There are many restaurants that try to be all things to all people and here is how Maroo is different. It does hot pots really well.

 

 

Service
This is one of those popular restaurants that unless you get the timing right, you will be completely out of luck and have to wait for what feels like hours when you’re hungry. My companions and I were lucky. We came close to 11:30am and were able to beat the morning rush. Because of this, we only had to wait 15 minutes instead of some people having to wait upwards of 45 minutes. [.75/1]

Food

Now we are talking. The side dishes come out beforehand and were quite fresh and alluring. The spicy touch of my order was not lost on me having chosen the spicy pork and squid hot pot.

 

And when the main dish arrived. My gosh. It was everything I could hope for and more. The warmth of the bowl was the first exciting item. Then came the subtle strips of tender juicy pork. Add in the squid over a bed of rice that has now had all the flavourings mixed in and you are set for one delicious meal. The pot did exactly what it intended to do and continued to keep the meal warm. The only thing that I was not expecting was the squid to be calamari and not the strips. However, the meal was delicious overall. [1.5/2]

Ambience
This place has the hallmarks of everything you would come to expect of an Asian restaurant. Closed dining, lots of chatter and a big serving of staff yelling instructions to one another. The wait staff are too cute and I always feel like I should know their language to be able to order quicker rather than being another tourist pointing out things and trying charades to explain my request. [.5/1]

Cost
This place really surprised me. For the minimal cost (for city prices anyway), the serving was big. You might not think it when it first comes out but you would ve amazed how filling you find it. Then again, it could also be all the rice that’s involved. [.75/1]

My thoughts?
A great venue for an easy and affordable meal which all hinges on timing the order right. If you want one of Melbourne’s best hot pots then you cannot go past Maroo!

TDT: 3.75/5

 

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