This is the type of noodle restaurant that I really like, namely the ones that remind me of the…read morehole in the wall restaurants in Hong Kong. Like, they even give you a free pot of tea with your meal, which is such a Hong Kong type of thing to do. I ended up having the Singapore Noodles and the dumplings, and they were delicious, and the serving was huge. Yeah, this place was actually pretty amazing.

Hidden away in an alleyway by the Preston markets, this is one of our favourite soup and dumpling…read moredestinations. Their pork and prawn dumplings can only be described as crispy bundles of deliciousness, and are the perfect accompaniment to their comforting hand pulled noodle soups. Generous portions, friendly service and great value for money, this place lives up to its name, and has stood up to the test of time.

Clean place that's a little bit out of the way from Box Hill central. The food was well cooked each…read moredish being tender and crisp where they should, slightly let down by a sambal that lacked spice and a CKT that was nice but a bit bland. There were bits of pork fat in the CKT which some people may like but it was not for me. The restaurant is family owned and sitting inside felt like being at an American diner but the staff were friendly enough and felt like they make an effort with the customers. I wouldn't go out of my way for this one, but if you're after something quiet, casual and inoffensive this will suite.

Authentic Penang Malaysian food in Box Hill - really excellent food, despite the slightly obscure…read morelocation. Clean modern, if slightly utilitarian fit-out, and they sell Malaysian ingredients too. Good value, and service is quite friendly. Mostly Malaysian clientele the times I've been there, which is not surprising because finding good Penang food in Melbourne is a bit hit and miss.

If you like a good deli this is the place for you!…read more Beautiful looking homemade pies, quiche, empanadas, garlic sourdough and dips. They also had a great selection of cheese and sweet pies /strudels. We are staying in a hotel with no oven otherwise I would have bought a load of pies they looked so good! Would recommend for a look even if you can't buy!

I love a great delicatessen. The deli section is always my favourite area of any food market. It is…read morethe perfect meeting of food genres. Cheese and meat cohabit. Antipasto and dips vie for my attention. Fresh pasta and sauces live next to pate and salad. It is a total assault on your senses... wiping away drool now. But Emerald Hill Deli in South Melbourne Market takes the experience to another level entirely. Yes it has all the usual deli offerings but then it goes further. Visit the packed cheese room and I know you will agree. Salivate over the freshly made sweets and slices, the range is huge and every single one looks heavenly. I singled out the huge custard filled vanilla slices ($3.80) for my sweet fantasies. Then there are the freshly made dips, gourmet pizza's and all the high quality small goods you could ask for. In the unlikely event they don't have what you need, they will get it in for you! Yes really. The staff are friendly, fast and more then happy to help you out. My delicatessen expectations have not only been met but surpassed. All other deli's take note.

This place is always busy, that should tell you something. Went here the other night and had the…read moreegg noodle soup with beef and spring rolls, delicious! There were two of us, we sat outside until an inside table was ready. The owner is really funny and offered us blankets while we were sitting outside (good thing too, it was super windy). The soup was so tasty and the beef was tender and thinly cut (not like some that look like they're from a packet or something). A+, I will return. For jasmine tea, soup and spring rolls to share, it was around $15, good value!

Despite its small, unassuming locale, Indochine is consistently popular and busy. On offer is…read moreauthentic and honest Vietnamese food for a reasonable price. The sugarcane prawn rolls--available as both an entrée and a main--are amazing. The sweetness of the sugarcane mixes with the minced prawn meat just enough to give it a sweet edge without overpowering the dish. The rolls are adorned with peanuts and come with a dipping sauce, both serving to cut through the sweetness of the dish. The sugarcane prawn rolls are reason enough to go try Indochine at least once. The mains, unfortunately, are not executed as well. Kho chay, a dish consisting of tofu, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms and vegetables is described as a dish that is traditionally offered to Buddhist monks. It's not clear what form of tribute this is intended to be to the monks as the dish itself is far too unbalanced. The only flavour that comes through in the dish is that of the shiitake mushrooms, and at that it is indistinguishable from the fake mushroom flavouring one gets in instant soups. The other vegetables mentioned in the dish's description were largely absent, except for the odd broccoli floret that strayed into the bowl. The wait staff were not particularly helpful nor attentive that night, frequently spilling dishes and drinks. Hopefully it was just a bad night. The restaurant itself is very small, so it can be very cramped and noisy when full (most of the time). The cost of the meals is reasonable, even bordering on the cheap side. While Indochine does allow BYO, it only allows wine, presumably so they can charge a bogus corkage fee.

Wonderful cheese selection in the cheese cave that is downstairs with a knowledgeable cheese…read moremonger. I went to cheese stores all through Melbourne and around Brisbane and this was where I found the greatest selection of cheese made in Australia. Upstairs has a variety of boutique products from granola to chocolate. Also, there is a gelato counter and espresso bar as you enter the store.

