Review Dandelion - Elwood

Nice presentation but tasteless, non of the 3 meals tasted good - big disappointment. Crab coconut dish particularly lacking of any crab flavor or just too much coconut. Not worth the price.

The twice cooked beef ribs are AMAZING... I took a friend of mine for his birthday and recommended that dish to him - even though he is not much of a red meat eater.... I have never seen him eat so much! He is my best friend and I have known him for a long time sp that is really saying something. We had entrees as well but still managed to cram the last of the meat in our mouth... it was sensational. We rolled out of the restaurant.

Great sleek looking restaurant serving contemporary modern Vietnamese cuisine. We ordered a number of entrees and they are pretty good especially the Hanoi Fire Crackers but be careful as they pack a heat. The beef short ribs are really soft and pretty good too. We came on mother's day and were given free choc fudge, what a service! Food - 8 Service - 10 Vibe - 9 Price - $$$$

I think the service was okay but I personally didn't enjoy the food. One of the two dishes my partner and I enjoyed was the peking duck rice paper rolls (4 small pieces for $26.00) We also had: The small bowl of Beef Pho which was very confusing to me as it was a very jam packed with noodles and hardly any soup which tasted nothing like Pho. The Banh Xeo was visually very appealing, tasted okay but the flavours just wasn't to my liking. To finish, we had the Banh Flan which was displayed very nicely and was quite nice however we had accompanied this with the Vietnamese Drip Coffee that was very grainy and bitter because the filter was not fitted properly. I felt the flavours were very westernised and the meals were very overpriced for what they were. It was an okay experience but will not be rushing back here any time soon.

Dandelion is a relaxed, intimate restaurant, with friendly service, modern fusion Vietnamese fare, and a great cocktail menu. I’ve been there a couple of times, and they’ve always been delicious. Last night was no exception. Started off with some mocktails, off course. The coconut and lychee granita was a tropical treat. It made me feel like I was on holidays! The crab spring rolls were crispy and juicy, perfectly fried. Nuac Cham on the side gave it a saucy punch. Prawns were covered in crunchy rice, with a satisfying crackle in every bite. Beef ribs were the highlight of the meal. Cooked till it falls off the bone, the meat was rich and tender. Fresh side salad really complimented this dish. Lamb shank looked appealing but was a bit underdone. The aromatic sauce was refreshing, as the accompanying, rice baguette and pineapple were good too.

Food & service were both absolutely amazing 🤩

Came here once for business lunch, set menu of course, but then the food and experience was fantastic. Took my partner here, unfortunately not the same experience as before. Decor is still amazing, especially sitting by the greenery, refreshing and creates a clean atmosphere. but the menu needs attention, especially when lamb shank being served cold and dry, flavours were still delicious. Waitors may need to improve with checking back with the customers on their dinning experience, rather than talking to other staff whilst on their mobiles during service... Not a good sight to see. Only to have 5 staff one with 3 tables, and only being asked once how meals are going.

Quite an expensive meal, but worth it! Delicious. Would be a good option for special occasions or the occasional random spoiler. I’ve been here three times and I am sure I’ll go back again! :-)

Very disappointing service. Was not told before hand that it was going to be a set menu due to covid. $60 per person for a plate of broccoli, slaw and one duck rice paper roll. The desert was nice but tiny. The waiter did give us an extra plate of mushroom and rice noodles due to the fact we were not told about the set menu but over all we left feeling disappointed and felt over charged for the amount of food we received

The food was absolutely exquisite and sent tingling sensations, down through, to our tastebuds.<br/><br/>Every dish, was truly like a symphony, and hit every note, with our soulful joys, were sent to delight.<br/><br/>Hats off to the chefs, for a wonderful and very well rounded meal, as you have all combined well, to create such lovely tastes of Vietnam.<br/><br/>We also like to give a massive shoutout, to the waiting staff and front of house staff.<br/>As you’re all the backbone of what makes a wonderful team performance in fine dining !<br/><br/>You all exceeded and excelled in excellence and experience in making this beautiful menu, a must go to establishment in Melbourne.<br/><br/>Kudos to the entire team.<br/><br/>Decor, atmosphere and background music, bravo, as it truly made for a compliment of what was truly a great night to remember.<br/><br/>We will definitely be returning and also taking our friends here.<br/><br/>Our new favourite restaurant.<br/><br/>Thank you again for a lovely night.<br/><br/>Kind regards <br/><br/>~ Glenn

I paid a hefty price for the service not the food. <br/><br/>The atmosphere was great and the service was top notch. The staff were attentive, efficient and friendly. <br/><br/>However, I was extremely disappointed in the food. I’m hoping I just came on a bad night for the chefs because I was so excited to finally try their awarded menu. <br/><br/>The soft shell crab paper rolls are $25 just for 2 mediocre rolls - for that price you would expect something special or different from the norm.<br/><br/>I was most disappointed about the Banh Xeo with crab and crispy pork. The crab pieces were pretty much playing hide and seek with me. The pork was dry although the crackling was good. The whole dish it self was 80% salad and the pancake batter was paper thin - it did not have that coconut aroma or bite you’d want when wrapping all the elements together. The pancake was so thin that it would all break a part. I was really sad. Especially paying $40 for it. <br/><br/>Every dish I ordered came out warm, no where near hot. The pho was lukewarm, my noodles were stuck together and the soft boiled egg was over cooked. <br/><br/>The ONLY dish that was mildly tasty was the 450g T-Bone steak with chimichurri.... the non Vietnamese dish? <br/><br/>I genuinely hoped for a tasteful eating experience but I came out very dissatisfied. I would only ever go back for the drinks.

