David's Hot Pot Carnegie — Restaurant in Melbourne

Memorable, for all the wrong reasons. The food was fine, although expensive. But the service failures started right fom the get go. We were seated directly below a very loud extraction fan. As hard as I tried, I simply could not understand, nor for that matter even hear what the hostess was saying. So as a result we were left entirly in the dark as to how to order. It took about 20 minutes to figure out that we needed to use a smart phone to scan a QR code. We were eventually able to place our order for our chosen soup broths with the hostess. As best as we could make out, the hostess said each side/dish would be $1.90 Most items were on about 5-10 times more than that. We filled our cart and sumitted our ordered.

As the dishes/sides arrived, we did our thing, cooked our food and ate our hot pot dinner. At one point, a waiter took away a few unused plates and the water bottle. A while later my partner asked a different member of the wait staff for another bottle of water. Some time later it still hadn't come. So my partner caught the eye of the original hostess, who when she arrived pugnaciously at our table, barked, "what's wrong now" in what I could only describe as quite clear english. Suddenly in the heat of being angered, it appreaed as though she had forgotten to put on an act of having limited english. To which my partner simply and politely asked, may we please have another bottle of water. She huffed, then left. Moments later the first waiter that we'd asked for water, arived with a full bottle of water, and not a beat later, the original hostess arrived on the other side of the column with a full bottle of water. Giving us another serving of a very clear 'huff', she tuned and left.

Anyway, we finished our meal and made our way to the register to pay. The bill for just two of us was over $150, despite the total on the phone ordering app clearly providing us with a total of $98 and a few cents at the time we submitted our order. Bear in mind, this is with no drinks or alcohol, as David's is not licensed. We scanned the bill and did find two dishes that we had ordered, and were being charged for, however we did not receive these sides/dishes at our table. The staff member adjusted the bill and re-printed it. Bringing the total to $138 and change. I read over the new copy of the bill, only to see that the two items remained on the bill. So naturally, I questoined that. He pointed out where they had credited those items. But get this, on the bill, the credit note was not printed in english, but in what I could only guess was either Catonise or Mandarine. Little wonder I didn't see that the two items had been credited. I can't read Cantonise or Madarine. Yet we were given looks and body language that clearly said to us, "who are you people, what the hell are you doing, stop complaining, just pay up and get out of our restaurant." Becuase I can saw without bias, the spoken communication was very very bloken english. Extremely difficult to decipher. So anyway, we paid up, and left, vowing that we will never dine there again. Which is shame, as on arrival the decore alluded to a really entertaining dining experience. I quite liked the hyper 80's china themed decore with neon signs and a wall of period Cathode Ray TV's and VCR's.

Hot Pot is among one of our favorites. Sadly the poor communication, perhaps even deceptive communiation and dare I say it very reluctantly, subtle hints of racism towards us, two caucaision people was clearly what brought undone what should have been an enjoyable dining experience. As for the cost of the meal, I've paid, in very recent times no less, about the same price for a very nice a la carte meal for two people with 2 courses and a very nice bottle of Pinot in a cosy CBD resaurant with exceptional service. All I can say is this suburban Hot Pot missed the mark big time....

David's Hotpot Carnegie is a culinary odyssey that takes your taste buds on a journey through the vibrant flavors of Sichuan cuisine. From the moment you step inside, you're greeted with the tantalizing aromas of spices and simmering broths, setting the stage for an unforgettable dining experience. Don't forget the decor.. it teleported us back to our China trip.

The menu is a symphony of traditional and contemporary dishes, each crafted with great precision and passion.

The star of the show, of course, is the wonderful hotpot itself. A bubbling cauldron of savory broth awaits, beckoning you to dip and dunk an array of fresh ingredients, from tender slices of meat to crisp vegetables and handmade noodles. Bonus: David also serves beer on tap!

With a dizzying array of dipping sauces at your disposal, the possibilities are as endless as your appetite.

Service at David's Hotpot Carnegie is warm and very attentive, ensuring that your dining experience is as seamless as it is satisfying. Whether you're a seasoned hotpot connoisseur or a newcomer to the scene, David's Hotpot Carnegie is a culinary destination not to be missed. Prepare to embark on a flavor-filled voyage that will leave you...

A great asset to Carnegie’s food scene for quality hotpot. Overall, an incredible variety of hotpot dishes from meats to veggies, sweets and drinks. Do not underestimate the self-serve station [$5.99 pp] that includes dipping sauces, seasonal fruits, cold dishes, sweet soup/dessert toppings. literally DIY your bbt dessert. there’s a cheat sheet to making the perfect hotpot dipping sauce too.

Many of the dishes starting from $6.90 and some hot specials from $1!!!!

We went with two Flavour Soup Bases: Seafood Soup Base [$15] & Signature Spicy Character Beef Tallo [$32] - very very spicy.

Premium Marbled Beef Slices [$22.90], Lamb Slices [$12.90], Pork Slices [$12.90] are essentials for hotpot. The Ox Tongue [$16.90] presented as a rose was not only aesthetic but so tender. Another highlight were the Baby Cuttlefish [$10.90]!

Deep Fried Rice Cakes w/ Brown Sugar [$7.90]...