lee ho fook

the food is amazing. love all the dishes. my favorite is the lamb ribs. juicy and soft. the deep fried eggplant is sooo good. the organic tofu is simple yet mind blown with the vegen xo sauce.

loved everything about this place. gorgeous venue, outstanding service, delicious food (we did the banquet with matching wines). standout dish was the eggplant but seriously, it was all great. i love when places go the extra mile and this place had that down pat. for example, we asked for some fresh chilli and out came a chilli tasting board with chilli oil and a chilli sauce in addition to the fresh chilli. lots of good clean asian flavours here. we’ll definitely be back. it’s every bit as good as lucy lui, coda, gingerboy and all the other hard to get into asian-fusion places in melbourne.

we came for a friend’s birthday celebration. we had the table for 2 hrs and were reminded constantly that they needed the table back at a certain time. we had the banquet. the food was delicious and creative and we were pleased that the restaurant was able to cater to all of our dietary requirements. the service was efficient. halfway through the meal we had a small request to put a candle on my friend’s dessert for his birthday. the waiter forgot and we didn’t get it. dessert was a hit and miss - the guava sorbet was delicious but the miso chocolate was too salty and the osmanthus creme caramel was too bitter. all in all a pretty good night.

modern chinese place. my kind of favorite meal. the best was definitely the char siu pork jowl. really nice cut of pork. tender but still has a bite on it. sweet and sticky while felt smoky at the same time. when eaten with spring onion pancake and soy veggies, the flavor bomb sprang forth!

next best item was the crab fried rice. it was a unique presentation of the rice. almost like hong kong style fried rice. fluffy rice at the bottom of the bowl was poured over with crab and scallop gravy; a heavenly combo. comfort food at its best.

soy chicken was tender and juicy. the black bean fish was also good. delicate piece of fish atop a bed of fiery sauce.

eggplant was super cruncy. sweet and sticky and tangy. fun appetizer.

the crispy eggplant dish is worth coming into town for … and getting off the metaphorical high horse when it comes to westernised asian food. impossibly crispy crust with the perfect balance of sweet, savoury and umami-ness, this dish was by far the standout. shared between 3, it disappeared all too quickly and left us contemplating a second serving even before the rest of the dishes had arrived.

wonderfully attentive staff, the crispy-skin chicken was smoky and sweet and complex. absolutely loved it. kingfish dish was good but could have been better balanced and seasoned more - it was ocean-y and would have benefitted from a little acid. nonetheless we enjoyed a beautiful meal and really enjoyed the experience.

had lunch at the good luck bar, which offers the simpler menu. really good food!

the best dan dan noodles i’ve had in melbourne! balanced flavours, good quality noodles that doesn’t feel heavy or overly spicy or sweet. the pork jowl char siu is amazing. and i don’t even usually like fatty meat but this is so good. the spring onion relish that comes with it is perfect! i feel like i can just eat that with white rice ;p

would definitely come back for the more extensive dinner menu.

lee ho fook is a restaurant that serves modern chinese food.  came here for work dinner with colleagues and clients ( 7 people in total). i had heard about this restaurant but never had the chance to try it. i really wasn't sure what to expect but excited to find out.

🔆location🔆
located in a cbd warehouse in a laneway, it's virtually hidden away. but that is what makes melbourne so special. eateries in laneways.
  the decor of the restaurant is simple yet sophisticated.

🔆service🔆
impeccable service. the minute we walked in, the waiter asked for our coats, and seated us promptly. menu was provided and water was served very fast. definitely received 5 star service and nothing to fault at all. the waiters were well dressed and smiling throughout our dinner.

🔆menu🔆
as i am allergic to chilli, unfortunately the menu options was not in my favour. i was very disappointed. i asked the waiter for assistance and if any of them could be made without chilli. he went away to ask the chef and came back and was very apologetic and provided some suggestions.
as everyone else ordered food to share, i was the only odd person to have separate food.

🔆food🔆
the food that i ate were as follows:
 
entree: 
warm hervey bay scallops, silken tofu and soy brown butter, $10.00

main: 
lee ho fook roast duck, star anise and cinnamon sauce (half size), $36.00
lee ho fook special fried rice with prawns and lup cheong, $15.00

🔆price🔆
the price for the menu items were very reasonable priced. if you come in a large group and order food to share, it's affordable. 

