Press PLAY to hear Emilia Fuller’s full review

Potluck

829 Glen Huntly Road

Caulfield

Potluck is the perfect name for this family restaurant that the owner, Esther, didn’t even want to open.

After her mum Rita’s restaurant in Boronia shut down, Esther thought she was done with hospo (owning at least)…except she found everything else a bit too boring.

And so, taking inspiration from her Uncle Tong, who was the family ‘chef’ and her eclectic family background, she built Potluck. Esther, with her mum Rita, as both secret weapon and occasional co-pilot, describes the menu as a genuine “potluck”- think a table where everyone brings something to share, built on friends’ specialties, family classics, and a bold, busy kitchen team.

The result is a menu that’s as eclectic as it is delicious: traditional in spirit but never weighed down by rules.

The name means more than you know, especially if you want a window into the soul of a restaurant.

Walk into Potluck on Glen Huntly Rd, and you’ll quickly discover the spirit of home, heritage, and improvisation that the name perfectly captures; where each dish is a piece of memory, a little bit of family, and a lot of personality gathered together in a single room.

The prawn toast here is the stuff of legend. Generous, juicy, and springy thanks to a hidden hint of egg white, it’s less a starter and more a must-have rite of passage.

This is not your average cardboard-crumbed classic- Esther piles on the prawns, resulting in something more akin to a fluffy seafood cushion you’ll want to order again on your “way out” for take-away.

Another highlight, the lamb and cumin, normally found skewered on sticks in Chinese eateries, arrives as a wok-tossed stir fry with all the earthy, fiery flavours you crave but none of the waiting for the grill to heat up.

The beef noodles come courtesy of an old chef’s beloved recipe, the kind of bowl that satisfies with every slippery, saucy strand.

Comfort is the theme, but by no means is it plain.

There’s Taiwanese chicken from “Uncle Tong”- who, true to form for Potluck, isn’t a professionally trained chef, just the family’s most trusted hand with a wok.

A nod to Rita pops up in the silky wontons and home-style greens, while Esther’s own favourites (fried rice, any chance to get the wok roaring) round out the spread—don’t be shy about asking what the team’s eating for dinner themselves.

Inside Potluck, the vibe is warm, chatty, and honest – 34 seats, a dash of chaos that feels intentional, a $5 BYO corkage that says, “you’re welcome here,” and more than a little history to soak up with your soy.

The walls carry the story of a space rebuilt from a Chinese restaurant that hadn’t changed hands or ovens in decades, now vibrant with laughter and full plates.

Potluck’s genius? It doesn’t try to fit itself onto a trending “modern Asian” list.

Instead, you get a menu that’s honest about what it is- a loving, rough-around-the-edges, family fusion spot built by people who cook what they love and invite you to join the chaos.

Save room for the next menu shake-up: with influences from every corner of Esther’s multicultural family, each season brings surprises that still honour the core: eat well, share everything, come back soon.

Best described as the most inviting house party you never want to leave.

Image: Supplied