Dainty Sichuan (South Yarra)
176 Toorak Road, South Yarra
03 9078 1686
Chinese, Sichuan
$$$
Food
- S Double Flavour Soup
- Fish Slices
- Special Squid Meatballs
- Pork Slices
- Shitaki Mushroom
- Spinach
- Fresh Tofu
- Potato Slices
The Good
All ingredients were very fresh. Soups were both very flavorful. Service was very fast.
The tofu was very aromatic as were the Shitaki mushrooms. The fish was also extremely tender and soft.
The Mediocre
The potato, spinach and pork slices were nothing out of the ordinary. Just normal fresh produce cut up for you to boil yourself. Nothing bad, just not special.
The Bad
The squid meatballs were terrible. There was hardly any squid to be found within all the starch and powder that formed the ‘meat'ball itself. Highly disappointing as the meatbals at the Box Hill store were freshly minced.
The staff were also quite unprofessional. One staff dropped a couple of slices of the pork and then just took the dropped pieces away - without any apology nor replacing the lost slices. This lack of mannerism is just outrageous and unacceptable.
The Verdict
A decent hot-pot joint overall, but it pales in comparison to the Box Hill store, which has unlimited free sauces, individual hot pots, professional staff and better ingredients.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Unlikely to be returning to this store given the staff, lack of menu item options and lack of free sauces.