One spot serves wallet-friendly favourites, another has queues for knock-your-socks-off ramen, and a third goes well beyond pho with its noodle soups.
Quincy Malesovas
Thick or thin, soft or chewy, pan-fried or swimming in broth – noodles come in countless forms, and Melbourne’s CBD is a prime hunting ground for strands of all kinds.
Three new shops – Ngon Banh Cuon, Kikanbo and Jalan Alor – draw inspiration from Vietnam, Japan and Malaysia, offering winter-ready noodle soups, crisp-edged dry noodles and refreshing noodle salads. Inexplicably, some start at just $10, and none exceeds $30.
“During tough economic times, everyone deserves good food,” says David Tai, who has built Franklin Street’s Jalan Alor and its predecessor Nan Yang around affordable, comforting meals. “This is a way to give back to the community. It’s not just about food. It’s about care and kindness and connection.”
Ngon Banh Cuon
Banh cuon, Vietnam’s fermented rice rolls stuffed with pork or chicken mince, are the name of the game here. While Sunshine institution Xuan Banh Cuon has long championed the dish, this spot is the first to bring it to the city centre.
The namesake dish – thin, pliable and tender – is a must-try, but the noodle menu deserves equal attention. Banh da – thick, ribbon-like red rice noodles commonly eaten for breakfast in northern Vietnam – are served in a rich soup with house-made crab paste, meatballs and fish or squid cakes. For a dry noodle option, try the vermicelli with nem ran – crisp and hearty Hanoi-style spring rolls.
404-406 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, 0452 439 399
Kikanbo
This Tokyo-born ramen shop joins several other Japanese chains which have flocked to Melbourne, including Hakata Gensuke, Ippudo and Mensho. Dark, dramatic interiors – the walls lined with oni (Japanese demon) masks – and a thumping soundtrack of traditional drums offer a taste of what’s to come: devilishly spicy noodles built around chilli and sansho pepper, which brings a tongue-tingling sensation similar to Sichuan peppercorn.
Noodles are made in-house and served in a miso-based pork, chicken and fish broth that’s simmered for more than 10 hours until funky and complex. Spice levels are up to the diner. Each bowl is topped with slow-cooked barbecued pork belly, though the Melbourne shop also offers a soup of wagyu broth and Victorian Angus beef. Prepare to queue.
5/260 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, instagram.com/kikanbo_melb
Jalan Alor
Named after one of Kuala Lumpur’s best-known food streets, Jalan Alor (from the team behind wallet-friendly favourite Nan Yang) offers Malaysian staples in a no-fuss setting with prices to match. Around a dozen noodle dishes dot the menu, from smoky char kwai teow to dry-tossed kolo mee with char siu and Sarawak-style laksa – all from $10.
There’s excellent value in the non-noodle offerings too: nasi lemak served with curried chicken or bean curd; cheung fun, the slippery steamed rice rolls, dressed with curry or a sweet Hoisin-style sauce; and oversized bowls of congee. It’s one of the most affordable new lunch spots in the city, with plenty of reasons to return.
85 Franklin Street, Melbourne, instagram.com/jalanalor.melbourne
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