Restaurant Reviews

Dandelion: Restaurant review

Address

133 Ormond Rd
Elwood, Melbourne, VIC

Hours

Lunch Thu-Sun noon-3pm;
Dinner Mon-Fri 5.30pm-11pm; Sat-Sun noon-midnight

Prices

E $16-$26
M $20-$48
D $12-$14
Dégustations $58-$78

REVIEW

Geoff Lindsay's celebration of Vietnamese cuisine has been popular with Bayside locals since opening in 2011. The long, narrow space - exposed brick walls, light-well garden feature and polished concrete floors - is a regular hangout for wannabe yachties and young families, who graze through an extensive menu offering everything from pho five ways to banana-stuffed sticky rice. Dishes are multi-layered and ingredient-rich, offering a bold, colourful combination of textures and flavours that mostly work well - sticky slow-cooked beef short ribs with earthy mountain spices, crab spring rolls wrapped in fried lattice rice paper - although the food can sometimes lack the sparkle and zing that the menu descriptions suggest. The bar sends out a steady stream of signature cocktails (including a Viet Espresso Martini, of course) and the wine list cleverly offers a range of familiar styles from less familiar producers, all very well suited to the food.
Phone:
(03) 9531 4900
Bookings:
Bookings recommended
Features:
  • Licensed
  • Bar
  • Vegetarian-friendly
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Impressive Wine List
Accepted card types:
  • Eftpos
  • MasterCard
  • Visa
Chef(s):
Geoff Lindsay
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide's reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.