Me Wah Restaurant — Restaurant in Launceston

We were welcomed in and introduced to Stanly, or depending on who you ask or what you read - Stephen into Me Wah with nothing less than a royal welcome. His attentive attention to detail and warmth was second to none. If good hospitality had a face, it should be his. As a seasoned fine diner who doesn’t look the part, I can confidently say that this gentleman takes a fantastic restaurant and makes it an establishment by highlighting the incredible work of the team that can’t be seen. Neither would be able to shine without the other, but we don’t see the chef - we see Stanly (except to Simon, or whatever his real name is - I say this only because of conflicting reports of Stanley’s name and not because I think they all have another name, but I digress.

On night 1 we arrived for the Jade banquet. We received bad news right before it finished - but agreed it was that good, we’d go back the very next night for the signature banquet. We were blown away. I’ll therefore comment on the signature banquet and not the jade - which was in and of itself incredible.

Our first dish was served not too long after we sat down. It was 3 dumplings. Scallop, prawn and truffle mushroom - separately on the plate with different wrappers. The dumplings were soft, exquisite and fragile. The dumpling wrappers were tender and delicate, the insides packed with flavour. Served with a sweet soy spoon - we enjoyed a hugely refreshing bloody mary to pair with it before we ordered a bottle of local sparkling.

Our 2nd dish was abalone steamed 2 ways. 1 abalone was garlic vermicelli, the other XO chilli. Delicious. My wife loved the abalone shells, I asked Simion (?) if they threw the shells in the dishwasher and re-used them as a light-hearted quip. He said he didn’t, but that he’d wash them and give them to use as a gift if we wanted. My wife said no, but meant yes. Sure enough, 3 minutes later, Simon reappeared with the shells in a takeaway container which my wife loved and will now have a keepsake. This was above and beyond and won’t be forgotten.

3rd, Peking duck and Sang Choy Bao. Tender, flavourful, juicy. The bamboo shoot, onion, and roasted sesame came through in the stir-fried hoi sin sauce in a punchy but appreciated way.

4th, the crayfish with ginger and spring onion. To be honest, the crayfish were hot and delicious, fresh and poppy - but the egg noodle sauce was very take-awake from anywhere in Sydney. That is to say, the contrast between the Crayfish and the corn-starch slurry with noodles it was in was not my favourite. Was it still delicious? Yes. Did it go alongside everything else? No. Why? Because everything outside of this was exceptional. Use the crayfish a different way… but hey, that’s just me!

Now for the K.O. Wagyu beef, snake beans, fried rice.

This was the most incredible wagyu beef I’ve ever had in my life. I’m not phased with the baking soda hack to get it this way, it was done right. Every mouthful was emotional, and the sauce was eye-watering. My wife and I held hands and looked at each other in the eyes and appreciated our fortune to savour such things in this life upon our second mouthful. I would feed an alien this dish upon their first visit to earth. I’ve had wagyu countless times, from countless farms, prepared in countless ways. None of it held a candle to this. I can confidently say I will never forget this dish.

Not for nothing, but the wine list is the best I’ve ever seen in Australia.

Stanly (or Stephen - you used this name is 2018?) - you steal the show at this restaurant. Your attention to detail, your attentive attitude, your kindness and hospitality. You are 3 Michelin star material and I know I speak for us both when I say we would not have come back if not for you - and then the food.

This is hands down the best Chinese restaurant I’ve been to in Australia. This is also the best restaurant I’ve been to in Australia. Because even though I’ve had more creative dishes from multiple thousands of dollar situations, the sum of all parts did not compete the...

My husband and I have eaten in numerous Chinese restaurants all over Australia and South-East Asia but Me Wah in Launceston was definitely an experience to remember! Me Wah embodies everything that is quintessential about Chinese restaurants but done to the highest of standards. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted and showed to our table straightaway. What struck us the most was the crowd that night, from families to couples to groups of friends - everyone looked like they were having the best time and all their (as well as ours) needs were met with and served to straightaway with the most genuine of smiles and courteous of mannerisms. The food - was absolutely amazing, fresh and tasty! So much so that we immediately cancelled a dinner booking we had for a different restaurant so we could come back and sample the rest of the menu the following night! We definitely recommend the entree scallops, Aberdeen fish fillets, Mount Buddha chicken, sweet and sour pork (which in my opinion, was one of the best I’ve had since coming to Australia and I’ve had A LOT of sweet and sour pork over the years) and truffle mushrooms. Do yourself a favour - do not pass on the chicken consommé because it is truly the epitome of traditional boiled soup that feeds the soul. And yes, leave room for dessert because the salted caramel sauce drizzled into the peanut parfait and the mango sorbet on apple lychee granita will complete the dining experience! Kudos to Stanley and his team at Me Wah Launceston for providing us with one of the best dining experiences we have had in a long time and please continue to do what you’re doing! You are truly an institution in Launceston and we look forward to coming back...

Extremely underwhelming both service and food. Portions were small, taste was bland, very starchy. I took my parents and grandparents here (from Malaysia and Singapore) hoping for an excellent meal. I also speak as someone who has had lots of good Asian food in regular (cheaper) restaurants in Melbourne and sydney. The fried tofu was almost tasteless, the Peking duck was 42 bucks for 6 tiny pieces of premade duck in pancake and the duck skin wasn't even the least bit crispy! The seafood chowmein was the portion of a regular noodle dish you can get at Chinese takeaway and tasted bland. Salt and pepper calamari was good - comparable to standard fish and chipperies. The seafood and egg white was mainly eggwhite and starch, with bit of mushroom, beans and hardly any seafood - this was the most disappointing dish. My grandparents in their 70s don't particularly enjoy western food, however when I asked them how they found the food here, they said they would much rather eat at hogsbreath. For them to say that speaks volumes of the quality of food. I gave the restaurant manager feedback and asked what they could do for us, and all he did was defend every dish and said we didn't order right. Talk about poor service recovery as well. Conclusion: if you're looking for great Asian food and have an Asian...