The Wandering Reviewer
+5
Came here on a whim with my dear friends from the UK who are world travellers and great diners. They were keen for Malaysian food and we happened to walk past Chinta Ria. This cosy little restaurant is warm and inviting with lovely decor that invites you to settle in for some good food and exceptional service.
For entree John had chicken satay (2 serves) with satay sauce and Bex and I each had the duck rolls which I could describe presenting like spring rolls. There were 4 nice pastries filled with shredded duck with julienned carrots and silver thread noodles that were then snap-fried. Nice although a little traditional for me.
For main course, I had the lamb red curry that was tenderly cooked diced loin of lamb in curry sauce with potatoes and coconut milk. John had the crab which was a special and said it was the most delicious he'd ever had. On the Chef's Specials it was called Kam Meong Soft Shell Crabs - lightly battered soft shell crabs wok-tossed with butter, egg, floss, dried shrimps, curry paste and chilli. I don't eat seafood but had a taste and it was superb. Even I'd order it. I can remember what Bex ordered but she said it was very tasty and quite rich.
The wine and beer list was good so we ordered a bottle of bubbles to celebrate. At $32, it was pretty reasonably priced and not a bad taste.
Chinta Ria is centrally located at the northern end of Acland Street. Even on a Monday night there was good patronage with most tables full. After we were able to stroll down the street and find a bar for some cocktails.
Staff were lovely and although made a few minor mistakes were quick to rectify and eager to please.
Note: wheelchair friendly (although a little tight), kid friendly, parking is hard in the area and you'll pay around $5 an hour or a maximum of $14 for a day. Parking inspectors are quick so maek sure you watch the clock.
We ordered curry laksa, Nasi goreng, fried rice & roti with peanut sauce. All these dishes were delicious couldn’t fault any dish. The service was pretty average which is why I’ve given a 4 rating. We were also sitting outside as we had a pram & were the only customers sitting outside in cold weather so would have appreciated a bit more attentiveness with the service.
After a brief visit to the St.Kilda beach over weekend, struggling to choose from couple of streets full of restaurants, we chose to visit this place.
Had never tried Malaysian cuisin but it was tasty and full of flavor. For starters we had chicken wings, satay chicken and ayam serai. They’re too good to order again but we saved our appetite for the makn course. For the mains, we ordered crispy duck which is battered deep fried duck with sweet chili sauce-full of flavor, chicken curry -indian style chicken curry with authenticity of asian cuisine. On sides there were rotis, peanut sauce, plain rice and jasmin rice.
Good Malaysian joint on famous Acland St. near St. Kilda beach. More than food, people also visit Acland street to get a feel of the vibe on this street and environment. Specially on a warm day or evening, you could just soak in the relaxed yet excited vibe that is always in the air on this street..
I visit Chinta Ria for "The Best" Mee Goreng noodles in Melbourne.. a unique mix of flavors burst in your mouth from the first bite till last and you can enjoy it best with a local beer...
Love this place, have been a fair few times over the years. Always yummy food and end up eating far too much!
I don't think I've had a bad dish. Great place to go with friends or family, get an assortment of dishes so you can taste as many as you can fit in :)
For such an up market location as Acland Street, you wouldn’t think to find such cheap eats and premium flavours under the same roof. The atmosphere inside was nothing spectacular, windows upstairs could have been larger to accommodate a spectacular view however with the generous portions and delicious palate the dinning experience was forgiven. When ordering soup you can be sure to have plentiful amounts with authentic flavours and aromas. Noodle dishes are fresh, flavoursome and satisfying. Prompt service and water on arrival. I will definitely be going again and recommending to friends.
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I haven’t been here in some years so I was excited to be going back as my last visit here is still watched in my memory.
For main I ordered Koay Teow or wok fried flat rice noodles w prawns, eggs, fish cakes, bean shoots and some mild chilli. The rice noodles were cooked perfectly!!!! The best I've ever eaten to be honest. Crispy, not greasy, ohh, the seafood was great.
