Melbourne is a cosmopolitan city, having many walks of life from around the world represented. Different parts of the city offer certain cuisines, for example Glen Waverley is home to Hong Kong cuisine, Oakleigh is Greek cuisine and Dandenong has lots of Afghan and Indian cuisine. Springvale is pretty much Little Saigon, being home to many refugees who have turned Springvale into a foodies paradise. Springvale has both groceries and restaurants in large supply. It is easy to reach by train thanks to Springvale Station and has plenty to offer during the day and early evening. There are some nightlife activities, but not compared to either Glen Waverley nor Melbourne’s central business district. Like many other Asian-centric suburbs, there are a lot of bubble tea (or boba) vendors around almost every corner.
Here is my list of the top 10 restaurants in alphabetical order:
- Bun Bun Bakery
- Bun Ngon
- Eastern Dumpling House
- Hoa Tran
- Hung Vuong
- Ket’s Skewers
- My Cambodia
- Pho Hoa Hoi Vang
- Pho Thin
- Yip Kitchen
1. Bun Bun Bakery
Vietnamese banh mi is all over Springvale, but the one that does it best is Bun Bun Bakery. Bun Bun Bakery is located along Springvale Road. You can expect a queue at almost all hours. I’d recommend either their Roast Pork Roll, which comes with crunchy pork skin, or their Lemongrass Chicken Roll.
2. Bun Ngon
Bun Ngon offers the best bun bo hue in town. It does other Vietnamese noodle soups as well, except pho. Each bowl of noodle soup is incredible delicious and packed with fantastic toppings. Each bowl of noodle soup comes with a large side plate serving of aromatics with bean sprouts, basil, onions, etc.
3. Eastern Dumpling House
I love Eastern Dumpling House‘s ox tongue on rice – it comes with a huge serving of spicy and thinly cut ox tongue and a bowl of chicken soup. It’s $22, but boy is it awesome. Their dumplings and pickled pork noodles soups are also worth trying. I’d avoid their pork meatball or ordinary-sounding dishes as they are uninteresting.
4. Hoa Tran
This restaurant is nestled in an alleyway behind a huge carpark. It used to be in easy view back when it wasn’t obstructed by the large carpark before the 2010s. Hoa Tran has an extensive Vietnamese menu which offers something for everyone. The prices range from $15 to $20 for a dish. I’d recommend giving their egg noodle soups a go, they are incredible good because they add fried pork fat to the soup. Matt Preston, of Masterchef Australia fame, reviewed this restaurant and give it a glossing endorsement.
5. Hung Vuong
The best pho in Melbourne is definitely at Hung Vuong. This restaurant is an institution in Springvale. For $16, you can get a medium pho of your choice of toppings. If you want a bit of everything go with either Special Beef or The Lot. It’s a small restaurant with a long queue.
6. Ket’s Skewers
If you want Cambodian-style barbecue meats with rice or noodles, go with Ket’s Skewers. Ket’s Skewers does awesome Cambodian plates, including ones with rice, dry-aged pork, and sliced omelet with a sweet fish sauce.
7. My Cambodia
My Cambodia is an institution in Springvale. It does Cambodian cuisine really well. Try their Phnom Penh Noodle Soup or their Five Spiced Beef Noodle Soup. The menu might not look enticing, but the food on arrival looks and tastes fanastic.
8. Pho Hoa Hoi Vang
I love Pho Hoa Hoi Vang‘s huge bowls of pho. They provide kids with free pho. They do excellent wagyu pho and chicken rice with giblet, but they are most known for their free range chicken pho. You can see your bowl being made from your table.
9. Pho Thin
Northern Vietnamese pho is packed with garlic chives and aromatics. The best option is their fried up beef pho, because of the charcoal-like flavour the beef adds to the soup. Pho Thin is excellent and is still reasonably priced.
10. Yip Kitchen
If you love soft shell crab, you have to try Yip Kitchen‘s deep fried soft shell crab udon noodles. The restaurant looks a little run down though. It can be easily spotted on Springvale Road.
I don’t get any commissions or revenue from these recommendations. These are purely based on my own experiences and out of my own pocket.
Please support the website by clicking on an ad.
Here are some of my recent articles:
Discover more from Australian Sightseer
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