Possibly the most disappointing meal I've experienced in a very, very long time. At $26 for a bowl of Pho, I was expecting big things, but alas it was not to be.  <br/>Of our group, those that had the Chicken Pho were served up an insipid, warm, oily water, completely devoid of flavour. It was bad enough that two were returned. The chef graciously threw the apprentice under the bus for failing to 'season' the Pho on the pass. Here's a tip, if it needs last minute seasoning to have any flavour, pour it down the sink.  <br/>Those that had the Beef Pho were served up a stock that was so concentrated, it was like gravy. When our replacement Chicken Pho arrived, it was simply the content of Chicken Pho with the stock from the Beef Pho...disgusting and, also returned.  <br/>And I've not yet mentioned the heavily pregnant diner in our group who's order was completely forgotten. The cowardly response from the kitchen, blaming the apprentice and sending the wait staff out onto the floor with excuses that were clearly rubbish only added to the air of cluelessness permeating from the place. Kudos to our server though, Darcy, despite the litany of errors, you did your very best to make our evening bearable...it wasn't your fault and, your efforts were appreciated.  <br/>If you're looking for good Vietnamese, look elsewhere 'cos you wont' find it here.

We had an excellent dinner with cocktails here. The meals are designed for sharing and we worked our way through a fair bit of the menu. One of the stand outs was the banh xeo as was the pork hock. I love that alot of the meals are designed to be wrapped in lettuce and herbs - very fresh. The cocktail list is a must.

We commenced our crab-centric journey with the coconut crab dressed with coconut, lime, chilli, black sesame rice paper crackers. A contemporary take on a South East Asian hawker dish, this offered a myriad of bold, but complementary, flavours which still allowed the sweetness of the underlying crab meat to shine through. It was an excellent starter which typified Dandelion&rsquo;s multi-faceted style of cooking.<br/><br/>The Soft-shell crab rice paper rolls that followed were similarly delicious. Perfectly crispy soft shell crab and fresh salad were wrapped in the most delicate rice paper rolls. Just yum!<br/><br/>For mains, generous bowls of Singapore Chilli Mud Crab and Black Pepper Swimmer Crab were a crab-lovers dream. Messy, saucy and a whole lot of fun! The mains were served with side dishes of Vietnamese slaw with peanuts, crispy shallots, nuoc cham, grilled sweet corn with chilli and coriander butter and a bowl of steamed rice.

The food is nice and flavours good but not worth the fine dining prices; you find similarly great flavour at some of the modern cafe style Vietnamese restaurants in Melbourne. Their signature dish, the pork hock is $42 and comes with iceberg lettuce and herbs. Delicious flavour in the tamarind caramel sauce it was cooked in, but not much pork underneath the pork fat and (delicious) cracking, so a vegetable accompaniment would be a welcome addition for that price. We added the corn which was a nice flavour (coriander butter) but the corn was dry. If you’re going to do corn on the cob, it has to be juicy corn. $26 for two Peking Duck rice paper rolls with just a sliver of duck in each and some spring onion and cucumber is excessive; the hoi sin sauce was pretty good though. My husband thought the dessert Banh Flan was the standout. You could really taste the honey in the honeycomb!

Came here with a few friends and had a great evening! <br/><br/>The food is delicious, fresh and well plated! <br/><br/>We all had a great evening. The staff were pleasant and very attentive!<br/><br/>Thanks for a lovely dinner!

Such a beautiful and bright restaurant, perfectly paired with the food they serve. This modern Vietnamese establishment has tons of vegan and vegetarian options that provide a fresh twist on old classics. The activated charcoal rice paper rolls make a nice light starter, and the bun noodle salad (featuring the same, wonderfully textured sesame coated tofu) is an awesome complementary option. The best feature of this dish are the veggie spring rolls, each wrapped in webbed rice noodles. For a main, I tried the kho chay. I'm not a huge fan of okra typically, but it was so nice when paired with a medley of tomatoes and squash. The beautifully prepared soft boiled eggs on top make the dish. To drink, I sampled the Pinot Gris and for dessert, the Vietnamese coffee flan, which was the right size and strength to finish me off on a comfortably full and satisfied note. Last of all, I must commend the service, which was truly above and beyond.

One of the biggest challenges I (Christina) face as a food blogger is choosing my favourite cuisine. I know, #firstworldproblems. Lately, I am tossing up between Italian and Vietnamese, luckily my Nonna doesn't know what the Internet is and will never read this because after Dandelion, Vietnamese is the clear winner right now.

$35 for lunch which is ok i guess but i probably would have expected something a little more tasty and substantive.<br/>My wife had piece of chicken gristle in one of her dishes which we politely pointed out to staff. They also missed a dish completely which did eventually arrive after asking.<br/>Sorry guys. Not my thing really.<br/>

A visit to Dandelion for their special Yum Cha lunch on offer this month only. They presented eight dishes and all quite different from the usual Chinese yum cha fare, however, naturally, this was a Vietnamese version! We enjoyed the dishes but not the noise within the restaurant. Thankfully we dined at lunchtime and only had to imagine what the level would be during a full dinner service.

Great sleek looking restaurant serving contemporary modern Vietnamese cuisine. We ordered a number of entrees and they are pretty good especially the Hanoi Fire Crackers but be careful as they pack a heat. The beef short ribs are really soft and pretty good too. We came on mother's day and were given free choc fudge, what a service!

This Place really is the cream of the crop when it comes to Viet joints to go out and eat! lots to choose from and its always super fresh and tasty. <br/><br/>Few of my fav dishes are crab spring rolls, bahn xheo, fish curry the broccoli. Oh recently tried the pho and its incredible, very lightly flavoured not too heavy in the richness department and fairly generous portion size too. Oh dont forget the brulee amazing one of the best ive had for a long time, but the brulee has always been good here! <br/><br/>Great service will be back.

