Casa Chino — Restaurant in Melbourne

It's fine.

Another reviewer pointed out the blandness of the cucumber salad and I had the same experience. Salt and all spice calamari was deep fried but not well - it wasn't that crispy and when it came to our table it wasn't that hot either (in fact, none of the food was that hot when it arrived). The lomo saltado was swimming in sauce, which was tasty, but made it hard to find the beef because there wasn't much in there. The duck and fish bao were both very saucy (and I wouldn't normally complain about that! But they're eaten with hands, and all of the sauce made them very messy to pick up and eat). The Enoki bao was probably a nice idea in concept but the stringy mushrooms were hard to bite through so the whole filling had to be wolfed down in one or two bites because it all came out from inside the bun together. Skin of the siu mai was very thick compared to what they'd normally be like. The "master stock" pork belly was just OK, waitress made it sound like it would taste quite fresh because of the lime but the flavours tended to blend together so it was again, just OK. It just tasted like pork fat and fish sauce - I very much doubt they're using any kind of master stock techniques to make it.

When ordering our first drinks the hostess left without taking my order (and there were only two of us to take an order from!) then forgot to put my partner's order in anyway. The passionfruit seeds from the mocktail kept clogging up the straw.

Cutlery provided was odd given rice was served. Spoons were provided on the shared plates but not as part of the standard set which was just a knife and fork. When we asked for some plates to be cleared (they should have checked occasionally?) they initially offered to take the big plates that still had food on them. Why? My guess is because they said when ordering that we ordered too much but we could take it home with us. Guessing they thought we'd given up instead of just removing the clearly empty plates and checking if we wanted to take the big ones home with us (we didn't, because the servings were not nearly as big as I felt they made them out to be!)

We were encouraged to sit at a specific table and sit next to each other. A nice idea, and there was enough room, but there were pillars/walls either side that felt a bit claustrophobic. Our limited field of vision included the wash station in the kitchen - if we were going to get seats with a limited view you'd think it would be a pretty good one!

The food, service and ambience wasn't terrible, but none of it was great either. I find it hard to reconcile the overall very high ratings for the restaurant with what we experienced. I'm being quite critical here but I definitely don't think it's anywhere near as good as the other reviews on here say, and every single part of the experience fell short. We were full when we left but for the price and the hype it should have been so...

ORDERED: 🦑 Salt & All Spice Calamari: crunchy peanut satay sauce ($19.00) 🍞 Crab & prawn toast: creamy rocoto, tobiko, bonito ($23.00 for 2 pcs) 🌮 Tempura fish bao bun: aji amarillo, lime ($24.00 for 3 pcs)

🐟 Kingfish: leche de tigre, crispy wonton ($25.00) 🐙 Octopus y papas: aji verde, lime ($13.00 each) 🐔 Chicken thighs: cumin black vinegar dressing, aji amarillo ($10.00 each)

🥟 Tom Yum Prawn & Squid dim sum: sesame oil, crunchy bites, green shallots ($15.00 for 3 pcs) 🥟 Mud Crab & Scallops dim sum: citrus chili oil, coriander, red chili ($15.00 for 3 pcs)

🐮 Lomo Saltado: Sizzling beef, jus, soy sauce, fries, rice ($35.00)

$59.67 on food pp, not including drinks or card surcharge.

REVIEW: ❤ Table favourites on the nights were: Salt and spice calamari. The peanut satay sauce went by the wayside in order to enjoy the thinness of the calamari batter. The calamari was great to snack on by itself. Crab and prawn toast. Prawn toast is a decadent, nostalgic fried toast for me. With the added sesame seeds, pops of umami from the tobiko, it was texture heaven. An elevated dish compared to the humble snack from my childhood! ✨ Tempura fish bao bun. Definitely appreciated how the tempura fish stretched through the bun and had a spicy sauce that gave it a bit more depth. 🔥 Kingfish ceviche. A refreshing dish with crispy wontons (a bit too oily) but everything was flavoured beautifully.

🤔 One dish that made us think were the dim sum dishes. Although the fillings were filled to the brim (appreciated!) there was no strong accompanying sauces (e.g. soy sauce). This meant we could really taste and feel the gumminess of the dim sum even though the wrap was so thin. It detracted from the experience a little bit!

🎳 I think we also ordered too much! We could've gone without the main (lomo saltado) because we were too full to enjoy it properly. Or alternatively, we could've gone without the skewers in order to fully appreciate the main.

👫 The service was so friendly and knowledgeable. There were bright smiles, explanations of the food and the concept (I loved this) and food came out at good pace. We were so full, but they still ensured we had cake to make sure my birthday dinner felt special. I was so thankful and was rolling out...

I don’t often write reviews, but every once in a while, an experience lingers in your heart long after you’ve left—and today at Casa Chino was exactly that.

It was a cold day, and while dining with my colleagues, I found myself quietly craving a cup of coffee. I asked one of the staff members, Mel, if they served any. She gently said they didn’t, but then, without a second thought, offered to get one for me from the café next door.

She wasn’t required to do that. She could have easily said no and gone about her busy shift—and I would’ve understood. But she didn’t. Instead, she went out of her way, brought the coffee back in a beautiful mug from the cafe next door, and did it all with such genuine warmth that it completely took me by surprise.

It wasn’t about the coffee—it was the gesture. In that small moment, I felt something rare: a pure act of kindness that made me feel genuinely cared for.

The food was delicious, the ambience full of charm, but what truly stood out was the kindness and care that defined the experience. I’ve never encountered such a thoughtful gesture in any restaurant before. Casa Chino, you’ve won my heart not just through the palate, but through the soul of your people. Thank you, Mel, for reminding me that hospitality is not just about service—it’s about care. And today, I...