Kantin - Carlton (HALAL Food) — Restaurant in Melbourne

It truly pains me to write this review because I had high hopes for this restaurant. As an Indonesian, I want nothing more than to see Indonesian-owned businesses thrive, and I was excited to give this place a try after making a reservation over a week in advance. Unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired. To make things clearer, I'll outline my concerns in points:

Serve Now vs. Serve Later: The restaurant uses a QR code system for ordering, which I usually appreciate for its convenience. When I ordered the Ropandan Toast, I specifically selected the "Serve Now" option because I was very hungry and wanted to enjoy it as an appetizer before the main course. However, despite this selection, my toast still hadn’t arrived by the time our main dishes were served. When I reminded the server, he seemed surprised and asked, "Oh, you wanted it served now?" This left me wondering why the option to specify serving time exists if it isn't actually followed.

Dine In vs. Takeaway: A similar issue occurred with our takeaway order. We noted the Mie Kangkung for takeaway in the app. However, it was brought to our table as a dine-in dish, with the noodles already mixed into the soup. After pointing out the mistake, the server took it back to the kitchen to repackage it. Sadly, by the time we ate it at home, the noodles were soggy and the soup portion was inadequate, likely due to the initial mixing. It was disappointing, especially since we were so eager to try this dish. Again, I’m left questioning the point of having a notes section if our instructions aren’t being read.

Environment: The seating was quite cramped, with little space between tables, making it difficult to move around. I understand that the space is limited, but it becomes problematic when water is self-service. We weren’t served any water despite there being only two other occupied tables when we came in, so we helped ourselves. Furthermore, the area near the kitchen leading to the bathroom was very slippery—I almost slipped despite walking cautiously in regular sneakers. These issues could easily be addressed with more attention to detail.

Food Quality: Finally, the food itself was a letdown. While I might have overlooked the other issues if the food had been outstanding, my dish was just mediocre, and my friend’s noodles were uncomfortably dry.

In conclusion, while I understand that every restaurant has its off days, the accumulation of these issues left a lasting negative impression. I sincerely hope that these points can serve as constructive feedback for the management, as I genuinely want to see this restaurant succeed. For now, though, I can't see...

🥰🔥

If you’re looking for authentic Indonesian cuisine in a cozy and welcoming environment, Kantin Indonesian Eatery is the perfect spot! I had the pleasure of dining here recently and was completely blown away by the quality of the food, the portions, and the overall experience.

🥤🍝

For my meal, I ordered a bowl of Bakmi Ayam Rica (Noodle with Spicy Indonesian Chicken, $17.50) and a glass of Es Coco Pandan (Coco Pandan Drink with Coconut Jelly and Basil Seed, $8.50) and both were absolutely fantastic. Here’s what made them stand out: • Bakmi Ayam Rica: This dish was nothing short of amazing! 🍜 The noodles (Singaporean) were perfectly cooked—springy and light—and served with a generous portion of flavorful, spicy Indonesian chicken. 🌶️🍗 The chicken was tender and had a wonderful kick of heat that balanced beautifully with the noodles. The spice level was just right, enough to excite the taste buds without being overwhelming. On top of that, the portion size was very generous, making it a hearty and satisfying meal. • Es Coco Pandan: This refreshing juice was a delightful discovery! 🥥🧊 The drink was cool, smooth, and bursting with unique flavors that were completely new to me. It wasn’t overly sweet, which I appreciated, and the mix of ingredients made every sip exciting. It was the perfect companion to the spiciness of the noodles, offering a nice balance to the meal and leaving me with a refreshed feeling after every sip.

👍🏼💯

Beyond the food, the atmosphere of Kantin Indonesian Eatery added to the overall experience. The restaurant has a cozy and relaxed vibe, making it a great spot to unwind and enjoy a meal. The staff were friendly, attentive, and clearly passionate about ensuring their customers have a great time. They were happy to answer my questions about the dishes and even made recommendations, which I really appreciated.

If you’re a fan of Indonesian cuisine or just curious to try something new, Kantin Indonesian Eatery should definitely be on your list. The Bakmi Ayam Rica is a must-try for noodle lovers who enjoy a bit of spice, and the Es Coco Pansan is a unique treat that you won’t want to miss.

I’m already looking forward to coming back to explore more items from their menu. Whether you’re dining alone, with friends, or even looking for a quick meal, this place delivers on all fronts. Highly...

I’m not usually a Indonesian food enjoyer but Kantin has blown my expectations way out of proportion. My partner knows that I am usually the type to get food that I’m comfortable with and that I know well, so branching out a little bit to try Indonesian food was out of my comfort zone.

Kantin is definitely one of those restaurants that live up to its hype. They are Halal certified and have no pork products on their menu. Their menu has beef, chicken and vegetarian options.

We ordered: Nasi iga sapi panggang kantin ($28) - House special beef rib with jasmine rice with sambal. The fried egg on this one was a little bit overdone, but that was okay, because it wasn’t a big part of the dish. The beef rib was super soft and tender, it fell straight off the bone. It had a smoky and barbecue like taste, it was super tasty and the sambal definitely had a kick. Nasi ayam goreng kremes ($17.5) - Crispy fried chicken with spice crumbs on jasmine rice with shrimp sambal. My partner liked the sambal for this one quite a lot, he said that there was no shrimp taste in the sambal which made it really good. The chicken was super crispy and the egg for that one was a little bit runny, which is how we like our eggs. mie goreng kantin ($16.5) - Mie goreng but elevated, this is definitely better than the instant mie goreng packs you see at the supermarket, there is this smoky taste which I really liked, the noodles were chewy and the garlic crackers were a nice crunchy touch. perkedel jagung kantin ($13.5) - The corn fritters were very crispy and it came with a fresh tomato & chilli salsa which complimented them well. es coklat ($8.5) - sweet iced chocolate, similar to ovalteenies in taste, super good in quenching the spice from the sambal. jus kelapa kantin ($8.5) - young coconut blended with ice, the coconut juice was sweet and yummy, I love coconuts and this was definitely super refreshing.

Overall, it was definitely a good feed and we were both super full and satisfied...