Melbourne’s outskirts have plenty to offer. Went to Laksa King for lunch to farewell a work colleague moving positions.
We were glad that we were able to book a table for 15-20 people the day before as the place was full when we arrived. Always wanted to try this place so this was a perfect opportunity to bring my camera and take some happy snaps and food snaps.
I don’t think any of us had eaten here before so expectations were based on Urbanspoon otherwise our other alternative was Taj Palace in Footscray. I’m glad we chose Laksa King!
Because the place was full during the lunch rush we all wondered if they even reserved a table for us. But then we were surprised there was a large table area on the side and more seating at the back.
The place seats more than what I thought and the buzzing atmosphere and decor was very pleasing. You wouldn’t come here for a meeting, so all the reviews about it being too loud is a bit silly in my opinion because it adds buzz and atmosphere.
Service was exceptionally good and the place was well staffed for the lunch rush. For a lunch break you’re always conscious on time and all our dishes came out pretty quickly! As well as the floor staff, if you look into the open kitchen, there’s a dozen or more kitchen staff and chefs to feed an army.
I ordered the Ipoh fried noodles and when it came out I thought it looked pretty damn tasty. When I dug deep to the fried noodles I thought it tasted burnt but every time I eat this, it sort of always does. It’s probably normal but i still enjoyed the dish overall.
The Singapore noodles and Nasi Goreng looked awesome, I might have to try them next time (that’s right will be returning)
Overall everyone was quite pleased with their meals, ambiance and service. I recommend trying this place and hopefully you’ll have a similar pleasant experience to what I did. One thing I can’t comment on is their Laksa which did look good but everyone that had a Laksa gave it a big thumbs up so maybe it’ll have to be a Laksa next time I visit.
I’m building on my Malaysian cuisine having eaten at a number of Malaysian restaurants and I’m slowly becoming a big fan!
Location: 6/10-12 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington VIC 3031
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Phone: (03) 9372 6383
Had some beef bulgogi which was my favourite and was very full of flavour and I loved the straw mushrooms on top.
Chicken Spare Ribs: These are so crispy and so tasty that I could eat a bucket full of them.
Mongolian Sizzling Beef: Stand back when this arrives because it really does sizzle! The beef is nice and juicy and is perfect with any type of rice (fried, plain & tomato) This is a perfect dish to share.
Have you ever been driving down the Maroondah Hwy through Coldstream on the way to Healesville and seen the Spanish style, beautiful orange roof buildings amongst acres and hills of grape vines and trees?
Obviously this shows that harvest is finished, winter has kicked in, the air crisp and cold but the views still take your breath away. Tokar Estate is not all about the wines, they also have a beautiful family owned restaurant with inside and alfresco dining open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.
We arrived for lunch took some beautiful pictures outside and made our way into the restaurant. We built ourselves a little bit of an appetite and didn’t waste any time to order. We learnt that the menu changes every 2 weeks or so depending on some of the produce from the local markets and the vegetables and herbs they grow in the garden.
The tasting plate definitely got the ball rolling and my favourite was the liver parfait with crackers and a bit of this pickled radish type side. Also tried some mushroom soup which was creamy and delish.
For mains we had a Salmon with potato kipflers dressed in honey mustard sauce and a beef steak served with a layered potato slice and vegetables.
To complement our dishes our waiter suggested the Chardonnay for our entrees and Tokar’s signature wine the Tempranillo for our mains. Good choice waiter! The Tempranillo went very well with the steak. Next time we serve up some steak for dinner I’m going get the family to try this out.
Now to my favourite course, dessert. My partner and I were keen to get one dessert to share but then our wandering and greedy eyes got us ordering the assiette of desserts (served on one large late) which landed us three very nice and super good tasting desserts.
Here we have a dark chocolate ganache tart served with homemade vanilla ice-cream. To get the full enjoyment out of it you had to eat each component combined with the vanilla ice-cream.
Above we have the chocolate moose served with a berry side. This was my partners favorite and I couldn’t agree more. The moose and tart it was in cased in was beautiful and together with the berry, it was a match made in heaven.
The cheesecake looked amazing and instead of a biscuit base there’s macadamia nuts which go really well with the cheesecake and don’t forget to have it with the vanilla consummate.
I waited until the restaurant cleared a little so I could take this wonderful picture of the view from inside the restaurant. If you’re seated near the window or sitting out on the alfresco dining area you can enjoy the beautiful food, fresh air and picturesque scenery of the valley. Perfect for a romantic day or night out and make sure to book on the weekends as they can get quite busy.
Tokar Estate Winery and Restaurant has been ticked off on my Yarra Valley to do list and can be put onto my to visit again in spring or summer list. The tasting plate and desserts were the highlights for me and I enjoyed the Tempranilla wine which I will be trying again. Good food, good wine and great scenery makes Tokar Estate a must do on the Yarra Valley list.