I have never in my life ever written a review before as i think im probably too old to be doing this but, Dandelion is one of my favourite places to go eat. I ate hear back in the early days and have followed Geoff Lindsay since his Stella days. The food at Dandelion is some of the best in Vietnamese cuisine that Melbourne has to offer. <br/><br/> I came with my partner and we had the green fried prawns which were amazing as always, we also noticed a few new things and had the pickles which were very different and had a really nice hot chilli paste that was fairly hot but it actually complimented the pickle.  The Bun salad was something i wasn't expecting my husband wanted to get it i wasn't really interested in the Bun salad but it certainly surprised me! Not sure what rice paddy is and not sure if it was even in the salad maybe its the noodle, the salad did impress.<br/><br/>We also tried the fish curry and duck leg the curry was amazing possibly one of the nicest curries I've had, the waitress said it was a tomato base which i was a little interested in as i was thinking more of a coconut cream style curry but it was certainly amazing a must try sour, hot and salty.  The duck is also a winner not much more to say about it but its sour sweet and salty and you can definitely taste the mandarin.  we did not have dessert.<br/><br/> The service was good but from our last experience i think they looked under staffed.  Dandelion is a great place to go eat if you really love Vietnamese food you'll love Dandelion

While I cannot fault the service, the food is below average. The pricing is way too expensive for the amount of food that comes out. Really disappointing. I used to come here regularly. I doubt I will be back.

This used to be my favourite restaurant. Last time I was here was a year ago. Sad to say I brought a friend here and raved to him about the Peking<br/>Duck. It used to be amazing, now it is nothing special, the rolls are full of too much lettuce. So disappointed as this restaurant isn’t cheap either. Crab wontons were not wontons as we would know, it was crab on a cracker. So disappointed this restaurant is now so average. The waitress mentioned they do have a new chef. I won’t be back unless the prices severely drop to reflect the standard of food.

Alex Sobolevsky was present for our staff Christmas party. Dandelion tried their hardest and the waitress Liat was excellent she was a 10/10 for attention and help. Serving a group of 20plus people is always a challenge. The food came out a little slow but understand that it is a small kitchen. The food was delicious (for the parts I tried) and the highlight was the mushroom pho and the hand rolls (vegan). The staff enjoyed tempura wraps, and pork hock as well.

Food has really dropped here. What was a standout restaurant has lost its lustre. Staff were inattentive, pho was cloudy, herbs that accompanied pho were wilted and sad, pho salty and average, salad dismal. So disappointing for our neighbourhood restaurant, so disappointing, average at best.

Far too expensive for what it was. The menu descriptions don't match the food - Buddha roll made to sound delicious but tasted very plain. And ashamed to say I paid $20 for one rice paper roll.

Fantastic place and great atmosphere. Made for fresh ingredients and all dishes were full of flavor. Ribs just melted in our mouths. Lamb was bit undercooked and was hard to eat. Springrolls were amazing l!

We are sad to say that we found the food was hit or miss. The flounder was a highlight and the fried rice delicious, but the lamb curry was flavourless.

Enjoyable dinner at our local Dandelion last night, i can't believe it took me this long too try it! Definitely one of the better modern asian restaurants in the village!<br/>Service was standout from the head waiter gentleman with the accent as he ensures all diners feel comfortable. Food was enjoyable especially the banh xeo which was massive and very crispy (i will be ordering that again), the chicken pho can use abit more flavour but nothing that some siracha can't fix and the twice cooked ribs was so tender and filling. Don't judge a place by the menu.. because in my opinion the prices here are justifiable as the portions are huge.... just don't compare it to the vietnamese at footscray, springvale or richmond.. because its totally different! One of the highlights was the gin and tonic.. the first bar attender who has perfected the ratio!! I will be back for more.

Dandelion is a relaxed, intimate restaurant, with friendly service, modern fusion Vietnamese fare, and a great cocktail menu. I’ve been there a couple of times, and they’ve always been delicious. Last night was no exception. Started off with some mocktails, off course. The coconut and lychee granita was a tropical treat. It made me feel like I was on holidays!

This afternoon we visited the beautiful restaurant, greeting was very well done, then it started to decline. We waited a while to have our order taken, incidentally it was not busy at this point, we asked to have the Chef line special offer , the Pho was awkward to eat as served in a long tall vessel cutlery was large for this dish disappointment continued as the stock was ordinary , then things got better each dish thereafter was very good and the service excellent, dessert delicious , Vietnamese coffee as good as in country. Would we go back? Probably not..

Good service, the place has nice decor and the portion sizes for mains are generally good, food is well presented. But that was the worst pho I have ever eaten. Didn't come with chilli or hoisin sauce and tasted like dishwater with noodles, for the price of $26. That is more than double what I've ever paid for a bowl of beef pho. I was a bit stunned to be honest. It was extremely bland, the broth had no flavour and wait staff were confused when we asked whether there were meant to be sauces.<br/><br/>Tried a few other curries with duck and lamb which were OK but not particularly flavoursome. The beef rib was actually very nice, as was the prawn entree.

Terrible service on busy nights very slow - 2 hour service and the food takes over an hour - major attitude problem from waitress with bad haircut. A joint birthday dinner ruined. Crispy pork hock is excellent - maybe order take away. Expect more for the price - better service from McDonalds.

Invited for a birthday lunch on a Saturday. Not too busy . Clean , light and airy space. Greeted warmly by the waitress . A well thought out wine list to match fresh Vietnamese flavours. We started with the crab salad , even though the crab was fresh, it lacked seasoning and needed a touch more acidity .<br/>The kingfish crudo not super fresh, but the flavours were good.<br/>The star dish ,in my opinion was the pork hock, crispy sweet , soft tasty, served with nouc cham.<br/>The whole flounder was grilled over coals was tasty ,needed more peanut sate.<br/>Over all ,fresh and light modern Vietnamese food . Recommend

I was craving Vietnamese food as it was a hot day in Melbourne. Vietnamese dishes are always so flavoursome and best of all, it tastes so fresh that I feel healthy and light after eating it (I know it's not but I live in denial). So I was pleased as punch when my friend suggested we go to Dandelion.<br/><br/>My friend mentioned the sizes were quite generous so we opted for the passionfruit cured yellow tail kingfish ('cos I can't say no when it comes to kingfish) and the rockling fillet ('cos I can't say no to fish wrapped in banana leaf). <br/><br/>The kingfish salad was super yum - it packed heaps of flavour, sweet, a bit sour and had an added crunchy texture. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by a salad. This built up my appetite for the main.<br/><br/>Unfortunately when it arrived, I immediately noticed the size - it was a small portion of fish and small bowl of rice. The rice was a little dry and the fish, while tasty, didn't have as much flavour. For the price of this dish, it was pretty average. The awkwardness of Dandelion is that while it is priced at the higher end for Vietnamese food, it fell short on flavour and portion.

