Chaozhou Malaya Bistro Cafe

This is a tiny hidden gem of a restaurant run by a small family. Very authentic Malaysian ChaoZhou food, with a lot of off-menu options that need to be pre-ordered so they can source produce. Tastes like home! Be patient as they have very few staff. The food is worth it and they are all lovely. Some special dishes: oyster omelette, pork stomach soup, and the braised duck platter are really nice!

Best oyster omelette i have had in Melbourne. The Char Kway teow was good too, it was well balanced in seasoning and not overly oily. Will be back to try other dishes.

Heart of Teochew Homecooking Surprising find in the heart of Balwyn North - an authentic Malaysian/Teochew eatery run by sisters and assisted by one of their daughters on service. Taste-wise, this reminds me of what my in-laws used to cook and serve - unpretentious soul nourishing fare. Not all dishes were hits though - the highly recommended pig stomach pepper soup was underwhelming. Stock lacked body and pepper though the offal was cleaned and cooked perfectly. The or chien (oyster omelette) was flat-pan style and pricey, in my opinion, at $25. Things looked up when the braised duck platter with tofu and pig intestines arrived. Braised expertly with a light hand on the soya - letting the lean duck meat and aromatics sing on the tongue. Probably the best version we’ve had outside of a private kitchen offering. The winners for us were the prawn rolls (hae chor) and mixed veg platter (more of that later). Prawn rolls were exceptional - fresh prawn, pork, water chestnuts, yam and five spice rolled and fried in bean curd skin. The fresh ingredients could all be tasted distinctly yet went together like fireworks. Their version is lighter on the yam filling which I thought really let the prawns shine. Would've been nice to have been accompanied with a sweet sauce dip. The highlight was *surprise* the mixed veg platter. It didn’t look like much but man, this is the dish that I’d really miss on cold nights. Organic caulilini expertly tossed with preserved napa cabbage for that fermented body and oomph, plus tomatoes for that sweet tart umami. This on hot white rice is a last meal candidate and absolutely what I’d liked to have opened this meal with. What a stunner. Service was understandably slow (just cook and daughter) - we even had to wait to pay. That said, this eatery deserves love for what it does. Be kind. Will definitely be back to try the rest of their offerings soon.

The food is very unique. Not what you find in other Chinese restaurants. A lot of items on the menu needs to be pre-ordered. As there's only two people working in the restaurant be prepared for a long wait and I believe they don't do takeaway.

Really awesome food and service - a great variety of Chinese and Malaysian food. So many must-trys. Scampi, duck, steam chicken etc… One of my fave restaurants in Melb.

Food was quite delicious and unique! My only complaint was that the braised duck was a bit cold & flavour wasn't quite to my taste but it was tender. I particularly enjoyed the fried prawn roll & raw scampi. Our waiter was friendly and I would come back to try more of the menu.

A little gem of a place tucked in an arcade that I would have never known had it not been for word of mouth. Run by only a mother (chef) & her daughter, this place with only a handful of tables was bustling, full house in fact & the dishes that my friend preordered were a genuine surprise! Teochew cooking, tasty, generous & not too oily. Their oyster pancake (oh chian) is the best I have tasted in Melbourne, crispy & dry, just yummy. Fish cooked 2 ways & the glass noodles with prawns were very good. Despite just 2 staff running off their feet serving all big groups, they did very well & it is understandable that service was slower. Must book & preorder if you don’t want to wait too long. Will return for more of the variety offered, chef cooks from the heart & it shows!