Quite enjoyed dining here. Great ambience and overall vibe. The food was well presented and tasted lovely. What was great is how accommodating they were of vegan options. Totally reccomend the miso eggplant and tempura veggies!
Service was great, really friendly staff. Food was ok, there are better Japanese places in the city
Great and safe choice when in and around Fed Square. Usually full for dinner on weekends
Pity the only two Vegan desserts have tree nuts in then
Great service always with a smile. Lovely food that is well cooked and presented beautifully.
This place is always exquisite. Meticulously prepared food, with flavours to match! Friendly wait staff and lots of gluten free and vegan options for diners.
Great Japanes food. Exquisite presentation. Stuff members are very welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable on the food items. Good selection of Sake. So far this is the best Japanese restaurant I came across with the biggest Gluten-free menu.
A lovely and bright Japanese restaurant with tasty food and friendly service. However, the beef rib in the somen was chewy rather than being soft and tender. The dumplings were brought out last rather than first, so we were not able to enjoy it as much on a near full stomach. Being located in Federation Square made it a good choice for dinner before heading to the Australian Open.
A favourite place of mine to eat, catering for gluten free and vegan vegetarian dietary requirements. Staff are really helpful and friendly.
Excellent customer service. Was eating McDonald's here, not even there food and the waitresses offered to throw out my rubbish. Amazing service.
Great place to eat. Looking forward the Chocolate Buddha reopening later in the year. Will try Pop up Buddha in the meantime.
Staff are nice but food is average. Steak Don was drowned in horseradish sauce. Service is slow and food is delivered as they make it which often means someone is halfway through a meal (or finished) when the next person gets theirs.
Located in fed square and really good food. I had the teriyaki donburi which was really succulent. The deserts are a bit of let down.
Dear...
.. but mocha good
..and then in the square indoor..perfect if it starts to rain
The atmosphere and service was good but the food was very average.
Food, ambience and staff were all fantastic. The only down side was there wasn't much meat in the ramen soups.
Absolutely lovely staff with phenomenal service! The staff cater to dietary requirements with utmost ease and the food is delicious. I'll definitely be going back there!
A delightful place to dine. Superb food, excellent service and accommodating large groups also.
Great place to casually share a bowl of udon with some friends
Awesome fusion Japanese food at a great price..Sitting in a sunny fed aware wining and dining nothing better.
Always great food, been there four times over the years. Really good menu, and the service is consistently exceptional. It s a touch pricey and can be a bit squishy at tables cos it s popular, but you can understand why!
Thank you Lucas and staff for a great experience!!!! Service from beginning to end was superb! Loved all the food we tried, the atmosphere and view were great as well! What a fabulous restaurant to enjoy good food and friendly efficient service from all the staff!
Excellent food, friendly and fast service and lively/lovely setting on Fed Square.
The manager is kind of rude. He was keep asking me to buy some more that's why I left early. The coffee taste disgusting here please don't drink the coffee. I don't think I'll come back to this place again.
Arguably the best Japanese food I've had in Melbourne. Fresh, flavorsome, and just an incredible experience overall. Expensive, but worth it as a treat.
Made an easy booking online, once we got there we we're seated almost instantly, all the wait staff were happy to answer any questions we had. The food didn't take too long to come out either, but it was definitely worth the short wait. Their ramen is perfect and so were all the side dishes we ordered. Without a doubt will be going back next time I'm down in Melbourne. 5 stars well worth it!
Good food, good service. Not cheap but we'll worth it
Outstanding food. Family friendly. Quick service and friendly staff
An online booking system is something that Melbourne restaurants are severely lacking, however Chocolate Buddha ultilises a website called 'Open Table' to allow you ease of selecting your time and preference for outside or inside dining. The service here is warm and inviting, and also quick! The restaurant was full and we received our meals within 15-20 minutes. I ordered the Steak Don which was delicious, while my partner had the curry vegetable don, which she also enjoyed very much. There's usually some left over for me to eat but she ate it all so that says something. Prices here are reasonable. I would highly recommend this Japanese inspired restaurant to anyone.
