15/20  Dish of the Year

At first glance, Dandelion – a smallish Vietnamese diner in Elwood – looks like Geoff Lindsay is taking a post-Pearl pull back. Urban seachange? Then you go and realise that in typical Lindsay fashion, he's taken Asian dishes and rendered them with contemporary Melbourne style in a space that's sleek and noisy and modern. Flavours are true but produce is top shelf and presentation is smart. So, the rice paper rolls are stuffed with luxury ingredients like soft-shell crab or peppered wagyu, then sliced into pretty, open-ended portions. Pho is based on light, fresh broths and studded with tuna tartare or corn-fed chicken. Wet dishes – braised duck with mandarin, say, or snapper in pineapple-scented soup – are typically elegant, restrained and wine-friendly. Desserts are terrific, whether it's sweet potato in coconut soup, or a caramelised banana cake that's stickily sublime. Dandelion is blooming marvellous.

Open Tues–Thurs & Sun 5.30–10pm; Fri–Sat 5.30–11pm; Thurs–Sun noon–3pm
Typical prices E $15 M $32 D $14
Cards AE MC V Eftpos
Wine Short list of fragrant, food-appropriate wines
Owners Geoff & Jane Lindsay
Chef Geoff Lindsay
Seats 80

And … There's a great kids' menu at lunch and until 7.30pm in the evenings.