🔆verdict🔆
i was particularly impressed with scallops, was cooked well and had alot of flavour. the duck was succulent and juicy but way too oily. the fried rice was nothing special at all. 
all in all my meal was average. if only they had more food options that didnt have chilli in it then perhaps my rating and review would have been different. i can't comment on my colleagues and clients food. the presentation was very nice but because everything was either spicy or had chilli in it i wasnt able to try.  my review and rating is for the food that i ate.

this spot was on our radar for some time, but, we never got around to visiting until i happened to bump into one of the new additions to the management team -- someone who i know really gets customer service, and really appreciates the experience that guests look out for.  for him to join lhf meant it was a must try....so, within a few days, we booked, and we've returned several times!

the location is on one of melbourne's street-art covered alleys; well lit, vibrant (not sure why others refer to the area as dimly lit!), and there are at least four or five outstanding restaurants all located on this u-shaped route.

the bar is downstairs, the restaurant upstairs, but, they serve (some) meals downstairs as well.  bartender knows what he's doing and i'm a real fan of his "sour."

upstairs, well, huge open space, perfectly lit, plenty of seating (if a bit crowded when full), and a menu that will make you salivate.  love the chicken crackling, crispy eggplant, buddha’s delight- charred sweet corn (mmmm), fujian style blue swimmer crab & scallop rice (omg this is good), and the pork jowl char sui.  

each dish was delightfully seasoned, letting the ingredients shine, and presentation was well composed, not fussy or pretentious, and let you get on with why you are there:  to eat!

wine menu has a focussed selection that work well with their menu.  i can strongly recommend the louis moreau chablis with almost anything!

great spot, outstanding staff that really shines -- and if you're lucky, they also have great music playing (subjective issue; we were lucky enough to get 80's classics on a couple of visits and several patrons were like us, singing along to music how it ought to be).

came here for dinner with my friend and we really enjoyed our visit. firstly, we arrived a bit early so sat downstairs at the bar, and the bartender was very friendly and easygoing, even made me a drink from scratch. we then headed upstairs to the restaurant and were greeted by very lovely staff. we ordered a variety of dishes, and all had delicious flavor to them. the standout was the eggplant, their signature dish, but beware it is very rich! i also really enjoyed the kingfish, and the broth of the pippies/noodle dish was delicious. i was also pleasantly surprised about the staff constantly filling up my water, it was always being topped up! sometimes it’s the small things that make a massive difference. we left feeling satisfied, and the food was not too heavy. great date night spot, lots of mood lighting.

very nice little place - in the middle of little alley, i have reviewed this place recently and it got deleted by zomato for no reason. cosy interior, the roast duck + eggplant are definitely my best meal there! i love their food and service by micky was great! thank you.

came here on a weeknight with high expectations and the food did not disappoint. we started off with the smoked eel and two textures of tofu. the smoked eel and foie gras were well balanced. the tofu dish came with deep fried tofu and silken tofu covered in fragrant fried garlic. i enjoyed this as well although the dish was fairly simple. my favourite dish of the night was the crispy eggplant. the exterior was crisp and the inside was soft and fluffy. the sauce was absolutely amazing as well. for mains, we had the maltose glazed duck, porcini infused mushrooms along with a serve of rice. the duck was perfectly cooked but i wished that it had a little twist to it. service was a little slow as they were understaffed.

ordered the crispy eggplant and it is the best eggplant i have ever had in my life. there for the vegan dishes and all of them were exquisitely flavored.

little, cosy restaurant in the heart of the cbd. beautiful food (the duck was to die for!), friendly and accommodating staff, stylishly decorated interior. slightly pricey drinks but overall it is definitely worth a visit!

loved my night out here. let me tell you why you should come in for your asian fix...
1. impeccable service. the manager will do everything in his power to accommodate your request...like if you bump into a friend at the restaurant and you want to sit together? done.
2. great cocktails.
3. smashing food.
4. great atmosphere. everyone here is either good looking, distinguished looking or just looking like they are having a great time.
5. smashing food.
6. pricewise very reasonable.
6. smashing food.
enjoy!