This is seriously one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. Great service. We felt like celebrities. The food was phenomenal! What a great way of eating! Loved it and would highly recommend it! <br/><br/>We loved the green rice prawns, the duck rolls and the famous caramelised pork hock! OMG! My mouth is watering writing this review!!!

Dandelion is amazing. <br/>Stunning restaurant. <br/>Great wine list. <br/>The Mountain was incredible - the hock & dessert starred. <br/>Outstanding service. <br/>Loved it. <br/>Can't wait to go back.

Great food, yummy and fresh. Menu is imaginative and service is fantastic. Good wine list. Pho is one of the best I have ever tasted. Delicious rice paper rolls.

Small neighbourhood restaurant charging exorbitant prices for very ordinary food and small servings. Staff lack knowledge about portion size and ingredients. Our waiter claimed a serve of rice paper rolls for $20 would contain four rolls, but instead served a single roll cut in four. Ingredients were ordinary, but perhaps the markup reflects the lack of alternatives in this area. Sorely limited vegetarian and vegan options that fail in nutritional balance, flavour and composition. A coconut-cream based soup with dumplings looked promising but the dumplings were starchy and cloying. Similarly the soup was thick and dull. It really needed a small side serving of a lemon wedge and chilli. Similarly a salad consisting of a massive segment of roasted pumpkin with a mess of herbs and pomegranate sarcotesta looked stunning, but lacked coherence in its flavours and was ultimately a clumsy dish to share on a large table with the limited utensils provided.<br/><br/>The decor is quite a good fit for such a limited space, but the relentless pace each night of two sittings each with only two hours means you have little time to enjoy it -- and at these markups! Instead you're out the door and on the street with time on your hands, a gnawing hole in your stomach and wallet, and smarting over the distinct absence of value.

Vietnamese family sees hip modern Vietnamese restaurant. <br/>Vietnamese family decides to take a leap of faith expecting hip modern Vietnamese restaurant to disappoint. <br/>Vietnamese family is pleasantly surprised and goes on to demolish everything that comes out and also (somehow) seems to have room for dessert. <br/><br/>Let me start by asking why does this place not have a higher zomato rating? We were served by a lovely Malaysian waiter (should have asked his name but was too busy eating lol) who was SUPER helpful with the menu so much so that we were game enough to go A La Carte. <br/><br/>Gluten and dairy intolerant diners have no fear because you won't have to order a salad because at least 80% of the menu is safe! Phew! <br/><br/>Now food. I'll keep this short and tell you that everything is awesome! Click photos below to find out what we had! <br/><br/>Spent $226 all up but well worth it, we were stuffed! Can not recommend this place enough, we will be back!

I can't believe I haven't heard more about Dandelion, sure, I've known of it since it started but truly the score here in Zomato does not reflect our experience last night.<br/><br/>Two seatings, we got the 8.30 slot and the place was pumping when we got there.  Sat right next to the kitchen and was mesmerised watching the team in the kitchen calmly cooking for the noisy bunch in the restaurant.<br/><br/>I usually eat earlier than 8.30, I'm not like the Spanish! and was feeling hungry when I got there and hoped I didn't have to wait too long to eat.<br/><br/>Menus on the table, love that, and what a selection.  Drinks ordered pronto and arrived quickly.  Now what did we (5 of us) order?<br/><br/>Crispy sesame & coconut rice papers with spanner crab.  A small bowl of the spanner crab served with large flat crackers.  3/5<br/><br/>Antarctic King Crab spring rolls, oh my these were so good we all had one each but I wished I'd had more.  Wrapping them with lettuce, adding herbs and the dipping source was so outstandingly good. 4.9/5<br/><br/>Steamed, shredded Glenloth chicken with Vietnamese slaw, absolutely outstanding, fresh in the mouth, so many different flavours 5/5.<br/><br/>Wagyu Pho was ordered by our friends and they loved it but we ordered the Peking Duck Pho to share which was a great idea as it was very tasty and filling 4/5.<br/><br/>Cocktails (Pomegranate Daquiri, Orange Muddle) were fabulous.  Didn't dessert as we had a birthday cake back at home with candles!<br/><br/>I adore this place because the food exceeded my expectations and service was exemplary.  Will be back!

Good size serves! And the waitress did not remind us that we ordered way too much for two. We were under the impression it's the tiny serve fusion food, and turned out they are huge. Rates 4.5 because of this! Food was good especially the flounder, special spice just right for people like me who don't eat much spicy food.

Delicious!! Everything we ate was great, service was fast and friendly. The decor is cool too. My favourite dish was the braised pork hock, closely followed by the lamb shoulder curry. <br/><br/>Will definitely be back!

I'd wanted to try Dandelion for years now (since 2011) however my Vietnamese dining companions refused - modern Vietnamese isn't something they wanted to try. They are the biggest offenders when it comes to "this is not good/authentic because it isn't my mum's" type comments and to me shows I can't trust their opinions (as wonderful friends they may be) when it comes to eating Vietnamese food.

