date wrong.My bad sent a note cancelling and explaining and they came back no problem we can fit you in. WOW great start. The food was excellent the scallop dumpling just get a dozen and wow!
Most Excellent Chinese Luncheon Experience!
I had researched this restaurant by way of reading independent reviews and talking to friends and family. My wife and I attended for lunch on a Friday afternoon. The restaurant was moderately busy, but I was made aware that you should book in advance to get a reservation. We received a friendly greeting at the entrance on the ground floor, and again on the first floor restaurant. We ordered the following: (1) Peking Duck for entree. This was not shredded duck, but a plump, succulent piece of breast meat with soft pancake, sweet hoisin sauce and accompanied with the usual crunchy scallions and cucumber. Very moreish. In fact, I could have eaten several of these most delicious wraps; (2) For the main course we shared the crispy chicken, accompanied with homemade spicy salt and lemon juice, and eye fillet with soy sauce and mushrooms. The crispy chicken was 'off the scale'. It was moist and succulent with the very important crispy skin. Just wonderful. The eye fillet was tender and delicious, and passed the 'cut it with a spoon' test. No seriously it did! The steak was served with broccolini and snow peas. Both cooked well and just the right amount of crunch. We were also served a bowl of special fried rice, which contained prawn, fried pork, egg and seasonal vegetables. Again, completely delicious; and (3) Everybody's favourite Chinese dessert of banana fritter with vanilla ice cream and sticky maple syrup topping. The fritter was tender and sweet with a light, tempura-like batter. The ice cream was excellent quality; creamy and rich. Overall, excellent pudding. The atmosphere was fairly busy, but friendly. Our team of waiters were friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Some of the courses were served at the table, which is always a great experience. To drink, we chose a small bottle of Paringa Estate pinot noir, a bottle of Crown lager and a Strawberry Fields mocktail. All very quaffable. All in all, excellent service, food, drinks and atmosphere.
What has happened to this place ??
Came for dinner Wednesday early sitting. Rang before to inform the team that one of our guests had a shellfish allergy and was assured it would not be an issue for the evening. On arrival this was confirmed and the process seemed seamless until we were sat at our table. Our waiter Derek was possibly the rudest waiter I have ever encountered in my travels around the world. I don’t want to say this as a disgruntled Karen because rudeness in certain culinary experiences can be part of the charm. But for fine dining it is certainly an outlier to have rude and indignant waiters. After giving the guests who ordered still water “tap water” and making a real point of saying “ here’s your tap water “, our waiter Derek dropped the wine and drinks list on the table and walked away without saying a word. When we politely informed him that we wanted to go with the chef banquet experience with matching wines, Derek responded by saying no and provided no further information. He then returned with the menus and said that the ladies at the table couldn’t handle the banquet menus because of the time constraints and it wouldn’t be right to rush the courses for the ladies. I found this to be strange since it wasn’t mentioned at any stage on the phone or when we presented that certain menu items were not permitted. I walked over to the head waiter at the front of the restaurant and asked if it would be possible to do the banquet menu and he was aghast that our waiter had denied us the chef’s banquet. He subsequently walked over to Derek and scolded him in another language and our rude waiter returned sheepishly to tell us the chef banquet would be on its way. When Derek was informed about the shellfish allergy he lost his temper again and shouted at us about not letting him know even though a second ago we weren’t even allowed to order. When I informed him that we had informed the front desk both on the phone and on arrival he responded angrily and said that it wasn’t enough and the waiter is the one who needs to be informed. When I asked him if i should ask for the waiter who will be serving us when making reservations to provide them with allergy information rather than just the person taking the reservation his response was simply “yes” which was the most insane thing I’ve heard. Rather than recognising a failure in communication as an inherent failure of the framework at flower room, our friend Derek held steadfast and insisted we were at fault. He then spent the next ten minutes going through the chefs banquet menu and interrogating the guest with the allergy on each dish after which he would stand there tapping on the menu trying to work out what he could choose to replace them with. All of his thoughts occurring in real time via his mouth of course so we could hear his every dilemma liveS Eventually we had to tell Derek that we trusted him with whatever choices he made so that he would stop standing at our table mumbling to himself. We chose the chefs banquet menu with the upgrade to robin wagyu and matching wines. Each course was disappointing and poorly presented. The mud crab was broken apart and tasted extremely coarse. The whiting was dry and grainy. The crayfish was rubbery and overcooked. The duck meat was hard while the duck skin was soft. The worst crime however, was committed against the wagyu which was served rare. Everyone knows this is a capital crime against the fatty goodness that is wagyu. The wines were extremely boring and bland. Penfold Riesling and Mornington peninsula Pinot grigio were so forgettable. The Bourgogne Chardonnay was perhaps the only highlight but it was too little too late. The wines lacked imagination and effort and felt like Chatgpt had rushed through a matching wine list for your local Chinese takeaway.. The dessert was cooked, presented and served in the most ordinary way imaginable. And the taste matched the entire journey. So in conclusion where does that leave us. If we objectively look at flower room as a gimmick Cantonese restaurant with rude waiters then you have to expect the food to match the level of rudeness which it doesn’t. I have had more surprising Chinese food in remote areas of Australia compared to what I was served tonight. If we look at flower room as a fine dining institution which it was when I visited over a decade ago then the system is broken. Two hatted Compatriots such as Amaru, Chae, Attica and even the recently promoted Kaizukis are light years ahead in terms of the fine dining experience they provide. I am simply lost as to how flower room has maintained any hats based on what I experienced tonight as a random guest. If you want bland comfort food related to previous former glory dining experiences and you enjoy living on sentiment then keep on coming to flower room. If you seek excitement, joy , innovation, efficiency, courtesy, professionalism and a culinary experience then avoid this place at all cost.
