Jade Kingdom — Restaurant in Melbourne

Came here as we passed by the area going to Heidelberg and thought it looks good. We were not disappointed! We are very glad to have found this gem tucked away in a quiet area near La Trobe university. This is a non pretentious Chinese restaurant serving Malaysian styled food. According to the staff, they have been an establishment in the area for more than 10 years. Service is quick, and efficient. No frills service with minimal chit chat but if you are a regular customer, you will be served with a big smile. We ordered the hot plate Toufu, fried Malaysian style chicken and sambal Kang Kong. The star of the night was definitely the hot plate toufu. It was brought to use with an egg on a a hot plate and the waitress poured the meat and toufu stew over the hot plate and it was sizzling in front of us. What a wonderful way to start a meal. The sauce was of the right consistency and the toufu was lightly fried. Delicious! The sambal Kang Kong was very fresh and the sambal was not too spicy which would put off a lot of people who may not take spicy food. The chicken was ok, but I would have preferred if they served the chicken with a bit of salt pepper and lime, or maybe some chicken rice chilli. I liked that when I ordered rice, it came in a big tube. It feels so authentic, and I like that I can self serve the rice I need, instead of calling out to the staff if we need more rice. I like that the restaurant did not skimp on belachan chilli when I asked for it. I could just eat the chili with rice, without any other dishes. The chilli is that good. I would definitely recommend Jade Kingdom to everyone and I would...

I've been dining at Jade Kingdom for a few times, and while the food impresses, I can't say the same for the customer service. The cuisine, predominantly Malaysian, boasts flavors that keep me coming back, but unfortunately, the service quality seems to depend on how much you spend and even your ethnicity.I've noticed a bias towards Asian customers, which is disappointing as it detracts from the overall dining experience. Requests for extra bowls and cutlery, especially when dining with family and kids, are met with reluctance and sometimes even grumpiness.One particular incident stood out when I brought a Western friend along. Suddenly, the male boss was exceptionally friendly, even going as far as shaking hands with my friend. This stark contrast in treatment left me feeling uncomfortable and unwelcome.As a result, I've refrained from visiting for a while now, hoping they'll recognize the importance of consistent and inclusive customer service. While the food remains a highlight, it's the overall dining experience that leaves much to be desired. I sincerely hope they address these issues and strive towards creating a welcoming environment for...

ORDERED: 🥟  Fried Won Ton (10 pieces): $8.00

🍚 Nasi Goreng: Spicy fried rice with long bean, peas, chicken, shrimp and egg ($14.80) 🍜 Hokkien Mee: Thick noodles cooked in a dark soy with prawns, pork, calamari, and cabbage ($15.80) mixed noodles ($1.00) 🍝  Har Mee: Spicy prawn based soup with yellow noodles, roast pork, prawns, kangkong, bean shoots and a hard-boiled egg ($14.80)

🍌 Banana Fritter: Deep fried banana with ice cream and golden syrup ($7.50)

REVIEW: For some quick and affordable food, Jade Kingdom isn't a bad option.

There were some disappointing things I'd like to remember for next time... if I were to come back. Namely: Fried wonton sauce came out... pretty much when we finished our wontons. Really ill-timed. The rice in the Nasi Goreng was too soft/moist. It's missing that dry-ness when it comes to fried rice where it can hold its structure. Hokkien Mee with mixed noodles (egg and vermicelli) was not it. Save the dollar and stick with the original egg noodles. Food in general steered towards the salty side.

Would rate the banana fritter though! Really hard to get this wrong, but it was great on a...