China Red
Shop 6, 206 Bourke St
Melbourne, 3000
Website
Google map
I get really excited whenever there is a new Chinese restaurant. I can’t recall why I was in the city but I did happen to walk past China Red on its opening week. So excited that I immediately sms’ed a friend to tell her all about it. The front set up is very similar to Hutong – Cooks pulling noodles or crimping dumplings in a large aquarium like window.
Aquarium like kitchen
The interesting thing about this place is the touch screen ordering technology that is installed on every table. Punters will look through the menu and then check off the items that they want to order. Once the order is sent, there is no turning back! That was what we were told and pre-warned at the start. It is a fun gimmick but I thought that the pictures looked quite unappetising on the touch screen. This seems to be really popular in Sydney and now it has finally landed in Melbourne. Just remember not to place a wrong order!
touch screen ordering system
I order a pot of hot tea and Mister, an ice tea, that came served in some weird looking glass container on a bed of ice to keep it cool. Good idea! At least the tea is still cool and not be diluted by melting ice.
Must have dumplings! And I am a little obsessed and pedantic about how I like my dumplings. The skin isn’t too bad. Quite light and thin. But the pork filling was the big disappointment. Juicy but bland and still had remaining blood residue. I added quite a lot of chilli to give it some taste. I heard good and bad reviews of the xiao long bao (XLB) from different punters. So try it out yourself. Just my luck, perhaps.
Shanghai dumplings
Next came the noodles. We ordered the minced pork noodles with preserved vegetables. The noodles are a little on the pricey side but it is pretty good. Silky, bouncy noodles that is freshly made. YUM! The broth was light and tasty. If you do make it here, just order the noodles. Thumbs up!
The next dish was another disappointment. We ordered a Chef’s special pork dish. It is actually a slow cooked light soy sauce pork on a bed of crunchy bok choy. If pork is slow cooked, it is suppose to be tender and moist. It is not reflective in the dish that was served. Dry, bland and underwhelming. It was a tad on the pricey side… from memory, it’s in the high $20+? Not worth spending money on for sure.
Pork ribs
Last but not least, is the vegetable dish. We ordered a string beans and minced pork with sichuan sauce. So I expect a spicy dish when it says sichuan sauce. But it was mild and the vegetables were overcooked. It’s like it has been cooked and then refrigerated and then chuck in the microwave and heated up. It was pretty bad. And price tag is at $16.80. Ouch.
String beans with sichuan sauce
I have to admit that I do love the hot chilli condiment. It has added sichuan peppers in it! Mouth numbing and so good! I added this to everything to make it taste better 
hot chilli condiment
We called for our bill by the touch screen technology. We paid and left but was chased down by the cashier claiming that we have not paid. It was a misunderstanding and when she found out that we paid, there was just a quick apology and ran off. And the other thing that I did not like about it is the speed of clearing plates! I was still eating and it just happened that there was a couple of string beans left on the plate and the wait staff wanted to clear it away. I had to stop him. What happened to asking if the plate was ready to be cleared? The restaurant was not super packed. No one was waiting for a seat. Why the rush?
Will we go back? Most likely not! Especially that I can make similar noodles at home and probably tastes better.
What is your take on this? Should I go back since some people had good experiences in this restaurant?
{ 49 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, the restaurant has to get the basic things right in the first place, good quality food and service to get more customers return. It seems that the technology of touch screen doesn’t help them at all.
Christine@Christine’s Recipes recently posted..Warm Handpull Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing Thanks to gourmettraveller88
Oh wow, what a cool place ? One touch meal. I’m sure even my mom can order her food all by her own, even she speaks no English! haha…. Enjoy & have a wonderful day.
Cheers, Kristy
kristy recently posted..Almond Crusted Bean Curd
Oh dear, sounds like there were quite a few misses there
There is a touch screen restaurant here in Sydney but they do things quite well (those beans look very strange!)
Yah. Those beans look like they’ve been butchered.
Their website auto play music out LOUD!
i love over cook vege, maybe i should go and try their beans =p
haha! I know what you mean. I like over cooked kailan but these beans are like over over cooked
Even though I had good experiences there, I feel a bit sick after reading your post! Nothing worse then blood residue in XLB!
Don’t think vegetables are their strong point. I had Szechuan eggplant there and it was very mild. Your beans look very sad though
Caryn recently posted..China Red
oooo i wanna go for the touch screen technology!! I love the buzzer button concept i once had in Malaysia! So much easier to get a waiter!