MFWF express lunch today was very good.<br/>I'd suggest the ocean soup (if you want seafood) or mushroom entree (tastes similar to tom kha but not soupy).<br/>For main I'd try the beautiful looking salmon skewers (I tried the decent savoury quail and the reasonably tender gravy beef which had an excellent salad - but the salmon also has a salad)

I loved everything about this place. The service is superb and the big, open space feels just right. We went for the usual suspects and the wagyu beef was the hero. The minute steak is worth a mention as it was expertly done. Recommend to anyone. I'll be back. Half a point off for noise.

We went there on Monday night for our Valentines celebration. We have the Feed me - SEAFOOD.<br/>The price that we pay for the amount of the foods that we received were not worth it. <br/>The waitress that serve me were not know about the foods well. The information about the foods that she gave to us was different to the foods when they get to the table.<br/>Very disappointed...

The restaurant looks unassuming from the street but opens up to a more impressive space. Attentive staff and pretty busy for a Thursday night. We chose "the river" feed me option. Well presented, tasty food at a reasonable price. Look forward to going back to Dandelion to try the other options.

We ordered the "feed me" option (had a few pre dinner gins down the road) as it seemed the easiest option. This is one of those experiences where every mouthful is a delight. The Wagyu leaf wrapped entree was stunning. So much flavour in each mouthful. The star of the dish is the pork hock, although by this stage we were a little full (we also grow and eat our own pork so we aren't amazed by this slow cooking process). Dessert was too sweet and heavy, and we were overwhelmed by the pork! Perhaps slowing the courses is a good idea. Overall the evening was perfect. Origins of the meat would be good, but that's a personal interest, but fast becoming another way of showing the level of care the chef takes with the food.

Dined at Dandelion last night with my husband and daughter and could not fault the service or the food. We were welcomed with a smile and so well looked after with offers of recommendations on food and wine. We were even advised that we had ordered too much and maybe if we felt we wanted the particular dish later in the meal then to order it. You don't get that too often in restaurants!! The pomegranate cocktail was fabulous as was the wine. Every dish we had was incredible but I think the spring roll and the ham hock was the standout. Coffee was terrific too! The staff, service and food could not be faulted. The only down side is when you get noisy people next to you and they don't care about anyone else but themselves. I also don't like the extra charge of 1.5% on credit cards. Yes they do tell you before you pay but in this cashless society I do not understand why they have to charge it. All in all it was a fabulous night and we will certainly be back. My husband would love to try the flounder next time.

Busy neighbourhood restaurant well worth seeking out. The food is presented immaculately, like every dish is about to be photographed for a magazine. I would describe the food as fine dining Vietnamese, served in a relaxed, cafe style relaxed atmosphere. Food was excellent, service was ok without being noteworthy. Only criticism would be that it was a little pricey, but quality comes at a price i guess.

Amazing. We opted to be fed by the experts and chose "the mountain". our absolute favourite was the caramelised tamarind pork hock. I didn't want it to end. The restaurant has a great buzz and a really nice fit out. Love Dandelion. Will definitely be a long time favourite 😊

Delicious flavoursome food but not outstanding and some dishes (such as the lamb shank curry) were a bit bland. For that reason I found it a little on the pricey side.

been here with friend on Tues night. Fuision Vietnamese foods but taste absolutely amazing, especially all the entrees we had are spot on (the waguy beef in betel leave and all the rice paper rolls), main dishes are a bit large in size, better for sharing, and their fish sauce is the best i've ever tasted in Melbourne restaurant so far. Interior design: 5/5 and lovely staffs. definetily go back<br/>P/s: foods were so good and 3 of us were in hungry to remember taking photos ;).

We tried the 5-course "Mountain" tasting menu recently and were not at all impressed. The minced beef wrapped in betel leaf was raw in the middle and the duck rice paper roll lacked taste. The pork hock was ok, although the skin could have been crispier. The individual components of the dessert were nice, but didn't seem to go together. For example, the coconut foam served with the banana and salted caramel ice cream would have been better if it was sweet rather than salty, since all the other elements were already salty The truffle was also quite ordinary, lacking any depth. On the online menu, the "Mountain" tasting menu was supposed to include Vietnamese coffee, but when we asked the waiter, he said it wasn't included - which translates to false advertising on the website. Overall, the ambience of the restaurant was nice, but unfortunately the taste of the food was very bland and ordinary (definitely did not justify the price tag!). It was a disappointing experience overall.

Clean eating at its best . Flavours are sensational . Love the use of the herbs . I have come many time and always been wowed. It's my favourite of all time and it's healthy. I love the rolls you can make yourself. Thank you for such exceptional food 😊

The hardest thing about watching Masterchef is seeing exceptional budding chefs have bad days in the kitchen.  Well I'm pretty sure the chefs at Dandelion in Elwood were having one of those days. Despite some excellent reviews and the glory of a hat, Dandelion's food was expensive and disappointing.

Had an enjoyable night out at Dandelion. The food and service was first class. The spare rib was amazing although the only problem was that we were too full to fit it in. Friendly/fresh and well worth a visit. <br/>

The food is tasty and service was decent but I was fairly shocked that a restaurant at this price level ($300 for 5 not incl dessert) does not accept AMEX. They then have the nerve to charge you 1.5% for visa or mastercard. Its just plain cheap and poor business practice. Sadly i wont return for the great food because of the payment arrangements.