OMGosh the first mouthful was as good as the first and that rarely happens! They were fresh and full of flavour. Yummmmm lol
With the roti bread I ordered some chicken curry sauce to try and it was drinkable. It was soo good you could bottle although it was soo good you could almost serve it in a glass hahaha
As did I mention those noodles? Just perfect! Enough said, except I'm often asked to nominate my fav restaurant in Melbourne, and at the moment this is my easily my favourite Malaysian restaurant.
I managed to get some t/a for my partner who I met after dinner. We were both equally impressed.
You have to visit this place. Enough said lol
This place has the BEST laksa, their food is so delicious. I have taken so many people here. The restaurant itself is a little dark inside but doesn’t matter once you try their food 🍜😊👌🏼 juz do it.
Really good food, in a cute little restaurant. I wouldn’t recommend bringing big groups here (you wouldn’t fit), but very nice for 2-4 people!
3.5 to be precise.
We have already been here twice and have liked most of the food we have ordered. Nothing exceptional but nothing flavorless. Nasi Lemak, Nasi Goreng, Fragrant Coconut Rice was good enough.
Chicken Satay were a bit sweet for us. Prawn and Chicken (don't remember the names) starter were good as well.
A bit on a costlier side, and it can also get a bit difficult to grab the attendants attention.
Had an EG voucher which made a great value meal even better value. Just tasty food in a relaxed environment, one of the better options on acland st.
Yummm! A friend and I were reminiscing over our Asian vacays which Facebook so kindly reminded us we were on this time three years ago so off we went for some authentic roti and yummy hokkien noodles. Everything is super cheap and delicious and the staff are lovely. I couldn't go past some calorific deep fried bananas for dessert which I ate pretty much daily over there and they were a sweet delight. Chinta Ria has been located in prime real estate on Acland St for as long as I can remember and has stood the test of time with its tasty budget friendly traditional food. A big tick from me
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Despite a restaurant in Sydney being of the same name, I'm pretty sure that they are not owned by the same owner.
Chinta Ria is my friend's local food haunt. She had been here 8 times before she took me there.
we arrived here on a Thursday evening to a three-quarters full restaurant and readily found a table for two. Mood lighting and a lazy vibe. We ordered the seafood laksa, curry laksa and some prawn rolls.
The prawn rolls arrived within 15 minutes - i wasn't expecting them to be batter-fried. They were warm, soft and crispy. On the inside, the soft-bodied prawn was combined with some filling which was delicious.
The laksa took forever to arrive and by this time I had finished my pot of chinese tea (teabag rather than leaf - quel horreur).
However, when it did arrive, it was so worth the wait. Coconuty creamy laksa with large pieces of soft fried tofu, calamari (2 pieces), prawns (2 pieces), green beans, thick and thin noodles in a deliciously flavoured slightly spicy broth. I devoured the entire dish and my friend almost did too.
We stayed until closing time with no rush to hurry us out and paid by card.
Quite possibly the best laksa I've had this winter. The broth is simply amazing, rich and packed with flavour. The roti curry was also flawlessly flaky, and the lamb curry delish albeit perhaps could be slightly more tender. I am not a fan of the ambiance, with the talking noise bouncing off the walls; but the food compensates for Chinta. The service feels curt, hectic and rushed, but thats I'd expect that from amateurs.
Great service and amazing food. Been here a number of times and have never seen a poor meal coming out of the kitchen. Just writing this is making me want to go as soon as possible!!
The chicken curry was very good and the half duck was tasty. The only disappointing part was the coconut rice which had zero coconut flavour. We asked and were told it was definitely their coconut rice, so I think they need to address the amount of coconut cream used
Dale Zeinheiger Culpin
+3.5
Visited to celebrate my mum's birthday and the service was excellent! We were seated upstairs on a very busy Sunday night and ordered an array of dishes which were all pretty tasty. Myself, my girlfriend and my mum and her partner shared the following.
