Laksa King ★ 4.7
Laksa King in Flemington has set the Melbourne standard for the dish since 1998: asam laksa, curry laksa and char kway teow at prices worth the detour.
Order: Curry laksa with tofu puffs
A1 Bakery is a lebanese budget eat in Brunswick, Melbourne.
A1 Bakery on Sydney Road is Melbourne's best A$5 meal: fresh za'atar manakish from a wood-fired oven that has run on Brunswick's main strip since 1992.
Must order: Za'atar manakish with olive oil from the wood-fired oven
Address: 643-645 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056, Melbourne
Laksa King in Flemington has set the Melbourne standard for the dish since 1998: asam laksa, curry laksa and char kway teow at prices worth the detour.
Order: Curry laksa with tofu puffs
Mamasita on Collins Street is Melbourne's most consistent Mexican kitchen: tacos al pastor, elotes and a long tequila list for the post-work crowd upstairs.
Order: Charcoal chicken taco and salsa verde
The South Melbourne dim sim is a Melbourne birthright: invented at this stall in 1949, deep-fried in a paper bag and eaten standing on the market footpath.
Order: Original South Melbourne deep-fried dim sim in a paper bag
Ta-Ke Don on Little Lonsdale Street is the CBD's fast donburi canteen: A$10 small and A$15 large bowls of katsu, karaage and tempura over rice with Japanese curry and Thai chilli sauces.
Order: Karaage donburi with Japanese curry sauce
Hu Tong Dumpling Bar on Market Lane serves Shanghainese dumplings in Chinatown: xiao long bao, pan-fried pork and a queue that validates the wait every time.
Order: Pan-fried pork and prawn dumplings
Pho Hung Vuong 2 on Victoria Street is the Richmond pho standard: a 12-hour bone broth, fresh herbs and the type of no-frills room that earns repeat visits.
Order: Large beef pho with tendon and tripe