Iron Chef Shellie recently posted..High Tea @ The Langham’s Aria Bar
they have buzzer buttons at westfield doncaster too =)
Its a shame to hear that ‘gimmicks’ seem to have gotten in the way of good ol’ fashioned hospitality and service
The touch screen technology is quite interesting and I don’t think I know of any restaurant here in the states that uses it (someone please correct me if I’m wrong). Too bad that restaurant had quite a few problems and the price for the beans (that didn’t look that great) is outrages!
Susi recently posted..Raspberry Cheesecake-Truffle Brownies
cool that they offer touchscreen, but I would rather have good food and better service….sorry for your experience
sweetlife
I like the novelty of ordering from a touch screen but the food seems like a let down!
April @ My Food Trail recently posted..Recipe- Tangy lemon squares – The Cookbook Challenge Week 30 ‘Baked’ theme
Well, some seems to love it so maybe just my luck! But noodles worth a shot though.
Wow, the XLB looked promising from the outside, but the fillings… hmm. And those beans! Maybe it’ll get better after a while, sometimes places have issues when they’ve opened recently. That being said, it’s pretty hard to feel motivated to go back to a place once you’ve had a bad experience, especially in Melbourne where there are so many good alternatives!
Foodie Dreams recently posted..3 Things You May Not Know About Tofu
That’s right. too many choices so poor service means im not going back very soon… or ever
Have you tried Charming Spice on Lonsdale St? If you haven’t you should! They serve good Szechuan food! Even my ex-flat mate who is an expert in Szechuan cuisine swears by it!
Not tried but will! Love sichuan food.
I think you should trust your judgment…life is too short to eat at less than great restaurants. Those touch screens are pretty interesting though! Thanks for sharing another great review love!
Monet recently posted..Edamame Corn Cake
That is what I like to see at dimsum place, a bigger bowl of hot chili condiment. I usually have to ask and they only give very small portion.
Pepy @Indonesia Eats recently posted..Gulai Cubadak Nangka – Minangese Green Jackfruit Curry
I love pickled/fermented/preserved anything, so I’m glad that noodle dish at least was good! Love the touchscreen menu, too
Hannah recently posted..Ottoman Cuisine- Or Take That Hypothetical Anaemia
Major pet peeve, is the quality of service! No matter how good the food, if the service is crap (like what China Red sounds like), not going to go!
Celeste @ Berrytravels recently posted..Of baking cupcakes for the Nuffnang Family
Well the hot chilli condiment looked amazing. As for everything else…I also don’t like the idea of the touch screen technology. Over priced style over substance – that’s what it looks like to me.
I am like a kid, I just want to go for the touch screen. Everything does look pretty nasty though… the XLB look like they have char siu bao skin, almost!
Lauren aka Ms Baklover recently posted..Italian beefs and Bawlmer pit sandwiches
I really hate poor service! I just experienced last weekend. We (3 of us) had just sat down for a while when they told us to move to a small place because they need the table. Then we have not finished our last dish, fruits, and tea when the waiter came and told us they need the place!! Rude and disgusting!!! Of course I’ll not go back again. I think I still prefer Western restaurants. They are always very polite and gives very good service.
MaryMoh recently posted..Chocolate Crinkle Brownie Cookies
Yeah… I just think that it is plain rude. I mean I know that it is business but poor service is just not cool!
So many dumplings places in Melbourne!
Ellie (Almost Bourdain) recently posted..Pistachio and Lemon Syrup Cake
i’ve walked past this place countless times, wondering if i should go in. i guess with your advice, probably not. thanks!
LimeCake recently posted..Soupy Rice with Scallion Sauce
I may have had a bad day and some have mentioned that it is good and have gone back. So just try it out for yourself.
This is just my experience.
well doesn’t seem like they are as good as hutong then =(
i was having high hopes… damn poor quality control chinese-owned restaurants…
if onli the standards were as high as that in Asia… sigh…
ooo ice tea on bed of ice… copied from hk =) hehe. i’ve had that in hk! too bad fancy presentations doesn’t always correlate with taste…
I have seen those touch screen thingy but I think I’d rather have a person take my order. Very innovative way to serve ice tea.
Biren @ Roti n Rice recently posted..Mooncake Festival
Sorry to hear the experience wasn’t that great and during their opening week too! I would say give them another chance, but if they aren’t busy and it’s their opening week when they are trying to impress their new customers, I’d say it was a loss.
