So far, tried and true:
- Sashi-don from Don Tojo (164 Cardigan St, Carlton) or its sister restaurant Don Don (321 Swanston St, Melbourne).
- Pho from Hung Vuong (128 Hopkins St, Footscray). I like sliced beef and beef balls.
- Bag of fried squid from Little Saigon (63 Nicholson St, Footscray).
- Vietnamese roll from Nhu Y (19 Leeds St, Footscray). Cheaper than the incredibly popular Nhu Lan Bakery nearby and more fillings.
- Hot jam doughnuts from Olympic Doughnuts (51 Irving St, Footscray) or The Doughnut Van (Queen Victoria Market).
- Roast beef roll with seeded mustard, alfalfa, red onion, tomato and cucumber from Le Croissant Des Halles (507 Elizabeth St, Melbourne). Choose your own fillings, but if you leave out seeded mustard or red onion, (or the alfalfa or the tomato) you’re really missing out.
- Roti at Ying Thai 2 (110 Lygon St, Carlton) though be forewarned, the service here is generally terrible.
- Lamb souvlaki at Lambs (100 Lygon St, Carlton).
- Turkish bread and Alaysa’s special sauce at Alasya (555 Sydney Rd, Brunswick).
- Lamb kebab from Flemington Kebab House (301 Racecourse Rd, Flemington).
- Twin sausage bun from any Breadtop chain store across Melbourne. Make sure the there’s plenty of cheese on the top and that it’s not overcooked.
- Pizza from I Carusi (46A Holmes St, Brunswick East). (You’ll want to make a booking.)
- Soft shell crab hand roll from Sushi Sushi (148 Swanston St, Melbourne). The quality and price at Sushi Sushi franchises across Melbourne varies; the one on Swanston Street is not only the cheapest, but the best. Give their sashimi box a go too.
- Nasi Lemak from Rice Bar (121 Grattan St, Carlton).
- Pandan flavoured gelati at Il Dolce Freddo (116 Lygon St, Carlton).
- Vegetarian combination from Harambe (205/207 Nicholson St, Footscray).
- Saag Gosht from Taj Palace (228 Nicholson St, Footscray).
- Shrimp paste fried rice with Thai salad Combo at Your Thai (255 Swanston St, Melbourne).
- Spinach and feta pastry from A1 Lebanese Bakery (645 Sydney Rd Brunswick).
- Pancetta, green tomato and cheese roll from King and Godfree (293-297 Lygon St, Carlton).
- Fisherman’s Bend from Kensington Pizza (1 Gower St, Kensington). If you eat in, they’ll probably charge you 50 cents for tap water.
- A freshly baked, still warm egg custard tart from Maxim’s Cake & Pastry (173 Little Bourke St, Melbourne).
- Hot Pot at Ma Ma Sichuan (491-493 Swanston St, Melbourne). A bargain at $22!
- Freshly shucked oysters from the Victoria Market.
- The chicken parma at The Nash Hotel (44 Victoria St Richmond). The selection of a parma is no doubt one of the most controversial for a list like this; I’ve just put down The Nash’s parma because it’s the most memorably best parma I’ve had in recent years.
- Cheap dumplings at Shanghai Dumpling Restaurant (25 Tattersall’s Ln, Melbourne). The cheapness makes them all the better.
- Tofu asada burrito, Trippy Taco (48 Smith St, Collingwood).
- Eggplant chips, Chillipadi (Melbourne Central).
- Raph Burger from Beatbox Kitchen (location varies)
- Chips from Boheme Cafe and Bar (368 Bridge Rd, Richmond). These were incredibly awesome.
At this point I exhausted my personal list of recommendations and turned to friends for suggestions. I look forward to eating my way through the rest of this list and deciding whether they should remain.
- Pork Belly Sandwich from Earl Canteen (500 Bourke St, Melbourne).
- Wagyu Burger at Rockpool Bar & Grill (8 Whiteman St, Southbank).
- Prawn Stuffed Beancurd at Cafe 58 (58 Johnston St, Fitzroy).
- Almond croissant at Dench Bakers (109 Scotchmer St, Fitzroy North).
- Tamarind Fish from White Lotus Restaurant (185 Victoria St, West Melbourne), entirely vegan.
- Open Breakfast, Don Vincenzo (301 Brunswick St, Fitzroy).
- Chickpea bake, Moroccan Soup Bar (183 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North).
- Chicken and wine pie, Georgie Pie (425 Sydney Road, Brunswick).
- Fondue at the Swiss Club (89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne).
- Congee with you tiao at Supper Inn (15 Celestial Ave, Melbourne).
- Spicy quail from Mabrown (Shop 6, 188 Belmore Rd, Balwyn). The internet says this place has the worst service, possibly in all of Melbourne.
- Deep fried eggplant from Sichaun House (26 Corrs Ln, Melbourne).
- Peking Duck from Old Kingdom (197 Smith St, Fitzroy).
- Caramel Slice from The Green Refectory (15 Sydney Rd, Brunswick).
- Thai Chicken Pie from Boscastle Shop (260 Barkly Street, Brunswick)
- To be continued…