Spring rolls
Roti bread with satay sauce
Prawns in curry leaves
Chilli prawns
Crispy seafood noodles
Nasi goreng
Sticky date pudding
Everything was great. Nasi goreng possibly one of the best I've ever had. Spring rolls are a must as well as roti bread. Only every so slightly let down by the flavour of the seafood noodles. But it was still good. We did have to wait almost an hour for any kind of food to be brought out though which really just meant we ordered more wine. Overall pretty happy just a let down about waiting so long to eat.
A delicious food offering and excellent service. Perfectly situated on Ackland st, the restaurant offers rustic food that's real and authentic. Great atmosphere and service also.
Great price. Quick Service. The Curry Laksa is TDF!!! Nasi Goreng is probably the best I've had to date and the curry puffs and starters are all terrific. So
Pretty good Malaysian. Mee Goreng and Nasi Goreng are great, some dishes are only ok though. Just stick to the straight up Malaysian dishes.
My partner and I have been coming here for years. Best dish by far is the Seafood Curry Laksa - amazing! Food always quick and service great. This place is a must visit for great Malaysian food.
A.MAAAZING!!! Last night was my third visit and this place just keeps getting better. Each times have tried something new and every time I'm blown away!! Love love love!
Food was not too bad and so was the service. We ordered the Asam fish, mee goreng and gado gado. We loved the mee goreng, as it tasted quite similar to home (we are from Singapore) and gado gado was decent although I would prefer if they had more tofu and less bean sprout. Peanut sauce was quite generous though. We were disappointed with the Asam fish as it wasn't spicy enough and was too tomato-ish
Wow! Just as well we booked a table. Taste and flavour. And cooked beautifully. Quite busy on a Friday night but served great food. The waitress brought us 2 serves of calamari by mistake. Should have taken the second plate off her. The best calamari I've ever had. Curry puffs were just average, but everything else was perfect. The beef was tender, the fried rice was excellent. The fragrance of the meals took me back overseas. Next time will BYO wine. Coming again for sure.
Happy to find another place that serves up good and authentic Malaysian cuisine! Service was incredibly fast and portions were generous. Recommended !
The service is friendly and prompt.The Nasi Goreng is super tasty and a big serving. One of our go to's when in St Kilda and craving Asian food. Always busy and if you sit outside you have to contend with the passers by and traffic. Great vibe though and always consistent.
I love Chinta Ria but every time I come I'm disappointed. The service is good, the food is fine but it's just not excellent. The Wine was above average. You won't have a terrible meal but it won't be amazing either.
Always consistent. Took my very unadventurous overseas relos here - they catered for a table of 11 confidently, tolerated all the photo taking, etc. this is our "go to" place in St Kilda, consistent & reliable. We are regulars here.
The food was quick and service was good. Not the best Malaysian food but it definitely was good. The curry could use a bit more spice, but that's coming from a hot food lover so I could be bias. Great value for money regardless.
Fantastic meal lovely flavours & the taste is amazing. Polite friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area but can get quite noisy inside when busy.
We love this hangout with our teenage kids & family friends. We visit here at least once a month for a fabulous Seafood Curry laksa & the Best Spicy Calamari in town. Casual dining, great food, good location, good service clean & fast!
Had the most amazing customer service from the gentleman working this evening. Bright, bubbly and very informative about what makes a great meal. The food was amazing and the service made it exceptional. Definitely recommend 10 times over!
Dined there a couple of times and the food is amazing.. The duck San Choy Bow is delicious and like an explosion of flavor in your mouth. The chicken curry whilst could have been hotter with more kick had a delicious creamy texture ..
Reasonably priced and highly recommended
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Where do I start I had high expectations for this small but very busy Malaysian restaurant in St Kilda’s Acland street and from the first mouthful these were not only met but surpassed. The service is exemplary we were made to feel welcome and the staff were helpful, polite and attentive without being pushy. Some places struggle when full but not here.
