Qiqihar charcoal BBQ 犇齐齐哈尔烤肉 — Restaurant in Melbourne

I’ve never encountered a restaurant like this before.

We arrived first, but later customers rushed ahead of us. There were no staff on the first floor, so were we supposed to shout at them ourselves to maintain order?

Since there were no two-person tables available, we were asked to sit in a private room. Not long after, they seated other customers for shared dining in the same room—would it have been too much to ask if we were okay with sharing in advance?

Water wasn’t served unless we asked for it ourselves.

The service bell was broken, so when we needed to change the grill pan, we had to go downstairs to find a staff member, then wait another 10 minutes for someone to come. This is the first time I’ve been to a BBQ restaurant where I had to wait so long just for a new grill pan. I was honestly shocked!

As for the quality of the BBQ, that’s subjective. But the two-person set meal we ordered didn’t feel worth the price.

On top of all that, the parking situation is inconvenient. Definitely not...

Qiqihar Charcoal BBQ is a hidden gem for Northeastern Chinese BBQ in Melbourne! When we first arrived and saw no customers inside, I was a bit worried - but turns out everyone was seated out back in the charming outdoor area, beautifully set up with tents, warm lighting, and cozy decor. Despite being outdoors, it didn’t feel cold at all. The food was fantastic - highly recommend all the meat options on the menu. My favorites were the lamb skewers and the Qiqihar marinated beef - both were very flavourful. The cold noodles and the crayfish were also excellent and came in a generous portion. I’ll definitely be back whenever I’m craving authentic Northeastern...

I have to say that this place has the worst service ever! The lady there was literally YELLING at us, loudly! All the other customers were shocking at that moment. Moreover, we didn’t get any plate or chopsticks after having a lots of food served. And we didn’t even get our tongs for the BBQ! When we finally got our tablewares, we found out that the scissors and spoons were DIRTY and covered with oil and food scraps. It would be a lot useful and better if they put more effort on their food and service other than marketing. By the way, that’s definitely not a new waiter without training, that’s the boss who was providing the poor...