Fantastic. Modern and clean setting. Really fresh ingredients. Spectacular presentation. Great specials for lunch and delicios pho. Great use of flavours. Love the plethora of fresh mint

Wow... <br/><br/>I had read about the 1 chefs hat awards on agfg and some reviews in the little book. I was a little unsure of a Vietnamese based restaurant outside of the Springvale and Richmond 'cheap' eateries we love to dine at. So was pleasantly surprised how much we loved this place.<br/><br/>Booked online via Dimmi for a 2 hour slot.<br/><br/>Turned up on time and the place looks good, nice lighting (dim but not too dark) good seating arrangement and pleasant family vibe, kitchen in view.<br/><br/>We ordered the 'mountain' 5 course tasting course. There is a choice of 4 different courses and the mountain is based on 'meat' dishes. All the courses are on their website and can be viewed to see what each course contains<br/><br/>My boys ordered the kid and adult Peking duck noodles in broth. These came with the second starter so wait wasn't too long for them. Broth was very tasty and didn't taste of MSG. The only reservation was that the kids and adults size was the same bowl size, but with a plate of typical Vietnamese herbs and salad. The content might be more meat but size was the same for 1/2 the price.<br/><br/>The grilled wrapped wagyu mince was juicy and succulent.<br/>Duck rice paper rolls were very nice, warm wraps with moist duck.<br/>The pork hock was served with a plate of lettuce wrap, ricenoodles and salad. OMG. The caramelised hock flesh was soft and succulent with a crispy salty crunchy skin that was so tasty and delectable.... I wasn't expecting this and loved it so much I was picking bits of the skin and meat with my fingers.... This portion size was large and wife and I found it a good portion. This dish was served with shiitake and bean stir fry <br/><br/>The dessert was the sticky rice and peanut ice cream. Another winner and portion size was smaller but packed a punch and satisfied completely. <br/><br/>My son ordered a Lemongrass panna cotta, mandarin jelly, flambéed blood plum. Creamy and fruity served in a martini glass... Yum.<br/><br/>Lastly was some truffles on a sugar coated pomelo and fresh sliced strawberry on top. Soft and squidgy truffle with a strong chocolate hit. <br/><br/>I finished off with a strong Hoi An style coffee with condensed milk. Strong and bold coffee taste with the creamy sweetness. <br/><br/><br/>Service was really good and water topped up all the time. Very helpful, great hospitality and knowledgable waitress. <br/><br/>5/5 definitely come back again<br/>

Beautiful, delicate flavours. Thoughtfully prepared menu by a team who clearly love this style of cuisine. Light, contemporary, delicious...

These are restaurants that always offer good vegan options on other nights, but the special nights were all vegan offerings. The first was at B’stilla, which I went to, the second was at Woodland House, which I didn’t get to, and the third was another all vegan night at Dandelion in Elwood to celebrate Buddha’s birthday. Dandelion has won hats in the Age Good Food Guide for the last four years.

Really yummy. We shared some rice paper rolls to begin with and they were full of fresh ingredients . They were delicious and looked nutritious . Great way to start. My friend and I had the spicy flounder for our main. It was lip smacking delicious. Others had the veggie curry and the duck. Everyone was happy. Service was excellent too. Will definitely return. Lots more things on the menu to try.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal here. We ordered quite a few dishes and shared them. The ambiance is lovely. It is on the expensive side considering your standard Vietnamese style restaurant.

Once again at Dandelion and once again disappointed... Dishes with ingredients that staff didn't know what are they and under cooked chicken comes to table...

Service and food was good enough. We had a really good time here. We had pho/wagyu beed & pecking duck and they were just amazing! Find it hard to get a better pho in Melbourne.

Average and well overprice. Food was average, it's well over priced. Double or triple what you would pay at your local Vietnamese. Very slow service 1hr + between courses. Open kitchen is nice, what is concerning is there arnt any Vietnamese in it. Would give it a miss...

Every time it's worst. Average food, less and less good service. We couldn't even get a decent advice for the wine.... Shame, such a pretty place. But we are not giving it a chance anymore.

I now know why this place has only a 60% rating on urbanspoon. well and truly overpriced for the food with wine prices over the top ! ! never again.

Terrible service. Having been to Dandelion before and loved it, my boyfriend and I went there for the express lunch deal as part of the Food and Wine Festival. The service was incredibly slow. We waited too long to order, too long for our entrees and also for our mains, despite the restaurant being only half full. After waiting an hour for our mains, we asked the waitress to check up on them. She did not return to let us know how they were going. Our mains were eventually brought out nearly 90 minutes after we ordered, with no acknowledgment or apology for the wait. Our water glasses remained empty far too often, despite asking for water. The food however, was fantastic. We will give Dandelion another go, but if we have another experience like this, we will not be back.

Our waiter was also fantastic. He knew we were 'hospitality types' and was very accommodating and friendly. I asked for a dessert wine and he gave me the leftovers of a high-end French bottle, opened but not finished by a party the night before. It was so good, I could have drunk that all day in lieu of food! But the food was great too :)<br/>

Dandelion is a very unobtrusive Vietnamese restaurant in Ormond Road, Elwood.  I often work in the Elwood area and I find I hardly notice Dandelion.  In fact when I was invited to a birthday lunch there I found it hard to place it. I think this is partly due to the fact they are only open Thursday through to Sunday for lunch so when I am wandering past it is firmly closed and the next door high-class car repair shop is far more visible. Dandelion seed heads have always had a special charm for me.  They are so delicate and break up so easily.  A breath of wind causes the seeds and their tiny parachutes to waft in all directions. Dandelion seed head I posted a picture of one because I wanted you to be able to look at one as your read about the restaurant – thank  you Wikipedia. However, unlike a real dandelion, Dandelion in Elwood does have substance in their menu.  The food is like a dandelion is airy and charming.  It leaves the diner with a satisfied and light feeling. Wall garden at Dandelion in Elwood The narrow long space inside is soft with a high-light of a beautiful green garden wall that is thriving and gives the narrow area  a feeling of space and of being outdoors. The bar at Dandelion Elwood It was a delicious lunch.  There were four us.  Three of us choose the set menu – two courses for $40. and three courses for $50.  So there is entree, main and dessert to chose from. This is what we ate. Soft shell crab and avocado rice paper rolls with Mrs T’s magical sauce .  The magic  was in the crispness of the crab, the mint and to some extent the lightly flavoured Mrs T’s sauce.  These were delicious.  I would order them again. Rice paper with soft crab and avocado The mains on the set menu were a choice between roast quail and  grilled salmon.  I had the quail and I loved the

