The Roll Shop

Stopped in here for a quick takeaway lunch after a recommendation from a friend. I chose the Vietnamese noodle salad with crispy pork. The salad lacked a bit of just that... salad. It had lettuce and cucumber but not much else - could have done with some carrot and fresh herbs to lift it a little. But the protein was excellent - really delicious and the highlight of the dish. I will definitely return as service was super quick and the rest of the menu looks great.

Forgot to bring lunch today and I remembered that The Roll Shop do really good Vietnamese salad bowls so I toddled off down the hill - hello leg day!

After fighting my way through the throng outside Melt Brothers (bookmarked!), I was instantly drawn to the rice paper rolls. Lemongrass chicken rice paper rolls in a pack of 3 for $7 - decision made. Back up the hill I went - oh my quads!

I love rice paper rolls, especially when they're good value and packed with more greenery than rice noodle. Sadly, these contained more noodles than colour; about 6 bits of shredded lettuce and half a mint leaf.....but still yum. I'm a sucker for anything with mint. The chicken was delicious, beautifully moist with good colour, a little hint of lemongrass, and a generous serving. And the hoisin sauce was my kind of sweetly peanut-y.

If I'm honest I've had better rice paper rolls in the city but these were fresh, quick, and tasty. I managed to eat two of the rolls and had to put the third away for another time, which I've since donated to a work colleague and his endless appetite.... (you're welcome MB 😜) Next time though I'll probably stick to one of the salads.

The Lemongrass Chicken Bahn Mi for only $7 from The Roll Shop is my go to quick lunch when I am working in the city. The service is friendly and quick and the Bahi Mi' s are always super tasty.

Great flavours. Very well balanced. Fresh and very well priced. Pork crackling amazing!!!!!! If any fault. Maybe a little more meat to balance the bread. Bun very fresh. Salad ingredients also very fresh and chilli great addition. Will being trying more from the menu very soon. Definitely one of the best Bahn Mi in the City.

The Roll Shop is a quick lunch time spot for those who work around. Cheap and tasty, it doesn't take long to get a good Bahn mi. although it's not the best in town, it still gets the job done. The chicken corn soup is good however the rice paper rolls are a bit exxy for what they're worth.

Roll Shop - Brisbane CBD. Whatever time of day you order, the food comes out quick and is very fresh. A quiet laneway just a turn off the busy main road will show you a number of little holes-in-the-wall including this gorgeous find. It is more of a takeaway, though is you are lucky you might get a seat at one of the two tables. During their less busy times, they will even beckon you to sit down in spite of it simply being a takeaway. This is about as fresh and healthy fast food can get, with an edge of authenticity.

The first time I went here was before a class, and felt in the need for some sustenance I sought out this place after hearing so much about it. For their namesake, it was mainly to try out the famous banh mis. It was close to closing time and they were pleasant in their service, an aspect present in every visit. The Roll Shop is big for catering, especially for their bahn mis; therefore I was not able to try them out initially. They were kind enough to make suggestions giving a vermicelli bowl as an option which I kindly order, with crackling pork. On the side I got a drink, an avocado shake.

The vermicelli dish was tasty, with coriander, mint and their special nuoc nam sauce - it acted like a dressing, and came in a tiny zip-lock bag (likely to prevent the meal from getting soggy before reaching the office) - combining to create a complex and naturalistic flavour dynamic. It was fresh and after a good mix, really delicious. The crunch of the pork crackle added to it with a contrasting texture.
As for the avocado shake, this is absolutely different from the milkshakes that I have been used to over the years; no sweetness, and the avocado flavour is very much there. I liked it, and the best way to describe it is that it is sort of like drinking guacamole.

Since their banh mi was so popular, I made a deliberate diversion into the city to try one at lunch. I had heard it was popular and that is not joshing around; the lunch time crowd is big. At nigh closing time, few orders are around thus they can remember who got what (two of the three times I have been here before class, I was the only one I saw going up to order). So, finally I got the banh mi; since the crackling pork was so good in the vermicelli I got the same meat.
These were a great little snack; they are not super-filling and are easy to eat while on the run. The bread is crusty and a combination of meat, carrot, cucumber and coriander make for a well-rounded snack. They ask if you want chili on it, and I did (being a fan of chili) for that extra bite. To drink, a jackfruit shake is what I ordered; the flavour is odd and hard to describe. It is like nothing else that I have drunk before, a little on the bitter side this is nothing like the milkshakes from diners and milk bars of past.

The third time around, they looked really close to closing yet were no less pleasant than before. Admittedly, it was in quick succession to the last couple of visits thus they recognised my face. Saved up was an all-meats banh mi which I accepted (plus the added chili) willingly with an iced coffee to go. The combination of meats was great and a second try was just as good as the first try.
The iced coffee is ready-made and only needs to be put onto the ice machine and the delicious treat is ready to drink. Slightly sweet and refreshing, the iced coffee was good for the pre-class caffeine hit.

Probably not for the last visit, I made another trip there for a pre-class meal and to vary it up some more I ordered some roll cake. The roll cake is made of steamed rice paper pancakes with Vietnamese pork loaf, cucumber, bean sprouts, fried shallots, mint and coriander with a bag of nuoc nam sauce. Maybe not as good as the previous orders, it was still very fresh, tasty and complex in flavours while having a simple vibe to it. On the side, to finish off trying the whole range, I got a soursop shake. This was slightly sour, somewhat more creamy than the last two, and proves how interesting drinks can get.

The Roll Shop is one of the hidden gems that is found through exploration. Upon trying to find it a couple of times before, I either found somewhere else or needed to take countless wrong turns before discovering a quicker way to find it. Once you know where it is, it is likely you will locate it subconsciously with no worries needed. Their popularity is apparent and ultimately well-earned.

Lovely little shop for an easy lunch in the city. Friendly staff, great vegan options and minimal plastic packaging. My favourite is their broken rice vegan tofu bowl. Got one today was super fresh and delish. Does get quite busy during lunch so I suggest going early or after 1.30 to avoid wait times 😊Highly recommend it

Their vegan banh mi is so flavourful and delicious!! The lemongrass tofu and the vegan pate were so good. Will definitely be coming back.