The menu comprises all the favourites such as Satays, Rendang, Laksa and of course Nasi Goreng. These are accompanied by less well known dishes such as Gado Gado a dish that sounds as if it was the product of a late night raid on the fridge after returning from the pub. A mix of cucumber, cabbage, and bean shoots tofu then steamed and topped with their own spicy peanut sauce, egg slices and pappadams which tasted as amazing as it sounds.
The meal started with Satay Chicken and Ling Ling, Snap fried bite size pieces of rockling fillets marinated in a curry paste. Both dishes were of the highest standard.
We could not decide what to have for the main course and finally narrowed it down to three dishes.
A daily special of Soft Shell Crab in a light batter with fried onions, snow peas and chilli. To say this was amazing would be an understatement. The flavours just zing across your pallet. This was accompanied by Ayam Chicken. Wok tossed chicken in a blend of spices, fresh ginger roots, dried red chilli, finished with crisp carrot slices and snow peas. The sauce was rich thick and sweet with a nice chilli back bite at the end. The final dish was that superb Gado Gado.
My advice to you is try this restaurant out, but be sure to book.
Chinta Ria Soul delivers on every level for me the food is 1st class and reasonably priced I have eaten at some of the best Asian restaurants in Melbourne but this is the my new number 1.
https://www.facebook.com/EasyWeekendEats
Delicious food and great, quick service even though a busy Sat night. Will definitely be back for the Mee Goreng
A good Laksa can be hard to find, unless of course you happen to be at Chinta Ria. Satisfied patrons return here all year round for a helping of this signature dish. One serving is so decent it almost serves two! Choose from the Curry Laksa with chicken and seafood cakes in coconut milk, $12.50 or the Seafood Laksa with king prawns, seafood cakes and calamari, $14. Consistent, wholesome, and soul warming. Trading hrs: Monday – Friday open for lunch and dinner, Saturday 4pm-11pm and Sunday 1pm-10pm Menu link: Chinta Ria Soul Bookings: Available Address: 94 Acland St, St Kilda Ph: 9525 4664 Website: http://www.chintariasoul.com.au Facebook: Chinta Ria Soul Take away: Yes. Notes: This dish is filling and it’s not light on ingredients either, so arrive with an empty tummy. This is a busy, bubbly establishment – great for small groups or couples wanting a quick meal. Please note that prices, menu items, management or trading hours may have varied since time
Great laksa. Haven't tried anything else but laksa is really really good
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Reliable and delicious - good for seafood. Been going to Chinta Ria for several years. It is always great - never had a bad meal. Their entrees are very tasty and a little inventive. The chicken, duck and beef dishes are terrific and while I usually eat these sorts of dishes in Asian restaurants, I've found myself getting into their fish and seafood more and more. The soy fish is one of the all-time great dishes: simply, high quality ingredients, perfectly cooked. More than that: I don't have my favourites that I always order. It's so good that I'm happy to randomly 'experiment' and try something different every time. In an era of restaurants that do good and bad dishes, this is rare and as mentioned, it's always great.
It has a little bit of a price tag, but a group of four can eat for a very reasonable price and leave full/satisfied.
Always busy, which says something, and the service is very attentive and enjoyable. Highly recommend.
Also, it's BYO (wine only I think) which is awesome!
Never had a bad meal, everything we have ordered has been fantastic!! Great service and Laksa is awesome!!
And to top it all off the prices are very reasonable. A really lovely place and not to be missed. All thumbs up! :)
Quarter Of A Pounder
+4.5
It was an accident. We were down in stkilda and was looking for some Asian food, thick noodle to be precise.
and we happen to walk past this place which was packed compared to the other malay restaurant next door (which was empty)
so naturally we went to this one thinking it must be good...
the service was great, as both the waitress and the waiter actually spoke good English,
the food was reasonably quick to arrive considering there were so many people dining.
anyway we ordered the chefs special crispy duck and some thick noodle, but neglected to read the small print which stated it is ginger flower sauce.... we hate that taste..
so besides that mistake, the food was just greasy enough to be tasty and duck was crispy.
overall I would probly not go back, but it is definitely an option if your hungry and want some malay food in the area
Must admit I was hesitant after reading recent negative reviews. I booked a Friday dinner for 6:45 and had to be out by 7:30 for a concert at Palais. We ordered two entres and two mains. Food delicious, service faultless and out the door on time. End of.
