Lok Lok Dumpling Bar

I’ve only ever been here once, it was okay. It wasn’t terrible, it was a little bit generic and just okay. Note: I only came here once because it started pelting and I needed shelter.

Delicious dumplings and meals but that’s just the beginning. The portion sizes are extremely generous so be prepared to loosen your belt: D
I’ve frequented this establishment a few times now and will continue to do so whenever I’m in the Queen Vic market vicinity.

I really like Lok Lok. It surpasses the two other dumpling places in Melbourne I’ve tried (one of them was Shanghai dumpling house) and is just as good value. I often go there with friends for lunch and leave being so full I could burst, and only set back around $ 12. The service is not perfect, the staff are sometimes a little confused but they’re friendly and pleasant. The food is not perfect either, but as far as bang for your buck goes, this place is a winner. My favourite dumplings are the steamed vegetarian and the traditional chinese pork. They also offer some tasty lunch specials served with rice, and the home made pork noodles are really good.

Tried Lok Lok Dumpling Bar during a visit to the Queen Vic Market. It’s right across the street from the market so it’s a convenient place to go for something quick and filling. As the name implies, this place is known for their dumplings. There’s a large menu to choose from so if you don’t feel like dumplings, there are plenty of other dishes to try. Walked in as a four on the weekend for lunch and chose to sit inside as it was a bit hot for sitting out front. With it being so hot, the owner immediately offered to turn on the A/​C, which shows they’re attentive to their customers. Had no trouble getting a seat.
Servers are quick and their English is very good. The dumplings are served quickly and are always piping hot so be careful! You get a fair amount of food for the price so you can’t really complain about the value. Having tried other dumpling houses in the CBD, this place is very good but definitely not the best I’ve been to. Having said that, I would not be disappointed to have a meal here anytime. There’s a tram stop out front so it’s very convenient to get to but I’m not sure on parking, other than to park at the Queen Vic Market. Well worth a try at least once.

I came here on a very very rainy day because I love Chinese food and it seemed pretty good (just from the outside) and I must say they lived up to expectations.
Customer Service: Really good! Everyone was nice, gracious, and the food arrived at reasonable times. You really feel at home there because the employees are very down-​to-​Earth and friendly. The only negative thing I have to remark on is that my waitress was standing beside me waiting for me to decide what I wanted. It wasn’t horrible, just pretty awkward since I felt in a rush to decide.
Food: Really good! They have 2 separate menus — lunch and dinner and you cannot order outside of the set time (for example if you’re there during lunch hour you won’t be able to order from the dinner menu). It was a bit unfortunate for me because the dinner menu was a bit more expensive than lunch and I came later in the day, but that was alright. I also have to mention that all of their food is authentic Chinese with a great menu variety too! I ordered Vegetarian Fried Rice (a little over 8 dollars) and Shanghai-​Style Soup Dumplings (5 pieces and called Xiao Long Bao in Mandarin).
The Vegetarian Fried Rice was a bit plain. They filled it with pretty good vegetables and the rice has a nice texture, but I feel like they could have seasoned it with more flavour to make it truly memorable. But it really wasn’t anything a bit of soy sauce and vinegar couldn’t fix. The Shanghai-​Style Soup Dumplings were GREAT! I highly highly recommend them if you aren’t sure of what to order but still want to try some authentic Chinese dishes. Xiao Long Bao is one of my must-​orders whenever I’m at a Chinese restaurant and this place made them really well. The soup gushed in your mouth when you bit into the dumpling and it was soooo good.
Things they can improve on:
~ Presentation of the dumplings. They came to me a bit toppled over but it wasn’t a big deal. However it doesn’t hurt to make things look a bit nicer.
~ Don’t stand right next to the customers while they’re deciding on an order! It gets a bit awkward and feels rushed.
~ Put soy sauce and vinegar bottles at the specific table so the customer doesn’t need to ask. It makes things a lot easier.
~ The Vegetarian Fried Rice could do with a bit more flavour!
They do have things they can improve on, but they have good service, decent prices, and a wide range of things to pick.
Expect me again if I’m having another craving for some Chinese!
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(I came back again later and tried their Diced Beef in Noodle Soup and do not order it. The beef was rough and difficult to chew through)