Ipoh Parade Malaysian Restaurant — Restaurant in Melbourne

I recently dined at Ipoh Parade on High Street in Armadale, this is my second dine-in here and my experiences left much to be desired. The restaurant fell short on multiple fronts, prompting me to share my honest feedback.

Firstly, the quality of the curries was subpar. The evidence of old curries was glaring, as the potatoes in my dish were crumbling and soggy, they’d been sitting like that for over a week I’d imagine. This signaled a lack of attention to the freshness and preparation of the ingredients.

My disappointment extended beyond the cuisine, as I encountered issues during both of my visits. On both occasions, I fell ill for two days after dining in, which raises concerns about the hygiene and food safety practices at the establishment. However the flavours of the dishes are authentic and decent.

Furthermore, the restaurant appeared to be critically understaffed. A single older male waiter struggled to manage a room with over 50 diners, while the lone chef in the kitchen seemed overwhelmed and under pressure. This severely impacted the overall dining experience.

Adding to the discomfort was the irritable atmosphere created by the loud playing of nursery rhymes for a child behind the counter. The absence of culturally appropriate music and the choice of kids' music were unexpected and only served to irritate diners rather than enhance the dining ambiance.

Finally, the physical state of the restaurant on High Street in Armadale left much to be desired. A much-needed refurbishment is in order to elevate the overall aesthetic. Furniture was old and rickety, carpets worn out etc. Additionally, addressing the issues of understaffing and ensuring the freshness of ingredients are crucial steps for improvement.

In summary, my experiences were disappointing due to the old curries, illness after dining in, understaffing issues, and an irritable atmosphere. I hope these concerns are addressed promptly to enhance the overall dining experience for future patrons. I’d be open to returning again if these things...

We’re making this our regular for family meals out. Authentic Malaysian with the kind of care and skill that recalls the most particular Nyonya grandmothers apprenticed from childhood to uncompromising heights of expectation. For example, the green beans in the Assam Fish were fresh and gently crisp yet uncannily permeated with the fragrance and flavour of the Assam sauce and still yet, past that squeaky stage into tenderness (but yes - still crisp). Try getting that right in your own kitchen or try finding that at any restaurant - let alone in relation to a ‘minor’ ingredient in a curry dish. The home made tofu dish was sophisticated simplicity - the broccoli ringing the platter as deliciously savoury as the creamy tofu and hand chopped ‘mince’ sauce. The broccoli’s bright green hinted at the risk of rawness but instead it yielded with a perfect bite and a burst of unexpected flavour contributing another nuance to this deceptively homely dish. So not just broccoli ; not just some decorative afterthought.

The staff were so kind and hospitable as well. It was remarkable to experience.

I felt transported back to Malaysia at the kind of restaurant where my elders around the table would fall into brief appreciative trances at first taste then break into a murmur of happy talk as they relaxed into the cosiness of a truly...

Though there were many good reviews of the restaurant, Ive written my reviews in 2 parts and in average of both a 3.5 stars.

Service 2/5 First time there. Stood at the entrance for a while waiting to be seated. Could see the waitress was chatting away with a customer at the counter. Her view of the entrance was blocked by the customer so we thought why not we just get ourselves seated at one of the 2 empty tables near her. Then asked if we could take it. She looked frustrated as presumably I’ve interrupted her chatting. Since then she walked passed us many times assuming we’re not there. Could hear her laughing and chatting to other tables behind us. After about 5mins of no attention, we went to the counter to take the menus ourselves. And later we both had to get her attention twice in order to place our orders. It’s a small restaurant with only a handful of tables.

Food 5/5 The Wat Tan Hor was truly amazing! So far the most authentic and most wok hei noodles that I’ve eaten. Har mee and green curry rice was delicious too.

Maybe it’s just my experience. Sometimes good food appetite could be ruined with not-too-good customer service.

Hope to be back again, though not too soon for...