This place looks like nothing more than a gelato shop from the front, so you'd be forgiven for not…read morerealising there's a whole specialty grocery inside -- and they also do delicious made-to-order artisan sandwiches to take away. To get a sandwich, bypass the gelato out front and go inside, then bypass the groceries and head straight to the back. There's a cashier here who will take your order and bring your sandwich out to you after about a 10-15 minute wait. I love this place because of their four vegan sandwich options: a tofu salad open sandwich with sesame and lime dressing; a bagel sandwich with a tofu and corn fritter and curried cashews, cucumber, and coriander; a tempeh burger on focaccia with kimchi and ABC sauce; and an eggplant, pumpkin, spinach, white bean, and basil pesto on focaccia. If these descriptions don't have you drooling right now, I don't know what's wrong with you. All vegan sandwiches are $11.50 and come with potato chips. This is a fair price for a delicious and rather filling lunch. Their non-vegan sandwiches aren't much more expensive either. My favorite is the tempeh burger with ABC sauce -- it's like an Indonesian sweet soy sauce -- oh man. Just the right mix of unusual but awesome flavours. There's no seating here -- it's take-away only, unless you're out front having a gelato. While you wait for your sandwich, you can peruse the specialty grocery items. They have a small but impressive collection of hard-to-find and locally-made items, such as La Tortilleria tortillas, local hand-made chocolates, jars of refrigerated kimchi, and chips made from all manner of non-potato things -- kale chips, bean chips, turnip chips.... Just be prepared for some sticker shock. These specialty groceries don't come cheap. (One of the chocolate bars was $14!!! It better be chocolate CRACK, at that price.) All in all, a great place to come for an awesome take-away sandwich with fresh and often unusual ingredients at lunchtime, and a fun place to peruse if you like your exotic, organic, hand-made/hand-dipped/hand-chopped/hand-crafted/hand-tooled/hand-whatever fancy-pants specialty grocery items. You know who you are. (Note the sandwiches are a Monday-Friday lunchtime thing only. I came once on the weekend and they weren't making sandwiches. The gelato is available all the time, but I admit I haven't sampled it yet.)

Theo's Deli is where I love to buy my meat in South Melbourne. This little deli has everything!…read moreFresh cheese, olives, ham, bread and fresh meat of course, there is thinks like marinated chicken skewers, Italian Pancetta, Castlemaine Ham off the bone and some pretty good prices to match. Walking into the South Melbourne Market you will be inundated with fresh fruit, veggies and meat, but I would definitely recommend Theo's as my favourite for the best quality meat at the lowest price. If you are looking to save even further try heading to the market at around 2pm - 3pm, right before the stalls close they often discount their produce rather heavily in an attempt to sell it rather than have to throw it away.

These guys make one of the richest, densest, fruitiest fruit breads I've ever had. There's no doubt…read moreyou'll be overwhelmed by the beautiful choices of dips, cured meats and cheeses on display, so it's great that they have a range of specials to help you out. Grab 3 dips of your choice for $10. Choose any 2 cheeses for $5. Finally, 1 large Turkish bread for $2. And there you have it, an instant spread for your next dinner party, picnic or simple get together.

Breakfast pasta is that a thing? If it's not it should be. Small Axe's breakfast pasta is a salty…read morerich delight. Micro herbs, homemade pasta, egg, parmesan, peas, ricotta and guanciale (similar to pancetta). This dish alone is worth a trip to this north side cafe. You can sit inside or out as well as out the back. There is a good neighbourhood vibe, staff are friendly if a bit casual. Coffee had a lovely flavour; smooth, rich with almond like notes. I do prefer it hotter but maybe that's just me .. and I was sitting outside on one of the colder days of the year. Food and coffee is good here, they just needs a bit more polish to take it to the next level. Music - interesting ambient tunes, easy to chat Newspapers - no ... I love to read the paper over a coffee, this is a bit of a deal breaker for me

After hearing about this so called 'breakfast pasta' we had to give this place a try, and it was…read moreabsolutely lovely on a sunny Sunday morning. Such a brilliant new spot in Brunswick. They're probably still finding their feet, so service was a bit slow to begin with (didn't help that there were plenty of people waiting for tables!) but once we got settled in and ordered food and coffee, it was a dream. The Code Black coffee was excellent, and the menu has a Sicilian influence with something to suit everyone! We went straight for the brekky pasta, and it was bloody good. Beautiful maccaruni pasta with guanciale (similar to pancetta if you haven't had it before), peas, mint, ricotta and the most perfect slow cooked egg. There's a great outdoor area which is probably best for those with prams, but otherwise there's some lovely bar space in the front windows, and some more intimate tables down the back. Will definitely be back soon to try some more of the menu!

Blink and you might miss this place. This Japanese cafe is located on Church St, in what seems to…read morebe an upcoming little nook. There is limited seating inside, with only a round table and a couple of side benches. I ate the veggie burger, which had potato salad, egg, avocado inside! The height of the burger at first scared me, but I managed to squish it down. Super tasty! Tana feels authentic and it's on my list of places I can't wait to go back to.