Delicious. We dined here on a busy Saturday night and had a fantastic meal. The banquet was delicious, friendly service and reasonably priced. Highly recommend.
Very tasty food and friendly service. Great value for money, we will be back!
Quality. Well priced quality food, decent portions, wholesome but clean Asian food. BYO is a bonus. Service can be a little cocky and abrupt - well the female owner can come across that way. No customer likes being corrected I guess.... I just laughed her arrogance off when she told me I was "ordering too much food". I mean, don't people ever go out and over order to get some variety and to sample different cuisine anymore? Anyhow... It was my third time there two nights ago and I highly recommend the food here.
The best nasi lemak I've ever had.. Great food and service
Awesome laksa, great price and great service. Will be back!
The Mee Goreng is amazing! A must have!
Love this place. Always good food great service and byo!!
Consistent Malaysian food. Seafood Laksa is a solid favourite and never disapoints. Service can sometime be a little off. Great with a group of friends.
What a great restaurant! I was glad it lived up to expectations. Service was fantastic and the food was delicious, highly recommend the king poh beef and the roti with peanut sauce. Everything I tried was very very tasty.
Birthday dinner success. We went here for my boyfriend's birthday. Walked in off the street thinking we had booked however there was no record (we later realised we went to the wrong Chinta on Aland!). Nevertheless the seated us quickly and the service was prompt. The entree prawn and scallop entree was tasty and not too big to destroy our appetite for the main. I ordered soy fish - huge portion which I got 1/3 of the way through. Tasty but nothing special. They packaged it up for me to take home later. Boyfriend got the Beef Rendang which got a 10/10 for taste, appearance and "give me more" factor. We will be back!
First time here and I just picked up some take away and it was really awesome! Exceptionally fresh and light. I will be eating in next time for sure. Can't wait to go back. The soy fish was amazing!
The Laksa is fabulous! Don't bother with the first entre on the menu.
Quality Malaysian experience. I wouldn't eat in here - far too cramped, however this review relates to my takeaway experience
Started with the Ayam Serai - which brilliantly mixes the flavours of fish and chicken to perfection as a starter.
Paired with Ikan Bilis - I was on the way to KL.
My main was a perfectly executed Beef Rendang, tender to the touch - combined with Nasi Lemak coconut rice. This was perfect as well, the salted fish creating the zest.
Highly recommend this place for real Malaysian tastes and flavour, in a city full of pseudo-Malaysian cuisine.
My friend and I both had the Mee Goreng and found it to be absolutely delicious!! Loved every single bite! Will definitely be back for more!
What can't I say about this resturant. Food 10/10 king toh beef was amazing! So much flavour tender & perfect amount of spice, the roti melts in your mouth. Service 10/10 friendly & super fast service. What a hidden treasure on akland st.
Great night, great food, thank you!. I booked in for my birthday with 6 friends. The service was great even from making the booking on the phone; really friendly, it was obvious the staff wanted to ensure we had a good night.
The food was delicious, no complaints from anyone other than the chilli prawns being perhaps a bit bland. I had the scallops which were fantatsic, $21, really would have liked some more relish with them. BYO which was great for the party. The place was packed with a buzzing atmosphere. Great little venue with fresh tasty food.
Michelle. Wow fantastic service and food amazing we will be back Loved it the best Malaysian A++++++
Melly Trikonasana Indahouse
+4.5
St Kilda local says 'yes'. There are many places that cater to the suburban tourist crowd but I find I always get a late booking at Chinta Ria Soul. I love the food and I think the price for quality is not too bad. Anyone who complains about the price probably isn't a St Kilda local!!
I recommend the Mee Goreng and the roti with curry if you want a cheaper meal. Nasi Goreng is pretty nom too. I don't eat the more expensive dishes when I eat Malaysian because the above three are my staples.