Situated in the cool little beachside suburb of Elwood, our experience of Dandelion was really lovely. We experienced none of the bad service the reviews speak of, and found the food anything but bland...<br/>

It was a cold wintery weeknight when I went to Dandelion in Elwood.  It's a restaurant that I have been wanting to go since Geoff Lindsay opened it as I was a fan of Pearl restaurant,  We had an early booking and we were the first ones in the restaurant and were seated by the glass.  It was cold and I had to keep my jacket on, I thought it was because we were seating by the glass but noticed later that other people had kept their jackets on too. The restaurant itself is quite open and spacious and upon walking in it didn't feel like I was in Melbourne anymore, it had an international feel about it. The service is very attentive although my dining companion did find it overbearing at times. The menu was very appealing and there were quite a few dishes that I wanted to order but as there were only 2 of us, I didn't want to go too crazy.  We started off with the Soft Shell Crab Rice paper rolls, it came out with 2 rolls cut in half.  Yes, they were good, however for $11 each they weren't

For main we both ordered the seafood option of leatherjacket. This dish was a bit of a disappointment to me. The fish came whole with a little bowl of white rice on the side and a small asian salad. The thing that I found disappointing was the lack of sauce, the rice was quite dry without it and the fish not saucy enough to transfer to the rice. Plus the fish was quite yellowy and I kind-of felt like I was eating a pet goldfish…

This is a photoview post (contains mostly photos only). The best? The Saigon Spiced Mule and the soft shell crab rice paper roll, nom! The worst? The mixed mint tea wasn't quite as minty as last time. Must try? The other tasting menus... Service? Great. Decor? Warm and modern featuring exposed bricks, wood and colourful cushions and artwork. Noise? Mid-range. Value? Reasonable value for the tasting menu. Would we go back? Yes!

Elwood has captured the ever enchanting and sleek 'Dandelion Restaurant' showcasing the true essence of Vietnamese with a modern swing to what was a very flavoursome evening. We were overwhelmed  with the menu as our taste buds were tantalised as we read. The decision to go for the Feed me selection where an array of dishes are bought to you or do we go full guns blazing and create our own.

Attention foodies of Melbourne – you now have a Vietnamese dining choice south of the great Yarra River divide. The people of Elwood have much to thank chef Geoff Lindsay for bringing his take on modern, up-market Vietnamese food to humble Ormond Road. While no bargains are to be found here, you can take comfort in knowing that you will be dining in a very comfortable and relaxing environment. This is a major change from the regular fast-paced hustle and bustle you would expect whilst dining at most joints on Victoria Street (Melbourne’s Vietnamese hub). Dandelion is an attractive eating destination for both younger and older folk. The older generation will take comfort in dinner bookings available 7 nights a week and lunches too (Thurs-Sun). Meanwhile; keen, younger foodies are here to sample Lindsay’s take on 21st century fusion Viet cuisine. Now, without further ado, let us start talking about the food – because that’s why your reading this today. We dined here during the week as a

Tasty food but poor service. This place came highly recommended however fell way short of what we would expect for the price.<br/><br/>The good: food was fresh, good quality and very tasty .<br/><br/>The rest - poor<br/><br/>Service was very average, waitress wasted a glass of bubbly pouring into a dirty glass but then didn't offer a replacement. Then after 1 hour when mains were finished, we didn't get an option for desert or more drinks because apparently the table was needed for the next booking - which wasn't mentioned when we booked or when we were seated.<br/><br/>On the way out, we could see the manager telling another table - in the middle of their main meal - to hurry up and leave for the next booking. Not good enough.<br/><br/>I enjoyed the food but would not recommend this place to anyone based on the service alone.

Haven't been for ages and absolutely loved the food all over again! Standout was the lamb ribs! Yummmm. Service much better than previously gorgeous young!

Tasty food but absolutely shocking service!. Our booking was for 8.30pm (the time nominated by the restaurant) but we had to wait for 20minutes after we arrived for them to get the table ready. The waiter was condescending, disinterested and acted as if he was doing us a favour by serving us. We had to keep asking for things - more water, glasses for the wine and one and a half hours went by before we got any of our food. Only half the entrees arrived then some of the mains before the other entrees arrived - we only got the other entrees then, because we kept asking about them. It was a total debacle! we have never been to a restaurant where the service was so appalling - it doesn't matter how good the food is, it is not worth putting up with such lack of service.

Booking confirmed online. No table and no other alternative offered... Unacceptable!. Extremelly disappointed with a booking I made this afternoon (Saturday 10 January) for a table for 2 at 8pm at Dandelion in Elwood.<br/>Booking was confirmed by email (confirmation 1654432).<br/>After I made the booking I went running and when I got back I noticed 2 calls from an unknown number on my mobile. As I had no voicemail I tried to call back this number (twice) but unfortunately no one picked-up the phone.<br/>We then went to the restaurant at 7:50pm and were told that unfortunately they were fully booked and could not accomodate our booking. The waitress did not offer any alternative and simply said that she called me twice. I reminded her she did not leave any message and did to answer when I called back (twice).<br/>I let you imagine how disappointing this experience was as after 8pm on a Saturday night it was impossible to find a table in a nearby restaurant...<br/>Simply unacceptable!!!<br/>Mickael.

WOW!!! Hasn't it gone backwards. You would think with 3 bar staff at 5:30pm they might get all the drinks for one party out at the same time considering we where the only people there!! 15min gap between the two adults drinks.<br/><br/>Service was terrible. Been there many times but wow how it has gone to crap. Previous owner was very hands on and you would have to assume new owner hasn't run a resturant before. Service was slow and unprofessional for a resturant that price pitches this market. Hooked ham was mostly fat and bone. Won't be going back or promoting this place again through our friends.

Super tasty vietnamese share style food. A little too pricey if you're used to cheap and cheerful Victoria St fare (which is just as good but served up a bit more fancy). The soft shell crab rolls and salad was super yumtastic, very flavoursome and fresh. The interior is decked out modern posh hipster style. The staff are all friendly and helpful. Would love to go back but Elwood is tucked a little too far away for regular visits.