The flower drum is easily the best Chinese restaurant in
The flower drum is easily the best Chinese restaurant in Chinatown and potentially in all of Victoria
Culinary at its finest
You will not getter a better food experience anywhere in Melbourne. The dinner banquet, the cocktails and the wine were magnificent. The service is next to none and the ambience is great. There was a birthday party at the same time which did make it slightly loud, however it didn’t dampen our experience. I haven’t been here for a number of years and it was just as I remember!
Open August 2023
Very professional service and delicious food. The lunch menu was great value. lived up to it's reputation. will visit again
Heard about the great Cantonese food so we're very excited
Heard about the great Cantonese food so we're very excited to try it. This restaurant is definitely catered to the big groups but is still good for just a pair. Do note - this is NOT fast Chinese. This is slower, more catered to the bigger tasting menu, 90-minute experience where everything is served for you table side. We decided to order a la carte as opposed to the tasting menu which we ended up loving. We had the - Dim sum: Prawn har gao (with and without chives), jiaozi pork and chicken (pan fried dumplings), and the Berkshire beef siu mai. All were great but the pork jiaozi was by far our favorite. Peking duck wrapped in a pancake (2 per order). This was ok. The skin was a little too thick, not providing the best texture against the pancake sleeve. Also seemed a little small for the price. Singapore noodles. This was our favorite dish by far. Sizable. Amazing flavor. Lots of shrimp, pork, eggs, and veggies with vermicelli noodles. Highly recommend. Great food, just note the above because if you're looking for a faster experience, this is not the place for you.
Exceptional!
Delicious food and exceptional service. It’s always a wonderful experience dining at Flower Drum. The staff’s professionalism is fantastic. You never feel like they are hovering, but there is always someone there to fill your glass or cater to any requests. The food is also fantastic. Lots of variety and it is hard to choose from such great dishes! Excellent wine list and one of the largest I’ve seen. It really is a fine dining experience.
Nothing short of outstanding.
Best Chinese food ever! And close to the the best food I’ve ever encountered. Amazing service, they make a mistake, and they do absolutely everything to make up for it. Also, it is not too pricey, actually quite reasonable for what it is.
Amazing Authentic Cantonese Food
The food and friendly service at this restaurant is top notch. We opted to share several dishes at our table including: chicken with moutai, honeyed spare ribs, & Singapore noodles. All were amazing!
We're Engaged
This spectacular restaurant was as good, as I remember from my childhood. It marks a special occasion, and lucky we had an engagement that worth celebrating. More the company, food and in-house dining, we're one of the best. Highly recommend this restaurant.
Our favourite special occasion restaurant in Australia, some restaurants are great to try, but this one’s a keeper.
Not sure why it is flagged by TripAdvisor as closed? We have been here four times in the last six months. This is by far our favourite restaurant to celebrate any special occasion as we are guaranteed a fantastic meal, awesome service at a price point which is great value given the high quality of ingredients, and preparation. Note I am Chinese, so possibly a little bias, but I equally love all cuisines, I just love great food. The Flower Drum offers consistently attentive and professional service, unrivalled Cantonese food in Australia, and an old school dining room, white tablecloths, soft furnishings (remember carpet)?, cloth napkins, hot hand towels, tables spread out where you can quietly chat and revel in each delicious course. We love love love the Peking Duck, unrivalled perfection, best we’ve ever had; closely followed favourites of Quail San Choi Bao, mud crab sui lung bao, stuffed garfish in mushroom sauce, scallops in garlic butter, Hokkien fried rice. I could go on. For seriously special occasions we go the whole roast suckling pig, pre-order required, please note it is expensive, but it is totally worth it, you’ll need 8-10 people to give it a shake, but you can take home the balance and enjoy again tomorrow. It really is quite special. We have been coming here for more than 20 years and still love it every time. We have yet to have a dish in all that time which wasn’t perfect. Such consistently high quality dining. Anthony & Jason Lui do an amazing job. Long live the mighty Flower Drum.
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If there is no user posting that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
That's where the community-driven bid process comes in.
Peter can place a bid on AppointmentTrader, which serves as a reward for any community member who chooses to work on securing the reservation. AT then notifies experienced users who may be able to help.
Step-by-Step Process
1.) Setting a Reward (Bid)
* AppointmentTrader uses historical data to recommend a reasonable reward amount for securing a reservation - let's say $100.
* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $200.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
2.) A Community User Picks Up the Bid
* DistinguishedTree58, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's bid.
* DistinguishedTree58 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
* Peter can now talk to DistinguishedTree58 for any questions Peter may have as DistinguishedTree58 user fills the bid.
3.) Finding the Reservation
* DistinguishedTree58 now uses their connections at Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne to secure the table.
* If they successfully get the 6 PM table for four, Peter receives a confirmation that the reservation has been secured.
* If DistinguishedTree58 fails to secure the reservation, the bid is returned to the pool so another user can try.
4.) Payment & Protection
* Once the reservation is secured, DistinguishedTree58 receives the $200 reward which is credited to DistinguishedTree58's AT balance, where users manage their own funds and can withdraw via available payout options such as bank transfer, PayPal, or Zelle.
* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne!
* As with all transactions on AT, disputes and no-show fees are handled through the platform's community-driven resolution system. Users with a strong track record are incentivized to fulfill bids successfully, and community members can report issues to maintain trust in the marketplace.
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