Great location and nice selection of dishes, although if you are vegan be sure to ask which dishes are vegan, there are a couple that look like they should be but aren't. Our friendly waitress was vegan which made it easier. Pictured is the Tofu and Mango Salad.
The Korean Fried chicken is excellent!
We got a table for 6 on a Saturday night with no reservations. The Chicken teriyaki don is great dish. Very good service by the staff and good value for money
Great food and service right in the middle of so many cultural activities.
Had the silken tofu and mango salad with deep-fried eggplant, really tasty. Very friendly staff and quick service. Great job!
Just gorgeous. Beautifully presented and balanced Japanese flavours. Did a tray even though they weren't available during the tennis! Great service and great food
We recently went here with a birthday group of some 16 or so people and did a set menu.
The food and service was really good, we were last to leave and never felt pressured to go even though we really should have got it together earlier.
Must have's... Ma Po Tofu (spicy minced chicken and tofu) and the
Buddha Dumplings (Pan-fried vegetarian dumplings)
I am telling everyone that stays at our city Airbnb to ensure they have at least one meal here.
Delicious! Wonderful service too and the decor is awesome
Great space, vibrant and inviting staff, and a wide variety of menu choices. Food was incredibly fresh, well-presented and the flavours were balanced. Really enjoyed the kingfish and jalapeno sashimi and the BBQ Chicken sushi. Overall, it was a terrific experience and I'm looking forward to visiting again and trying more of the vast menu.
Fantastic service, kind and friendly staff, amazing food (lots of variety and good portions), pleasant atmosphere and acoustics! 10/10! Kid friendly too !
it is ok place... if you are craving for snacks then this is good.. not if you are hungry..
Simple and reliable, good food, good service, good location. I even sent back a glass of wine, and they were glad to open a new bottle and replace it.
Best service and friendliest staff in Melbourne I have experienced. Food was great too. Highly recommend.
Had the set menu for dinner here and thought it was pretty average
Amazing food! Reasonably priced! Fantastic customer service!
Really enjoyed the bento box with tempura and soba noodles. A healthy, filling lunch without being too heavy.
Ok food and not a bad service but nothing really exceptional!
Loved the food. Great service at the pop-up Buddha.
Located at right down side of SBS building.
Busy but fast and great service
Food were yummy.
Urben cooking style, Very fun.
Friendly staff and really good food. Raman is legit and flavourful. Other dishes ive had have been on point. The chicken wings were a bit bland, needed some salt and chilli. But overall a good meal and environment
Chocolate Buddah is amazing, the food is just divine and wait staff exceptional.
Unequivocally recommend.
The first few times I went it was worth the $ food is flavoursome .. Tuesday I went in for a snack and was Kinda surprised at getting a bit of salmon fish bone in a dumpling ... It happens but at that price probably shouldn't... Maybe where I work is way to lenient and quick to give (hospitality worker elsewhere) but I was a little erved there was no discount or offer of anything to sway me back to loving chocolate Buddha after getting jabbed in the throat by a bone....
Oh well one lost customer won't loose the owners any sleep..
But I'm no longer a fan of over priced sushi
Been here several times and it is always fantastic. Great Japanese cuisine and helpful and friendly service. Cannot recommend this place enough! 10/10
Attentive service, decent food, great natural light for lunch
terrible dumplings but the Vegan Maki was good and the service was great
Great food and ambiance. The pumpkin tempura roll was crunchy and flavorful and paired well with the Japanese mayo. The bibimbap was well done, the roasted eggplant was well flavored with a great sauce, the lotus root was crunchy and paired More
Great service. Lovely venue, especially for a warm summer night. Main course disappointing. My sister and I both ordered the Sashimi Don. Essentially we paid $24 for a bowl of rice. Wouldn't go back to eat.
Amazing food and even better service. Seriously, the staff was so wonderful. And I'm so so full. Would definitely come back!
Gluten-free heaven!
We had a visiting friend who is celiac, and Chocolate Buddha was absolutely perfect. Our friend was so excited when she saw the size of the gluten free menu - an entire A4 page. They also have a regular menu that has a few extra items which do contain gluten. The Chocolate Buddha has a separate kitchen and food prep area to ensure no cross contamination during cooking and preparation. My brown rice bibimbap was perfect, and the noodle dumplings excellent.