Loved it!. We came here last week for our staff christmas party (group of 10) and after reading the previous reviews I also was a bit apprehensive. However, I am pleased to say it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The staff were attentive and efficient, the setting perfectly fitted the modern Vietnamese vibe and the food was AMAZING! It would seem management have sorted out many of the issues others have commented on so if this standard is maintained I will definitely be coming back again!

Captains of the douche. What can i say. NEVER AGAIN. First and last time. Got in early with only 2 other couples in the restaurant, but seat us with everyone else??? Asked to be moved and was refused. The waiter with the French accent should be deported with his attitude alone. Unimpressed with his rudeness. Never mind welcoming in your patrons, this guy is a douche! Our dinning neighbors (in agreeance) jokingly asking to share dishes. I understand in making the place feel full, but give me a break!<br/> "would you like a wine?" i haven't had my first drink served to me yet, how bout you get that one first. Spectacular for all the wrong reasons.

It's time to go...... We made a booking weeks in advance for 6.45pm. Arrive on time and all is well. Finish main meal at 8.10, only to be told that was it!! If we wanted desert, we had to sit at the bar, as the table was booked again in 15mins! <br/>Now, I'm ok if a restaurant has two sittings, no probs at all. But, tell me before hand....not when I've only got 15 mins to go! We did receive a discount on the meal, but that's just not what we wanted. We were looking forward to a nice relaxed evening meal, a few drinks, desert and coffee!! Nice food, but they really need to sort out that customer service.

Very poor service.. Food was great but service very poor. We had to constantly ask for things and no once were we asked if we wanted anything. Our glasses were often empty for some time. At these prices it's just not good enough. Life your game. There are so many other brilliant restaurants in Melbourne where the service matches the food.<br/>Really disappointed. And probably won't be back.

Pork Hock. Magnificent...more than a one person feed. We got it for the whole table.<br/><br/><br/>-----18 Oct, 2014-----<br/><br/>Pork Hock. Before it was carved for us.<br/><br/><br/>-----18 Oct, 2014-----<br/><br/>Fantastic company for a fabulous Saturday lunch of beautiful cocktails and a chef selected banquet.<br/><br/>Thoroughly enjoyed it and happily recommend it to friends.

Abysmal service. Attended a Saturday night dinner function which was a comedy of errors for a booking that was secured months in advance with a hefty deposit.<br/>- Table was not ready at time of booking. 20+ guests were told to stand at a bar across the road for 25 minutes. Elderly guests were refused entry to the restaurant.<br/>- No drinks were served until an hour after the booking time. This includes water. No wine glasses or water glasses were brought to the table for 45 minutes. They were repeatedly asked for<br/>- No food was served for 1.5 hours after booking time. Menu was preset and already chosen. No excuse for this. Food was tasty when it finally arrived.<br/>- Understaffed.<br/>Extremely disappointing for such a highly publicised dining spot.

Shocking Service. I went to this restuarant on saturday night with friends. It was the worst service i have ever seen. The staff are disinterested, forgetful and might as well not be there. I wouldn't go back there again even if it was free. Just a shocking experience and considering the quality of melbournes restuarants this is a complete joke.

Disappointed. Make sure you allow 3 hours for 3 courses. Food is good. However, everything took so long to arrive. Half way through dinner was advised that our mains were no longer available. Poor service and not acceptable for the amount of money. Won't go back.

Pork hock is delicious! That caramel sauce :) prawns with green rice also great. Eggplant side great. Good food, worth a visit. Acknowledge service not quite there but still a 'recommend' overall for sure

We are locals and this little gem has been our favorite for years! Last night we went but we're thoroughly disappointed with the change in management - horrible floor service staff ! We used to love the amazing service for every single waiter and the main floor manager however the staff failed to even explain anything on the menu let alone advise of new dishes as the old staff used to ! The manager did not even greet us with a smile, favorite dishes were taken off the menu. We hope they start realizing they have changed our favorite place for the worst ....and we r hoping the service and staff will improve!!!!

Ok food but it should be for the price! Service terrible- forgot part of our order, slow and as though he had better things to do. You can do better elsewhere!

Along with others this place has atrocious service. Desserts weren't put through and only put through when we reminded therefore waiting 45 minutes for dessert with no apology. Main meal plates left in front of us for half an hour. Asked for bill only to see our waiter go off to make meals and leaving us to go up and pay for it. Disgraceful service for the ridiculous price they charge for meals. Food was good but won't be going back. If your gonna charge high end prices for food u need to provide high end service. A serious look at the service is needed.

Beautiful food. Highly recommend the pork hock & duck curry. Service was near the mark.

The food was delicious but our whole night was very unimpressive due to seriously poor service. I haven't experienced bad service like it Absolutely no effort from the waiter whatsoever. Just not good enough considering the prices.

Manager ruined the night. Used to be one of our favorite locals. Food still good however we wont be back based on the service. Lack of attention and arrogance a real turn off.

So unimpressed with the attitude I experienced when I called to book that I cancelled my booking. The person I spoke to was sarcastic and condescending when I asked for a table, then only grudgingly answered my few questions around the restaurant's ability to cater for gluten free. If this is their attitude when taking bookings, I hate to think what the service is like in house; not great from the sound of a lot of the other reviews.

What a terrible experience. Any possibility of a good night was ruined by the big scary owner/manager. He was arrogant and passive/aggressive each time he came to our table. He was unapologetic for mistakes he made (like serving out of date beer) and his 'hospitality' was a joke. Our entree was nice but the main was horrendous - we couldn't eat it and no one questioned why we left an untouched meal. My one cocktail was average and didn't reflect what was written on the menu. The wait staff were nice but seemed stressed, most probably from the scary owner/manager. Such a disappointing night