LTJ Chinese Restaurant | LTJ Food Services — Restaurant in Melbourne

China? Been there? North China?

If you have ever gone to the orient, headed up north, and tasted their food, you will find it here. A carefree and easy place like this deserves all the stars it is given.

When walking into Lao Tiajia it is an unassuming little spot. A collection of Chinese bottles covers the front window. Sit down, relax. To be honest the decor is far from spectacular. Vinyl covered tables abound. Need more room? They will just spring load it from underneath. If you have ever traveled to Northern China you will understand the essence of this place.

At first I made the mistake of ordering fried rice. I was told that the specialty is "Spicy Chicken Potato with wide Noodle." Several times I have been back after that suggestion. What you get is a large plate full off noddles to share. (If you are a fancy fanny fart then go away, no one is interested.) The noodles are hand made. Talking to the chef this is a labour intensive process. Hand made noodles, not from a packet, you can't get better. The lady who makes them oversees it herself. The noodles are hand made, so you are eating something really special.

What to expect? Northern China quinine. Nothing less.

Spicy Chicken Potato with wide Noodle is a divine dish at $19.80 and will easily feed two. The noodles are thick and deliciously hand made. Pull the chicken bones from your teeth, lay them down. There is no reason to get uptight here. Free jasmine tea.

What is also popular is the lamb skewers $6 for 2, or $10 for 5. Skewers are prepared and served in the authentic Northern Chinese style. Spicy, hearty, and a great diversity of taste.

Vegetarians. Yeah, I have some of those friends too. The baked eggplant was magnificent. It's just eggplant. But, it tasted awesome. They will look after the Veggie's too.

There is also a dish on offer that you should try. It is lamb, wok fried and severed on a plate. You then wrap it in a light bread. Around $13.00. Great appraiser.

This is a hotspot for the local Chinese community. They know where good food is at. It is like a community center. If you have ever traveled to China, you would love the authenticity of this place. You step into China without going through customs. What I don't like about this restaurant is that you eventually have to walk...

This long-standing Chinese restaurant is run by a sweet elderly couple who clearly put a lot of heart into their work. We visited on a busy Friday night, and with only the two of them running the show, food took about 40 minutes to arrive.

The dishes were fresh but leaned towards the bland side for my taste—though others might enjoy the subtle, home-style flavours.

A heads-up on the skewers: they're only available if someone pre-orders in advance. Occasionally, there are extras for walk-ins if they’ve over-prepared.

Great people, old-school charm—just go in knowing it’s a slow and...

I never leave a review, but it'd be wrong not to for this joint. This place is truly a hole in the wall kinda place, an absolute gem. I truly want to gatekeep this shop, but it'd be wrong, these are the type of stores that need recognition and never ending customers.

Splendid food, exquisite service, homey and felt like I was back at mums.

Do yourself a favour and try this place, don't look further, set your directions to this place on google maps, and press your accelerator. Their lamb ribs are to die for....