The Old Raffles Place

10 stars if I could. Wonderful lady owner who went out of her way to ensure we had an exceptional dining experience. Super yummy home cooked meals. The only place in all of Melbourne I could find authentic Singaporean hokkien mee. Brought me straight back home. Reasonable prices, great serving sizes & a taste of Singapore. Bravo!

4.5 Stars. Singapore is one of my favourite countries so finding this place was quite a nice surprise! The wonderful pictures and history on the walls make you feel like you're back in Singapore. The food is great and authentic, but some of the dishes were a tad lacklustre. Still, I would definitely love to come back when in the area again. The wonderful owner provided such memorable service!

New sign says opens from 4.30pm for dinner. 10% surcharge for dine in service. $18 menu price for Hokkien mee. $15 for carrot cake. $3.50 for teh tarik. Carrot cake was amazing. Thick pieces that had heaps of wok hei and wasn't overly sweet like many places in Singapore these days. Old school flavour and texture. Hokkien mee had lots of ingredients including squid, prawns and pork belly. Great wok hei as well. Only difference was that they used lemon instead of lime which altered the flavour slightly. Sambal was spicy, tasty and tangy as well. Owner recommend to try fish curry and Kam heong next time. Owner also said they don't do lobak anymore.

I nearly forgot about my experience here but had to chime in to voice my opinion to balance out a review I read that did not reflect my meal here. I have a feeling the people who come here have been away from singapore for very long, and maybe over time I might lower my standard. But unlikely. Maybe I’m too fresh from sg but I don’t think I would go to old raffles place again. Just like I seldom go to raffles place in Singapore. The food is alright (3/5 in my opinion - passable but not going back again willingly). And the service by some of the young folks working there is appalling. However, the ambience is on point - nice old school decor, very nostalgic - I’ll give them 4/5 for effort. Food wise - we tried a lot of things. The best surprisingly was the sweet and sour pork ribs, but do get the plain rice or chicken rice to go with it. The carrot cake in the sweet black sauce was not bad. The CKT at old raffles place was just sweet and not spicy and no wok hei. The Jalan Kayu roti prata is just a piece of frozen prata from the supermarket cut into 4 pieces - for $8?!?! The hokkien mee was at the very least Singaporean style, but way too soupy and no wok hei. The flavor is not bad though. We didn’t get to try chicken rice cos it’s sold out. Tiger beer is good for nostalgia, but our teh tarik took almost half the meal (20 to 30 mins) before it came. Taste not bad but the waiter alr gave us attitude for checking on it after 15 mins - “the kitchen is busy, it will come when it will come”. Mm. Also same waiter (young boy why you so angry) told us not to bother to get more food cos it will take more than an hour and we might as well leave and allow more people to come in (what?!?!). In conclusion, bring cash, come with friends who are out of town or just for the first time. I wish the young folks will learn some manners. The level of service is just as bad as HK Cha Chaan Teng and food is not as good.

Always solid across the board from food to vibe to service. The chye tow kueh is a must and as far as I’m aware, this is the only place around to get it. Murtabak is another top snack (and they have a veg version, which is hard to come by). Tried the “spiced” eggplant on my most recent visit, which was also a hit. It’s topped with lots of fried curry leaves and had a decent amount of heat. There’s a 10% surcharge for dining in and an $8 a bottle surcharge for BYO so it’s not necessarily a cheap spot but serves are generous for the price.

The best hor fun you can get in Melbourne that it literally transports you to the hawker centre in Singapore. So good!! Notable mentions are their chicken rice (so nostalgic and comforting) and their salted fish fried rice (so flavourful and not oily at all)!! The auntie that works there is such a sweetie too and my housemate and I always look forward to seeing her!

Lovely Singapore Restaurant. Very authentic dishes. The owner Alan is very nice & accommodating. Here are some of the must trys: 1. Chao Koay Kak 2. Singapore Hokkien Mee 3. Asam Fish 4. Kam Heong Chicken 5. Sambal Bee Hoon *Tips: Tell the chef you want more Wok Hei!

This venue is away from the hustle and bustle and strip of restaurants so I’ve walked passed it so many times without paying a visit. Finally got to try after a recommendation from a friend. Between two adults we ordered the Penang CKT with prawn and squid and Fried Hokkkien Mee with pork, prawn, and squid. I was thoroughly impressed with both noodle dishes. Noodles were cooked to perfection on the wok. I would come back to try the Hor Fun and chicken curry as our table neighbour had it and it looked steaming hot and delicious. I rated it a 4 just based on cleanliness of the venue. I know the best Asian restaurants don’t have the best rizz to serve the best food, but seeing two tubs of meat left out next to the basin sink didn’t sit right with me. Not the end of the world, food was still edible.

You can't go past the chicken rice at Old Raffles Place. It is perfectly poached in seasoned stock and is always consistent. I used to come here every week for lunch but have been living OS. So when I was home for Christmas recently I had to pop in for a quick meal. It was everything I had remembered and the couple who owns the place greeted me as though I had never been away. I suggest you go there with friends and try everything. It is old school decor, with the focus on flavour and quality of the food. Can't wait to be back in Melbourne again for another visit.

