Coda Bar & Restaurant

Posted by: ZJF | 7 May 2010, 4.48pm

After hearing about a place and reading so many glossy mags reviews I held high hopes when visiting Melbourne's Coda... and my god it did not disappoint.
The wine selection (and help) was superb, atmosphere just where you want to spend an evening with a loved one and the food...exceptional.
Indulge in the share plates (especially the sugar cane prawns) and share a curry (duck yellow) all the while being looked after by passionate and courteous staff.
STUNNING.

Food:			Visit: Fri 7 May 2010 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: Rozzles | 26 November 2009, 12.38pm

I was really looking forward to experiencing Coda after reading the reviews, some complimentary, some critical, therefore I just had to put it on my list of restaurants to try.

On arrival it was crystal clear we were a huge imposition on the food waiter as he had better things to do like hang around the kitchen and eat in full view of diners, whilst in mid service.

We decided to order betel leaf rolled around minced prawn and sugar cane prawn with sweet chilli sauce. It was ok a bit bland, there was no explosion of flavors or craving for more. We ordered the roasted yellow duck curry which was nice, cooked beautifully but not as memorable as I had hoped it would be.

The most memorable part of my Coda visit was the incredibly bad service which took all of my might not to mention as I was intent on trying to enjoy my Coda experience. It was crystal cleat the table of 4 seated next to us were known by the owners and chef as they were out to impress big time. Even though we were first to arrive, their mains arrived long before ours. Head Chef even popped out with little extra s for them to taste whilst we sat for 25 minutes with dirty plates in front of us. When our food arrived our cheery waiter had to bring fresh (cold) plates and clean cutlery. It was clearly an imposition for him, maybe he was still hungry!

That evening, on our way to dine we walked past Coda and it was jam packed. I wondered if the patrons were experiencing any of the poor service we did during lunch or if we just had a one of bad experience.

I do wish them all the very best and hope when I walk past in 18 months time Coda is still jam packed and has addressed some of the issues we experienced.

Food:			Visit: Wed 16 September 2009 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: rp_51 | 13 August 2009, 2.27pm

Went there after reading about all the hype - totally loved the atmosphere, and the service was fantastic and extremely attentive!
The vibrant spices of Vietnamese food was captured wonderfully in morsels such as spanner crab in beetle leaf with lime, the desert tasting plate with the chocolate custard pot and the lemon tart was scrumptious - though a little on the tiny side. Loved the experience.

Food:			Visit: Tue 30 June 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: Fresh please | 6 August 2009, 9.38pm

Went to dine with great expectation..amazing publicity and talented team. Space?..incredible..Service?..committed..Wine List?..Sensational..Food?..hmmm..just plan average boarding on bland and badely executed. I do hope we just got a night..left us thinking we should have gone elsewhere..and to be honest, we will next time.

Food:			Visit: Wed 5 August 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: Resort | 1 August 2009, 10.17am

First impressions were imposing with welcoming well trained staff. While being ushered to the bar I noticed a leading food writer, a well known restaurant owner and a plethora of the "right faces" with plenty of cheek kissing and high fives. While ordering I observed one of the chefs eating his meal in full view of patrons in the kitchen and a very energetic barman was showing his wares in cocktail mixing with more high fives with the staff.

Now to the meal starting with a tasty duck liver parfait, cuttlefish with a very salty sauce and several disappointing starters to follow. The highlight was the pork belly as the last course. I rate the food as average overall and fairly pricey. The toilets are a three stair walk up. I am sure the headchef/owner would be disappointed with the quality of food served, maybe a suggestion for him to focus on the food not the glamour.

Food:			Visit: Fri 31 July 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: fanatic_foodie | 9 July 2009, 6.29pm

We were dying to try coda after reading all the wonderful reviews by both food critics & patrons alike. I must say we left terribly disappointed! Whilst we were impressed with the warm & friendly service & the atmosphere was uber cool with dark dimmed lighting, the food overshadowed all this. I must say that we dine out often in melbourne & we dont mind paying good money for good food. However, we all agreed that the food at Coda was either bland or too sour or too sweet & way overpriced! The sugarcane prawns looked great when they arrived at our table but crumbled onto the plate on first bite to reveal what looked & tasted like unseasoned mashed potato with very little minced prawns! It was so bland the sauce(sweet chilli from a bottle?) couldnt save it. The rest of the dishes were similarly disappointing taste wise - definately not the delightful bursts of flavour you expect with asian cuisine. We also couldnt justify the pricing... $9.80 for ONE chicken wing??? That is daylight robbery dare I say! Dessert was also a let down. We couldnt wait to try the apple goat's cheese fritters, & whilst quite innovative, it tasted quite plain & left a funny metallic aftertaste on the palate from the goat's cheese. All in all, whilst the service & atmosphere of Coda is very impressive, we felt the food was bland & overrated & did not justify the very high pricing. Definately will NOT be coming back. Give me an authentic vietnamese restaurant in richmond anyday. It might not be as flash, but at least I know the food will be full of delicous flavour & you always get what you pay for...

Food:			Visit: Wed 8 July 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: katealison | 2 July 2009, 3.25pm

Went there after Matt Prestons review, and the creds of the staff - we were not disappointed.
The food was just amazing, being a huge fan of both French and Vietnamese food, my tastebuds were blown away. How a fresh spring roll can taste quite so special I don't know. The wine/cocktails and chamapagne were all perfect (yes, we stayed for a while). Mouth watering - must stop - can't wait for my next trip to Melbourne.

Food:			Visit: Sat 27 June 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: maveric74 | 30 June 2009, 8.47pm

..Honestly,this place blew us away beyond expectations..The signature dish has to be
Sugar cane prawn, hot mint and sweet chilli..This was outstanding..Everything with a asian flavour bursting with aroma and different flavours but so well-balanced together, it was amazing..I have to say that the only dish that didn't excite us was the Rabbit Cassoulet, but apart from that, the service didn't overshadow the magnificient food created by Adam D'Sylva. The desserts were to die for, especially the Spiced apple and goats cheese fritters,leatherwood honey ice-cream and zatar!! If you go there, please ask for Travis, the wine sommelier who suggested some fantastic wines to accompany the flavours of the food that night..Mykel and Kate are fantastic hosts and even though we had walked in, it was not a worry in the world at all and we were accomodated with ease and looked after incredibly well..Please do yourselves a favour: Go dine at CODA before it becomes everyone's favourite with a waiting time of 4-8 weeks :-) A must visit for food fanatics!

Food:			Visit: Tue 30 June 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: euphoria 2 | 15 June 2009, 12.11pm

Feel the euphoria of tingling freshness

Food:			Visit: Fri 5 June 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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