The service can wax and wane but since I go so often, I make sure it's a place I go when I have time and I am with friends where our conversation is much more important than whether or not we have to ask for a top up on the water.
Good solid Malaysian. A little pricy, but worth it.
I think the food at this place is really fresh and great quality so yes a tiny bit more expensive than other places..but I guess you get what u pay for. I find the staff to be courteous, but they don't go out of their way for you. If you go on a weekend it can get quite cramped and loud because it's only a small venue. Now as I said, the food is divine. I actually stick to a few favourites! They are: Indian mee goreng, crispy noodle beef, seafood laksa, roti with beef randang and pandan crepe for dessert. The crepes are yum!!! I wouldn't recommend the curry puffs (entree) as they are quite oily.
Lovely food. They were very flexible in making a booking for us on the last minute on a Saturday night. The only downside would be the music was too quiet when I was expecting some good soul music.
Good food But very over priced You can have the same food in other Malaysian restaurants for half the price Takes the fun away from s casual dinner
Fantastic service. Amazing food. Beef rendang and chicken curry highly recommended!
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Cosy and delightful!. As soon as you step in, you feel the ambiance of a small classy diner. Do not be fooled by the size however, they span across two levels and most nights, both levels are jam-packed. Service was quick and friendly (although they did serve us the wrong type of tea, we'll let them go for it ;)) and we didn't have to wait long for the dishes.
Here's what we ordered for five
Entree: Ling Ling & Loh Bak
Main: Buttered pepper beef, Sambal Spinach, Claypot Tofu, Curry Chicken, Fried Rice
Nothing too special about the entrees. I found them a bit oily as both items were deep fried. Not quite to my liking, but still ok.
The buttered pepper beef was very interesting. I've never tried anything quite like it and I must say really enjoyed it! Although the buttery flavour did come off a bit oily, it's part of the dish and the flavours just blend so well together.
Smabal spinach was delicious as well. Not overcooked. Perfect amount of chili.
Claypot tofu was good and simple, though overpriced.
The only dishes I didn't quite agree with were the fried rice and curry chicken.
There was nothing special about the fried rice. Same greasy stuff with not much greens, though lots of beansprouts. And the curry chicken contained alot of coconut, which is fine if you dig that, but did not sit well for me.
Other than that everything else was perfect. I will definitely be back there again and recommend it to others :)
Needed something to top up lunch so popped into @ChintaRiaSoul for some Malaysian entrees:
(4) Duck rolls - shredded duck with julienned carrots & silver thread noodles wrapped in pastry then snap-fried.
(2) Satay Chicken - Skewered marinated chicken accompanied by our own spicy peanut sauce.
Happy they could squeeze me in for a late lunch and the wait wasn't long before the food was served.
Lovely golden brown crunchy spring rolls encasing a delicious filling and enhanced with a dip into the hoison sauce. The chicken skewers are tender and have a lovely peanut satay sauce which is excellent. Lovely meal dining outside in the beautiful weather along bustling Ackland St.
#Malaysianfood #AcklandSt #duck #springrolls #sataychicken #skewers #stkilda #foodie #melbournefood @zomatomelb
We've been eating here for around 30 years and are very rarely disappointed.
This Mee Goreng only had 2 prawns in it which was a bit mean but it was tasty as always.
Curry puffs with satay sauce are delicious too
Less than 40’ seafood Laksa at home!
I love Laksa soup but not always I am in the mood to prepare my own one. Today I decided to try, for the first time (Uber eats) Chinta ria soul and couldn’t be happier. The food was at my place in less than 40’ (maybe because I am living around the corner…) there was soup for my whole neighbourhood (but I didn’t share, safety first!) tasty, spicy and flavoured. I can’t wait to go to dine in this place. Thanks for my lovely dinner.
Lemongrass beef, curry chicken, laksa noodle soup
They were all good!
Price i
Pleasant dinner spot with tasty dishes and friendly staff.
Really delicious food, but dry beef noodle is what keeps me coming back. The food is consistently good, highly recommend.
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