Ho Liao Melbourne — Restaurant in Melbourne

Such a cool experience and concept! But unfortunately let down by the service.

Each storey of this 3-level venue offered a different experience on Malaysian cuisine which was so exciting and intriguing- we dined at Ho Liao which was on the top floor and it was just short of a really special and beautiful experience - the restaurant aesthetic and atmosphere was very welcoming and felt elevated yet comfortable/casual, the music added nicely to the atmosphere and the food was great!

Only downfall which unfortunately left a pretty big impact on my experience was the service received- it felt rushed (eg. the server was rushing when pouring our waters, spilt water on the table and my menu, dropped the lid to the sparkling water bottle- which wasn’t actually sparkling- and then left without cleaning the table) and the waitresses that served us barely connected with us. However, we witnessed a very different customer service experience on the table next to us where we heard the waitress explain different signature items on the menu, offered suggestions with the menu, shared knowledge about the restaurant and chef, checked in regularly and built nice rapport with the patrons by smiling and laughing while getting to know them a bit more - we were only asked if we were ready to order, how the food was when they cleared our table and if we could settle the bill before receiving dessert and our final drinks. The waitresses wouldn’t smile at us unless we smiled first and only one of them had a friendly demeanour.

I found the service to be particularly disappointing as I was expecting more personalised or considered service because we were asked if we were celebrating an anniversary (which we were) which I initially thought was a nice and personal gesture- however there was nothing that came from me declaring it so I’m not sure why we were asked the question in the first place? Seems like a missed opportunity and made the lack of genuine service feel more apparent. Also seeing the difference in the level of service received on the table next to us compared to the service we got almost made it feel like we were being discriminated against in some way or like we didn’t belong in that space as we were a young brown couple and the patrons next to us were a white mature couple.

Overall I will try this restaurant again as I am hopeful that the service we received was simply because perhaps the waitresses were busy that night? (Although we dined quite late and maybe just over half of the restaurant was full when we arrived) and I also understand that the service from some waitresses don’t speak to the service from the restaurant as a whole.. The service wasn’t terrible but hopefully it...

Let's go to DaBao some HoLiao and HoJiak from Rainbow Alley, what can I get you? CharKewyTiow? HaMee or Hainanese Chicken Rice? How catchy is that!

DaBao is for takeaway, HoLiao is for Fast and Familiar, whereas HoJiak is like a Premium Dining experience. 3 in 1 , I would call these places. Or, should I say One size Fits All?

Went to HoLiao for a quick Tuesday luncheon, greeted by a friendly front of house member, Table for 2? She said, I answered, yes, please, she turned around and spotted a corner table for us, without hesitation, she presented the menus and drinks menu to us with a smilling face, and said, I will come back to take your orders in 5 minutes, right she does, she seems can tell what we got in mind like a CT scan, she asked, CharKewyTiow? Hainanese Chicken Rice? I looked at her with my open eyes, I said, wow, you read my mind, yes, please, 1 CharKewyTiow, 1 Hainanese Chicken Rice, 1 HaMee and 1 Sago pudding to shares, sure, she replied and water was served within minutes after she put in the orders. I thought HoLiao only opened 2-3 weeks ago, but this Front of House seems been working there for years. How amazing!

Within 10 minutes, dishes was served, I must say - Impressive! The first thing appears in My eyes is .. The CharKewyTiow, , this is No Ordinary!! the "wok_hey" ( breath of the Wok" really brought me back to Penang , The sambal, the Light-Char shrimp and the unmistakable texture of the HorFun, are well cooked to Perfection, and only cost aud$15.00 . Wow ! This should be Talk Of The Town !!!!

HaMee - which means Prawns Noodles in Prawn broth. - A Must Eat, Penang delicacy. No HaMee is Complete without Kangkung, not Spinach please! and HoLiao just withhold The Legacy of Penang HaMee, the Only comment I got on this dish is, perhaps just my preference,- I found the broth just a bit over sweetened .

Hainanese Chicken Rice, regrettably, I don't have the Wow factor in the dish. But is acceptable yummy.

Sago pudding - well balanced Inside Out, the texture , the creaminess of coconut cream, the flavour of the sweeten shredded coconut and just love the idea that serving the Gula Melaka syrup in a separate shot glass , as some might consider Gula Melaka is too sweet as the Sago pudding is well sweetened .

Overall, HoLiao won't disappoint you on searching The Best Traditional Malaysian "HoJiak"( tasty) meals in Melbourne, it's concept and location already Won me over even I need to drive 1 hour to get to the CBD one way and pay "Premium" for Carpark. Perhaps the All $15 per dish categories "subsidies" the parking fees is All worth it.

Thank you all at HoLiao. I will...

A cavernous "hall" for classic and inventive Malaysian dining while accompanied by Cantonese and Mandarin pop songs from a bygone era.

I have been to Ho Jiak in Sydney. It's very popular but I prefer more traditional flavours and spiciness in my Malaysian dishes.

I find Ho Liao (good ingredients in Hokkien) more intriguing. Its eclectic one-page menu features familiar Malaysian hawker style rice and noodles dishes for $15, and a selection of more substantial meat, vegetables and seafood dishes. The former has attracted a lot of commentary. For me, the serving sizes are commensurate with the price and allow me to try more dishes. And because Ho Liao is open throughout the day, I can just stroll in and have a "snack" at non-peak hours.

The flavours of the $15 items are more straightforward traditional. Not all hit the mark for me e.g. nasi lemak with fried chicken wings - the composition, too dry for me. The broth for Har Mee was not very "prawny". The sauce for Char Ho Fun was "eggy" and thick enough to "coat" the noodles. The "Char" in Koay Teow is present and more importantly the dish was not too "wet". The stand out for me was the Kon Loh Mee - especially if you prefer "springy" egg noodles (and not the limp supermarket variety).

Some other items on the menu have been tweaked - Koay Kak (radish cubes $17) has been flash fried first, making it crispy - an interesting twist but I personally prefer the traditional soft radish cubes, stir fried in dark sauce until it has a malty dark brown edge, and served with pickled radish (chai poh) - which is missing in this version. Loh Bak ($18) with pork jowl taste too "fatty" for my liking. Fish Curry Claypot ($32) with fried aromatic curry leaves, has good flavour but a little too lacking in chilli heat for me. The steam egg with century egg (Sam Wong Dan $18), a simple "homey" dish that requires precision, is silky perfection. Braised Tofu with mushroom $20 is good accompaniment for white rice - the tofu barely kissed by heat in a pool of savoury sauce full of diced mushroom.

Service is friendly...