One chilly evening, after missing the tram and at least half a dozen taxi's that suddenly claimed to be occupied (with no one in them), we decided to stop at The Old Raffles Place in Johnston Street. It was actually meant to be a drink-stop but the greedy pigs in us couldn't resist the sweet aromas coming from the open concept kitchen. And so we ate. Our intended "drink-stop" began with the Lobak ( deep fried chinese spiced pork wrapped in beancurd skin) and soon followed with an order of chai tau kueh (fried carrot cake). Not only did we enjoy both dishes but let's just say, if The Old Raffles Place had a Facebook page - we would definitely be clicking on "like" - but since it doesn't, this is the next best option. Since that first visit, we've been back a couple of times and highly recommend trying everything on the menu - go slow and work your way through. I love that the restaurant is old-school with the walls adorned with black-and-white newspaper clippings with stories and photographs of people and places in Singapore. Even though it's just a restaurant, there's a certain element of charm and authenticity about this place that just keeps customers coming back for more.

I've walked past The Old Raffles Place so many times in so many years, and thought "I must go there one day." I finally made it last weekend when my family and I had walked up and down Smith Street trying to find somewhere to eat out, then decided to try a Thai restaurant on Johnston Street. As we walked past Raffles, I suggested we go there as I figured Singaporean food is generally milder than Thai and therefore more acceptable to a fussy four-year-old's palate. It was a Saturday night, but we were pretty early so it wasn't very busy and they let us take the stroller into the dining room (which is usually too crowded). I was tempted by the laksa (next time...), but ordered their signature dish: Hainanese chicken rice. My partner ordered stir-fried chicken noodles, and we also got some spring rolls. Warning: objects in the menu may be larger than they appear! I was surprised by how generous the servings were, having made assumptions about their size based on the low price and small photos in the menu. All tasted great, mild but full of flavour. Very happy with the meal and the service - the restaurant is run by a lovely Chinese Singaporean couple who fussed over my son and the wait staff were friendly and efficient. The kitchen is totally visible from the dining room and you essentially walk through it when you enter the establishment (as well as when finding the toilets which is a bit scary). Other than that the atmosphere is charming, plenty of relics and photos of colonial Singapore on the wall. The food was great, and being so nearby to my house I will definitely will be back to try the laksa, and the lobak, and... well, pretty much everything else!

I had my birthday here a couple of years back and had a ball. Living around the corner from this joint, it was a favourite for take away or low key mid week meals out. They have an extensive menu here but for the most part it's Singaporese and Malaysian-inspired and these are some of my favourite flavour combinations. It's a basic looking place with a large kitchen and lots of rooms for dining. They do private rooms for large groups and the banquet arrangement meant we were eating leftovers for a week after my birthday dinner. They did kind of screw up the wait times for our food once and we got too drunk while waiting. But they are such nice folk, and they do beautiful food, so I'll forgive them that one indiscretion. Plus, it's over the road from the Tote. And Raffles was a pirate (of sorts).

For those who were in Melbourne last night, you will be aware of the slightly inclement weather conditions that saw torrential rain, hail, and freezing cyclonic winds dominate the evening. My foodie work colleague, let's call her Deb, for that is her name, wanted to treat us all to dishes that she loved growing up, and so arranged a night at The Old Raffles Place for about ten of her (self proclaimed) nearest and dearest workmates. I must admit, leaving work, I was desperately wishing we were venturing out for catch-ups on another night, but into the wind and rain we went. Our journey ended at Old Raffles in Colingwood, with a night of gorgeous food in an interesting setting (though my vegan / vegetarian options were very limited...and there was the rather ominous 'most dishes are cooked with pork lard. We are not a vegetarian restaurant' disclaimer on the back of the menu). Eating at Old Raffles is really like eating at your Grandparents' house...with more fairy lights. Because of the size of our group, we had a table in the back room, and arrived to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" on the TV, quite amusing in a silly charming way (but yes, we turned it off straight away...my palate tolerates neither meat, nor Eddie McGuire). The decor proudly screams 80s (in my humble opinion), and a visit to the bathroom is an adventure of its own, but I kind of loved the daggy factor / family feel of this place...and the food!!! I ordered the tofu vegetable curry (number 44) as the safest non-meat eating option on the menu, and it was delicious. My carnivorous colleagues ordered a range of dishes to share, with Deb at the helm to offer her expert guidance, and there were 'mmmmms' all around. The food arrived at lightning speed, and staff were extremely friendly and obliging throughout the evening. I would wager that if you are a meat eating, Singaporean cuisine seeking, adventurous journey to the bathroom liking Melbourne type, you will be enamoured of this place, check it out. For my vegetarian / vegan inclined friends, this is perhaps not the place for us, despite the deliciousness of the number 44 dish (though it does stand as an option at least if you find yourself there one night amidst a sea of friends!) In summary, four stars for The Old Raffles Place, based on the amount of mmmmm-ing emanating from my workmates as they sampled their generously portioned dishes, and of course for my own little bit of tofu vegetable curry heaven!

I swear this places pushes my buttons in so many ways that it's starting to creep me out. 1. The interior reminds me of my uncle's house. (Weird) 2. Music - Barry Manilow (Music my Dad plays in the car) 3. The food tastes like something you get out of the 90s in Singapore. (Great) Teh Tarik is made to order, and a waiter will come to your table to pour the tea himself. HOW COOL IS THAT?

An authentic Singaporean Hainanese Kopitiam with the food, ambience and experience to match. Tucked in a quiet corner of this bohemian suburb, dining here is a mixture of fun, taste and value. A must-try for everyone!

they make delicious traditional Singaporean dishes and nice waiters and waitresses.