Pondok Laguna

Carlton possesses a good number of Asian restaurants and this place serves authentic Indonesian food at competitive prices. With ample seating space, à la carte menu and buffet ones, there's a wide range of culinary adventures that one can go to.



On one occasion I ordered Ayang Goreng Kremes (Fried chicken served with crunch rice and Indonesian style salad, $17) for lunch. The food felt authentic, and was well made and nicely served. The chicken was delicious, and it was a big piece! The salad was okay, although it didn't have enough veggies. The sambal wasn't spicy but tasty, although the quantity wasn't sufficient since the dish was mostly dry by nature.

As stated earlier, their buffet options are pretty solid, and recently I and my friend picked some items for lunch. I chose Beef Rendang, Chicken Curry, an Onion Pancake, a Sambal Egg with Rice, while my friend had Tofu curry, a Soy Pancake, Fried Rice Noodles with Rice. All of it cost us ($37.80) so not the most budget friendly but the food was very good. The meats were delicious, especially the beef rendang. There's a reason it's such a popular food, and this place does it right. Overall, I was very satisfied with my plate.



Friendly staff, clean place, and use tissues sparingly! No joke, this is actually a good thing. A good Indonesian restaurant in the city, much recommended!

[came w collaboration invite]

Definitely a cheap eats find in Melbourne. Food is freshly made from the kitchen, my favourite dish was the friend chicken w rice!

My indo blood is sooo happy when I get to try more Indonesian restaurants in Melbourne! We got:

Es Teh Manis & Es Soda Gembira

Signature Iga Sapi Bakso
This is a MUST TRY for sure! I must’ve been living under a rock cause if I knew this dish existed, I’d be here sooner It’s like the viral dish in Indo that I didn’t get a chance to try, but knowing it’s here is soo good. The meatballs themselves were well cooked & seasoned, the ribs inside the meatball was soft, good portion of noodle & vegs too.

Nasi Ayam Goreng Kremes
This is a classic that just can’t be wrong! I always mix the kremes (crunchies) with the rice, sweet soy sauce + chili. Best to eat with hands! That’s the indo way The chicken had a nice texture but needed a bit more seasonings.

Pempek Campur
This is my faveee snack but the portion here is definitely for a full meal! The varieties of fish cakes (one with egg filling, one crispy, most are soft) were served with a bed of yellow noodle, chopped cucumber, and the vinegary sauce. Just a great blend of sweet, savory, sour flavors - the complex flavors that I crave often.

Overall, the portions are amazing for the price (you can find meals from around $17). The staff were friendly, the place was close to the tram stop and there were many seatings. Some of the food did need more seasoning, but adding some salt/soy sauce/chili helped!

I was here twice last week and their foods were delicious. An absolute delight for authentic Indonesian food lovers. Can't wait to come back here to try other menus. Great work Pondok Laguna!

Since the food is already cooked you get a very fast service. So a for high quality hot meal in a rush, like short lunch break, I recommend this Laguna.

Came across this place by chance. Ordered Rice + 2 Meats + 1 Veg from the Bain Marie.

Both of us had the beef rendang, deep fried whole small sardine looking fish and eggplant. As our choices had no gravy, the kind staff ladled gravy from their chicken curry. Also on the side, they added some red and green sambal.

Their version is the dry, darkish rendang with no gravy. It was tasty with some cinnamon and clove notes coming through. Mostly tender pieces with some slightly chewy bits. The fish was crispy and the eggplant was well prepared and very tasty.

The chicken curry gravy had very strong turmeric notes. Suggest as a gravy, maybe use the mild vegetable curry gravy instead.

The serves were well portioned for the price. Friendly service. Self serve water and cutlery. 10% off for cash transactions.

They have recently increased the price of their bain marie offerings significantly with no improvements in food quality whatsoever.

I ordered Ayang Goreng Kremes (Fried chicken served with crunch rice and
Indonesian style salad) for lunch, $17). The food felt authentic, and was well made and nicely served. The chicken was delicious, and it was a big piece! The salad was okay, although it didn't have enough veggies. The sambal wasn't spicy but tasty, although the quantity wasn't sufficient since the dish was mostly dry by nature. Friendly staff, clean place, although the music was a bit louder than I liked. Overall, a good place to try some Indonesian dishes.

Not bad and not the best. Quality of food went down slightly. Choices of food is getting smaller compare a few months ago. HALAL food. Friendly service.

Paid for beef meat and got beef lungs with lots of fat! Very disappointed as I was excited to try halal Indonesian cuisine. The staff apologised for the lack of clarity in the menu but I didn't get what I paid for and I could only eat the rice and broth.

Although it looks promising, it was just another ordinary Indonesian food but pricey. $19.00 for a decent lunch drink not included is big hit on the pocket.

My food was quite authentic and tasted good. The coffee (Indonesian coffee beans) was cheap and surprisingly great! Felt like I was dining in Indonesia.

Excellent services, staffs were friendly and helpful. The foods were delicious, especially the rendang so yummy. If you want to find Indo street snacks, you can find it here. Recomended

The authentic Indonesian restaurant in Melbourne in big plates and pick as you like in buffet. Really good for students cost and big portions enough the day. It has big space tables and easy park. Lovely staffs and helpful. Come here and try the sensations

Super dry meat, rendang was tough like leather. Flavourless, no spice at all not authentic at all. Also did not take any notice whatsoever of order notes on Uber Eats. Don't go here.

Very good service. All the tasty foods with smiley faces. Good for both veg and non-vage people. They have got plenty of choice. Personally I like potato and beef rendand with sambal matha. But they also have chicken and other vegetables options as well. Never been disappointed. If u like indo- Malay food, this place is deserve a visit.

Lots of food to choose from the display: Tempe, veggies, dendeng, rendang, spicy boiled eggs, fried chicken with spices and many more. They are tasty and will remind you of home (Indonesia). Especially the 'crispy dendeng' and the silverbeet in curry soup. Also selling random Indonesian snacks and instant nooddles. Better come in person and mix your own meal than order it from delivery platforms with limited choises. They have a clean bathroom with changing table. There was a sign that they were understaffed, so the staff might not be at thd front all the time, just ring the bell at the counter if you need assistance. The highligt from me is just the cleanliness of your tables. I sat near the window and the table was dusty. The glass window also oily. Also Need to stock on smaller containers for take away food coz u can't mix soupy item with dry food.

The most delicious selection of dishes from the bain-marie. Wonderful sweets & groceries. I love it!

Went there with friends, I was so shocking, my favorite restaurant, Tambo Ciek has moved out and changed to this restaurant. I have a try, but the foods taste significantly different from previous padang foods by Tambo Ciek. Overall foods on display looked the same as previous owner, seems they the new owner just copy paste Tambo Ciek foods, however taste very different and didn't go well with my taste. So disappoint with this new restaurant, and will not go back. Sorry for bad review, but this is my honest opinion.

Terrible ordered food and had to wait two hours and then it never arrived.

Ordered on Uber eats at 6: 30 and was told it would be delivered by 7: 50. No updates and then was canceled at 8: 50. Why even use the platform