We all absolutely loved our meal, and the location overlooking Federation Square was lovely - It s definitely worth asking for an outdoor table on a beautiful summers evening.
Service was super friendly and efficient - the staff know their menu inside out. We will definitely go back again.
Soft shell crab and pork belly is exceptional. Worth the visit.
Amazing food, out very quickly, the soft shell crab roll was perfect the waiters/waitresses were nice and very accommodating.
Loved the food. Good quantity. Good ambience. Staff were very friendly.
Perfect izakaya. Impeccable service. Have been in fed sq for years but not a tourist trap. Quality a+
Steamed noodle Dumplings & salmon broccolini impressed, as did the more traditional izakaya fare.
They have a sushi train which is like to try next time. Would be good for a lunch with colleagues
Fantastic food, yes it is on the high side but you pay for qualitt and great service. Also catered for low-FODMAP dietary requirements! Definitely will return.
Wonderful staff, fresh foods, absolute great experience for anyone looking for a bite. Great atmosphere too!
I haven t been to Chocolate Buddha for a year & a half, and I must say that returning was extremely disappointing. The menu, although having lots of items, didn t offer much choice for a hungry (mostly) vegetarian. I ordered agedashi tofu (at $14 very overpriced for the taste & quality), tempura pumpkin sushi (this was good), and green tea (frankly horrible). At $37, an overpriced, not particularly delicious lunch. The service was pleasant, but not outstanding. There was more attention paid to whether I thought everything was good, which seemed self serving, than my actual comfort. And to top it off the machine brought to me at the table (are we in Canada?) and a verbal query about whether I was giving a tip! Sorry, that is just rude. This is not the US & if you can t pay your staff properly with the prices you charge, then you shouldn t be in business. No, just no! Not awful, but I have no inclination to return.
Unbelievable sushi. In a great package. Beautiful view of fed square!
Stunning food! I have eaten here 3 times and my mouth is watering as I write this & think about the selections. A bit pricey if you are starving but still worth it. The staff are all fabulous with tons of character which bubbles over in conversations & recommendations. It is always full & usually you are tightly packed into your dining space. The seating is on small low stools with long shared tables, so make sure you are in the mood to be up close & personal with your fellow diners. Again though, the food & service really make it worthwhile!
Awesome place, nice view out over fed square
Food is fantastic and service is wonderful, especially TJ!
Pretty terrible place, starting with the way they patronise you with the "in Japan the food all comes out at different times so that's how we're going to do it here" lecture. The food's not particularly authentic, so this is just an excuse for lazy service.
The food itself is not very keenly priced, and I don't think it's all that good either. I ordered the sushi that is described on the menu as coming with "panko crumbed prawn, kingfish, and red onion". Imagine my surprise when I got a few skinny bits of sushi with what looked like cut up bits of schnitzel inside. After asking about this a couple of times, it was explained to me that the prawn and kingfish were mashed up together, crumbed, and fried. Not what I would have expected at all, and not very tasty. My wife's soup was salty and bland, and not quite hot enough.
In a city with so much delicious and affordable Asian food, I really can't think of any reason to visit Chocolate Buddha.
Lovely to be here on a lazy Sunday out of the rain. Great service and such tasty food. Great Asian food.
Fast service, awesome staff, great food. Not much else to ask for.
They overbooked and were not able to give us a table. We were then told that we didn t book correctly when we spoke on the phone to staff. They left us standing out in the rain also. Unprofessional to say the least. Big shame as we were looking forward to our evening
The people who work there are beautiful. I've been going to Chocolate Buddha for years and the staff retention is extremely high which tells you about their positive employment culture.
The food is out of this world. A hybrid mix of the best of Asian influence. You have to try the pumpkin tempura rolls, their vegetarian gyoza and and every other item on the menu. :-P The wine selection is divine.
All in all this restaurant is on point for location, decor, staff and cuisine. If they were a band I'd be their number one groupie!
