Dandelion - Glen Eira

Every time I visit this restaurant, the food is consistently amazing. Vietnamese cuisine is wonderful and Dandelion executes it exceptionally well. I highly rec... read more Every time I visit this restaurant, the food is consistently amazing. Vietnamese cuisine is wonderful and Dandelion executes it exceptionally well. I highly recommend coming here with friends. The drinks are excellent and the staff is fantastic, ensuring you will have a fantastic time!

Dandelion offers incredibly innovative and delicious Vietnamese fusion cuisine. While it may be a bit pricey, the restaurant has a variety of tasting menus star... read more Dandelion offers incredibly innovative and delicious Vietnamese fusion cuisine. While it may be a bit pricey, the restaurant has a variety of tasting menus starting at $58. We opted for the a la carte menu and enjoyed dishes like the peking duck spring rolls and fried tiger prawns. The famous ribs were sweet and tender, served with lettuce, sauces, and noodles. For dessert, the Mano tart tatin is a must-try. Dandelion is a fantastic choice for creative Vietnamese food in Elwood, but be prepared for the cost and make sure to book in advance, as it gets busy even on weekdays.

Elwood is a little out of my patch (and considering I live in St Kilda, my patch is obviously quite small), but Dandelion came highly recommended so I headed ov... read more Elwood is a little out of my patch (and considering I live in St Kilda, my patch is obviously quite small), but Dandelion came highly recommended so I headed over there for Sunday lunch today. They have a selection of tasting menus ranging from $58 to $78, but these are for two people minimum so I ordered a few snacks instead. First of these was from the Wrap and Roll section Antarctic King Crab spring roll. This was wrapped in lattice rice paper and came with a little bowl of chilli and ginger dipping sauce and some lettuce leaves. Crunchy and tasty. Next up were three Tiger prawns coated in green rice and deep fried, also served with lettuce leaves to wrap them in and Nuoc Cham for dipping. Also very nice. I 'd saved the best until last as it turned out; Peking duck broth with bean sprouts and Vietnamese mint. The soup was loaded with succulent strips of meat and lots of sliced onion. Really, really good, but I 'd have to say the pork, prawn and egg noodle soup I had at Hanoi Hannah last time I was there probably just edged this one out. This is the most expensive Vietnamese restaurant I 've been to, but it 's very good. Service is fast and friendly and it has a modern, trendy ambience which I quite like.

Mmm tasty Vietnamese food! I 'm a big fan of Vietnamese cuisine and it 's one of those cuisines that is usually associated with paper tables cloths (if any) and... read more Mmm tasty Vietnamese food! I 'm a big fan of Vietnamese cuisine and it 's one of those cuisines that is usually associated with paper tables cloths (if any) and rubbing elbows with strangers over a big steaming bowl of Pho. Which is what makes this higher end establishment a nice treat. Delicious Vietnamese in a more date friendly setting. I was taken here for my birthday last year and really keen to go again. We did try the infamous Epicure 's dish of the year ribs which I must say were a big disappointment. Everything else was a delight though so ignore the hype and just order what you feel like. Don 't expect magic, but do expect a warm and welcoming atmosphere and great Vietnamese food. It 's classy but casual and worth the occasional trip out of the city.

As tempted as I am to make as many pho puns as I can in one review, I will refrain. Ruefully, but probably for the best. Dandelion delivers fantastic food, good... read more As tempted as I am to make as many pho puns as I can in one review, I will refrain. Ruefully, but probably for the best. Dandelion delivers fantastic food, good service and a pretty good ambience in a location not known for fine dining. There were seven of us for dinner at the 8pm sitting, and we all walked out agreeing that we 'd happily go back. We shared rice paper rolls of various types for entree; all delicious, all well-presented, all delivered in good time. The reason I mention time is that the staff were a little slow in taking both food and drink orders; 20+ minutes of sitting with water only isn 't exactly ideal. Main course, we each went our own way. For me, pho with spanner crab. Wow. Light, yet complex, a balance of tomato and crab, a hint of citrus and spice, noodles and tofu rounding out the dish. Paired with a '10 Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir, it was superb. L loved her pork, my sister her chicken pho, and the others their selections from the grill. One concern regarding the food: When you insist on having two sittings, it 's poor form to say something isn 't available because you 've run out. You know there are tables booked in for that seating, anticipate that they want the full menu available to them. The atmosphere was clean, but hard edges and plain walls meant that sound bounced; overall, loud , but not deafening. OK for conversation, but louder than desirable. Overall: Highly recommended. Asian cuisine with subtle yet complex, brilliant flavours in a well-presented package.