Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne — Restaurant in Melbourne

Redefining the lowest ever professional standards. Racial profiling, overpriced and overcooked food.

Service:

If you are after an aggressive, intrusive, abrupt and disrespectful service, look no further. You will not be disappointed as you won’t feel like you are treated like a human being at all.

Words can’t describe how rude you will be treated. Even if you can endure the dreadful service, you won’t be able to put up with racial profiling.

I arrived earlier than my booking time, ordered food promptly and wasted no time finishing the food at a reasonable pace. But that’s not enough to prevent the unprovoked harassment.

Halfway whilst eating the crab (with food in my mouth), I was harrased by a waiter called Terrance who bluntly told me off, stating my table session “had long been expired” and he needed the table right away. Within 1 minute, my seafood cracker was quickly removed from the table and I ended up having to crack the hard crab shell with my own teeth. He also insisted to move my table to the bar area if I ordered desert.

Is that my fault that the chef took an exponentially long time to cook the food, or should I be held responsible that the food takes an exponentially long time to be served?

The worst is the racial profiling exhibited by this waiter. There are other diners of different ethnic origin who come earlier and are not actually having food but instead, chatting to each other or busy with their smart phones. But none of them are targeted by this waiter.

Terrance continued to exhibit an extreme enthusiasm in driving me out of the restaurant, kept coming back multiple times, throwing the bill at me and quickly returned with the EFTPOS payment machine whilst I was still in the middle of finishing my meal.

My family members appealed to Terrace for an extra 5 minutes so I can finish my meal but Terrance’s response was “there are lots of customers waiting for your table”.

I spotted an empty table and questioned why I was targeted constantly. I requested to speak to the manager who never turned up.

Worst still, the “customers waiting for my table” are nowhere to be seen. So what does Terrace gain by harassing me out of the restaurant ?

No customer deserves such a disrespectful treatment. The management of this restaurant has simply rotten to the core.

Food:

The food they serve may look good on instagram but tastes dreadful. Definitely not deserving of a “hatted” restaurant.

The seafood served does not appear to match the weight they charge on the bill. Everything must have miraculously shrunken after being weighted.

Ordered lobster, mud crab, Peking duck, lamb and mixed vegetables. None of them are cooked properly.

Lobster is over-cooked and tastes really rubbery but the noodles underneath are undercooked!

Peking duck is below average. The crab is dry and overcooked. The lamb is luke warm at best and the worst would be the vegetables, absolutely saturated in smelly cooking oil.

Overrated and overpriced. With such terrible service and low quality food, I would not return even...

Restaurant Review: Flower Drum

Location Located in the heart of Market Lane, Melbourne, Flower Drum boasts not just a prime location but also an experience that has earned its legendary status. This Cantonese restaurant has been an integral part of Melbourne’s dining scene for over four decades.

Occasion The occasion was no less special than my daughter’s 21st birthday. What better way to celebrate this milestone than to indulge in an evening at a place that itself stands as a monument to culinary excellence?

Ambience and Atmosphere Walking into Flower Drum, you’re immediately struck by an atmosphere that marries traditional elegance with modern sophistication. While the restaurant has undergone several facelifts over the years, what has remained constant is its charm and character. The new bar area is a testament to the owner’s dedication to staying contemporary without compromising on the restaurant's original essence.

Service From the moment we walked in, we were pampered with what I can only describe as unparalleled service. The staff is so attentive that your tea will never have the chance to grow cold. They operate with the kind of efficiency and attention to detail that has become increasingly rare in the hospitality industry.

Food Quality and Presentation The quality of the food is uncompromisingly exceptional. From the selection of the ingredients to the meticulous presentation, each dish sings a song of culinary mastery. They claim to offer only the freshest and the best, and they absolutely deliver on this promise.

Cleanliness and Hygiene Cleanliness is often an overlooked aspect when dining out, but not at Flower Drum. The establishment was immaculate, down to the sparkling glasses on our table.

Value for Money The experience comes at a Fine dining price tag, but every dollar spent feels entirely justified by the end of the meal.

Menu and Drinks You’re spoilt for choice here. The menu is extensive, catering to a variety of dietary requirements, making it a haven for food lovers of all kinds. Their wine list, which includes extensive Australian and overseas collections, is thoughtfully curated to pair wonderfully with the dishes.

Special Comments Full disclosure, I’ve known the owner for over 40 years. While this might make me a bit biased, it’s hard to argue against the consistent quality and innovation that Flower Drum has maintained over these years. It’s more than a restaurant; it’s a Melbourne institution.

Recommendations Given the restaurant’s popularity, make sure to book your table at least two to four weeks in advance. If you haven’t experienced Flower Drum yet, you’re missing out on a culinary journey that sets the bar for what fine dining should be. I wholeheartedly recommend this place for anyone who values the pinnacle of food, atmosphere,...

We had a lunch with my wife and parents-in-law last Friday. As ordered 3 courses winter tasting menu and some A La carte. The food and wine were elegant and fantastic there is no doubt about it.

I am writing this review it's all about service and also working in hospo 15yrs. It’s the first time that I am writing about a restaurant review.

The annoyance is that was unpleasant and disrespectful service. From my experience where every restaurant that I’ve been to, I always believed in mutual respect between employees and customers. And also, I am not the person who complained or wrote a review.

First of all, I really appreciated that the waiter tried to suggest a good sharing portion size for us.

However, The waiter kept cutting the conversation about what I wanted or when I requested small things like serving Chinese tea instead of the icy water in cold weather in the winter season so I asked him again whether I can order some Chinese tea. Then he was a bit grumpy and said that's why he asked me before…My mother-in-law didn’t realise he would serve ice water when we ordered some water. Furthermore, The waiter just keeps talking in his way of service and setting up the table which bothered us so much. Every single person they have their own eating habits at the dining table. Some of the descriptions on the menu sounds like the racism between Western and Asian(Western people cannot try chicken with bone..but, Asians can eat chicken because it’s a better portion size chicken) I just wanted to concentrate on my food and more focusing on communicating with my family. My parents-in-law are coming from overseas so they couldn’t understand English at all. Some jokes make them very embarrassed which makes me uncomfortable as well.

Unfortunately, the worst thing about the tips, After my wife paid for the meal then he took Eftpos machine back and was saying that skip it tips and give him separately in cash for tips. Is that REAL??? After I heard that story I was so embarrassed and angry I didn’t know what happened when I was in the bathroom. Only for that reason she doesn’t want me to make the scene in front of her family. Please mention to staff about the tips needs to be sharing in between F.O.H and B.O.H !! For their hard working not just one selfish waiter!

I won't be returning or...