For a Vietnamese culture vulture, the suburb of Footscray in Melbourne’s inner-west is a shining light of culture, shopping, dining and entertainment. For those visiting, schlepping west from anywhere further than the CBD might be a barrier to regularly enjoying a crisp plate of bánh khọt or fresh banh mi.
Thankfully, a miniature (but still bourgeoning) Vietnamese mecca, known as Little Saigon, exists a little closer to town on Victoria Street in Richmond, just east of the CBD.
The major thoroughfare has plenty of tram lines running through it for easy access, and houses a majority of eating and drinking experiences on the main strip running along Victoria Street between Hoddle Street and Church Street (the street runs all the way across the top of Melbourne from east to west).
If you've got an afternoon to spare, here are a few spots to get you started:
Nhu Lan Bakery
Arrive at Victoria street on lunchtime and your portable snack needs will quickly be met by Melbourne-famous banh mi. has both a Footscray and Richmond outpost where you can find crisp bread rolls stuffed with pork cold cuts, barbecue chicken or pork, or pork meatballs alongside pate, mayo, pickled veg and herbs for just a few dollars.
Not in the mood for a sandwich? Try buttery savoury pastries called banh pate, or a selection of sweets.
Not just sandwiches
What to get at a Vietnamese bakery besides banh mi
Minh Phat Grocery
Continue your afternoon by browsing the aisles of an Asian grocer. This subtly enormous looks like a mini-mart from its façade, but notice how far back the building stretches and you’ll soon realise you can find nearly everything in here from fresh dumpling wrappers to Pixian doubanjiang.
Wander past the freezer section upstairs to the loft for a mecca of kitchenwares, pots, serving plates, and more.
The day could end here if you choose to head home with a bag full of groceries and a new pot, but there’s plenty more to browse if you stick to the suburb.
You could spend hours browsing the shelves of Minh Phat. Source: Camellia Aebischer
Pick up some dumpling wrappers
Dumplings (Mi sui cao)
Chefland
This one is for a niche market of interests. If you’re the kind of person that can’t resist a kitchenware store and has always been fascinated by commercial cookery, is a wonderland awaiting your patronage.
The modest store is stacked very efficiently with chopping boards and stock pots from single-serve to catering level, and tiered steamers to steam buns by multiples of 10. There are also plenty of handy Asian and Western cookery tools that aren’t as easy to come by and nearly everything comes in a range of sizes to suit any job.
Roll your own
Beef fondue rice paper rolls
The National Hotel
This sits further East on the street, a stone’s throw away from the bustle of Vietnamese eateries and mini-marts. Luckily it hasn’t lost its roots and pays homage to its Victoria Street location with a menu of pan-Asian flavours.
Stop in for a pint and pre-dinner snack of crispy squid, bun cha or fries with red curry aioli.
Plenty of nước chấm to go around at Thanh Ha 2. Source: Camellia Aebischer
Thanh Ha 2
Once you’ve finished up that tap-poured craft beer it’s time to wander back toward the west and try to snag a table at . Even on a Monday the place is bustling, but turnover is quick so you’ll be sipping a bottle of 333 and enjoying bánh xèo in no time.
Pay no attention to the novel-sized menu, all you need to do is order from is the very first page labelled ‘Thanh Ha 2 Specials’.
You’ll see plates of the bánh xèo and bánh khọt on nearly every other table, so it’s safe to say you'll want to order at least one of these or risk food regret.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, there's no Thanh Ha 1.
Follow our from the south of Australia to the north. Next stop, bánh tráng in Brunswick, VIC. For an on-the-ground food crawl catch the new series of where he travels from the south to the north of the country, chatting, tasting and cooking along the way. Watch it 7:30pm on SBS and Sundays at 9pm on SBS Food from 5 2019 December to 30 January 2020 or on SBS On Demand.