The touch screen ordering is kind of interesting, but I still like being able to look at who’s taking my order
Rochelle (Acquired Taste) recently posted..Pear-apple Butter – A Daring Cooks Challenge
The lack of a waiter taking my order would bug me — I like to ask for some suggestions, their favourites, etc. especially when it`s my first time to that restaurant…and the pictures don`t look very appetizing, you`re right! Theresa
Island Vittles recently posted..My Journey to the Canadian ChefsCongress
I went there once, i agreed with you, their dumplings really dissappointed.
eatntag recently posted..Kedai Satay
Thank you!
I kinda like the touch screen thingy. There’s a Japanese rest in S’pore that has this gadget & my son loves ordering thru it. I like the way they serve your tea, an excellent notion to keep your tea rich. Sorry about your experience there tho’.
Blackswan recently posted..Is Jumbo Seafood Over-rated
now when you have to add sichuan peppers to everything to make it taste better ………….. well…
I don’t think I would like the touch screen ordering – something about non-socialization of a restaurant would leave me into a sterile food environment,,, and I would be turned off of its taste even before I ate it…
Drick recently posted..Grandmothers Peach Cobbler
Haha, I love how even your vegetable dish has pork in it
I do not love, however, those weirdo beans. They look dehydrated like they were left up the back of the fridge for a couple of weeks before being used. I also do not love “blood residue” and hope I never eat anything that has that in it!!
I say don’t bother rushing back, when there are other better (and cheaper) places and you’ve got the mad skills at home yourself anyway.
Conor @ HoldtheBeef recently posted..In the garden of cupcakes- baby
When I went, myt friend and I both had noodles. Both dishes were quite good. However, I think I’ll need to sample more off the menu to see if your experience or mine was the abberration! Will go samplle more and blog soon!
Billy recently posted..Dong Ba
Ok! Please do. Sample the ala carte and not the noodles. Report Please!
Ew undercooked dumpling filling…I definitely think I’ll avoid and try the noodle instead. I LOVE hand-pulled noodles!
Jetsetting Joyce
Jetsetting Joyce (MEL: HOT OR NOT) recently posted..HOT- Bouzy Rouge- 470 Bridge Rd- Richmond
You definitely should not eat those dumplings! Noodles is ok… now I sound like a naggy old grandma!
Sorry about a disappointing experience here. The automatic ordering got my attention, interesting
5 Star Foodie recently posted..Summer Trip 2010- Le Cinq Restaurant Review
I’ve been wanting to try this place – shame it wasn’t that great for you! Sounds like a fair review though from the pictures. Will have to check it out.
Please do and let me know what you think
Oh no good! I’ve been wanting to try it since we went past it the other day, I guess we can put it on the back burner now. It looks nice and swanky and everything though.
Kat (Spatula, Spoon and Saturday) recently posted..Melbourne Food Review- Peking Duck at Old Kingdom- Fitzroy
As I have suggested, it might be my unlucky day. Some like it and some hate it. So give it a go and let us know what you think.
That’s such a pity >_< I think the touch screen is such a cool idea though!
Violet recently posted..Tutorial- Storing Rings and Hair Pins
Went there the first time with my gf on friday night(1/10/10): I felt too disappointed and WILL NOT GOING BACK ! 1: crowded noisy place, 2: feel too warm inside, my gf felt airless because the manager give us a ground level table. (not a nice place for a nice dine out) 3: Rude waitress( she spray the cleaner to clean the table and the its spray onto my gf hand. (NO APOLOGISE) . 4. Overpriced menu, well if this restaurant want to build up chinese restaurant standard. they are FAILED. We order a $38 fish stir fry chilli fish. 30mins, and its never ready. When we ask, they initially said made a steamed fish. Need to be remake and 15-20mins wait. We couldnt wait that long, So we cancelled the oder and ready to go, but then the manager come out and said its will be a new fish already in cook ready in 5 mins. So we wait, but it come out the same “steamed fish” , instead they use it to stir fry with chilli. USE A SAME OLD STEAMED COOK FISH TO STIR FRY. WHAT CAN YOU SAID? the chef think its no different. you can taste it ! the fish still taste like steamed , I felt bad to my stomach. we complaint to the manager, while he said he will talk to the chef; while we were leaving, we saw the chef are having fun and eating in the kitchen. “NICE PROFESSIONAL ?” . This is typical chinese restaurant. they have nice uniform and fancy decoration doesnt mean its a standard restaurant. total our bills over 80 dollars, for this price, we can go better restaurant in melbourne. WONT EVER GO BACK.
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