Choi’s Hawthorn

Mixed feelings — left hungry with a very empty wallet but the food was A-​ok.
Here’s the thing, I enjoy most Chinese food I find in Melbourne and embrace the fusion and varying prices. Though the food was good, combined with service and price I don’t think I’d be going back.
Choi’s has a sleek fancy interior and service is on the higher end for a Chinese restaurant (waiters are immaculately dressed and all speak several languages). We went with a large group so took up 3 round tables but though I expected slower service, I found it really choppy.
As previous reviews have commented on the extensive menu and price let’s have a look at this in more detail keeping in mind I did not get to try every single entrée. Perhaps this will help you make a decision on whether to try Choi’s or not.
Entrée:
4 single scallops — $ 22: salty, juicy and overpriced
Sung Choi Bau — $ 14: this came with 2 bau’s
Blue Cheese Prawn roll– $ 14: 1 roll
Jumbo Prawn — $ 20: 2 prawns
Main:
Plate of Beancurd with veg — $ 22: Overpriced plate of vegetables, would not have been disappointed if it was an actual PILE of veges but no.
7 steamed rice — $ 28: 1 tall tin of rice… this works out to be $ 4 a head.
Steamed Morwong (fish) — $ 95: Very fresh fish, well steamed and good service serving the fish as wait staff filleted the fish.
3 Cups Chicken -$ 32: Really delicious dish with oily sweet juicy chicken and you should totally try it. Wished the serving size was bigger.
Garlic Chicken — $ 75: This chicken is cooked in aluminum foil that is wrapped in hard baked bread. Perk is that your table gets to use a hammer to smash! Yes, not even joking. Traditionally the chicken is wrapped in clay. After the smash, they take the chicken away and peel away the rest of the bread and shred the chicken for you which is served with a side dish of broth.
Drinks:
3 Asahi $ 24
3 Pina Colada $ 37.50
Pussy Foots $ 9
Total: $ 405.00 for 7 people

Expensive but worth, the fruit plate comes huge I’ve been never seen in Melbourne before! Only thing is to wait too long to serve the dishes… We are starving that time!

Wow — this could be the best Chinese meal we’ve ever had — Beef dimsums for starters were terrific, followed by the Salty and Spice Prawns — large, juicy, ace and the Kung Po Beef which is unmissable the blackened chilli’s make the diss

I challenge you to find a better Chinese restaurant in the suburbs. My favourite for many years now. Elegant décor, attentive but not intrusive service, extensive menu and some of the best food tastes you will experience. Tonight I took my better half there to celebrate her birthday, it is that kind of place. From the moment we entered we experienced warm and attentive service. Water glasses were filled and hot towels brought to the table both before and after dinner. We ordered a serving of the bacon and spring onion cake and curried beef puffs for entrees, duck soup (delicious), followed by duck with orange sauce and eggplant with chicken for mains and fried banana fritters stuffed with sun dried dates for dessert. We took a bottle of white and ordered a pre-​dinner drink. I can hardly wait for my next excuse to go to Choi’s.
Open for Lunch Mon-​Fri (12.00−3.00), Dinner Sun-​Thur (5.00−10.00) Fri-​sat (5.00−11.00). Licensed & BYO (wine only).