Review Hochi Mama - Melbourne

Stan Veloutsos

This restaurant was a super surprise. 😮 The vibe is just perfect. The playlist is just too good with great hip hop tunes.😎 The inside is so beautifully decorated and perfectly lit. ✨The atmosphere is really nice. The Asian female waitress was just so warm and welcoming. The food was very flavoursome, the curry super filling. The chicken curry was nicely generous with chicken pieces. Nice looking cocktail menu with a good selection. Highly recommend! 🙏🏼

Angel Khong

Loved their set menu deal, it was simply the perfect portion (and price!) for 2. I’d recommend trying their fried chicken (and fried chicken bao!), they were absolutely tasty. Had the beef ribs, soft shell crab sushi rolls, and rice paper rolls as well, but found them to be fairly average. Service was super slow though.

Yves Belli

Nice modern Vietnamese restaurant with party vibes. The service is very kind and didn't mind to go through all the trouble of explaining all the dishes to us. The food is very very good and cooked to perfection. Price is actually reasonable, but beware that the feed me menu is way too much food and probably not worth the price. Try having the lamb curry massalan, it was the best dish we had for the night.

Kirstie

Tasty fresh and fast service here. Great upbeat vibe with a nice relaxed ambience. Went for Feed me deal which was 2 small, 2 large and a side of spring rolls ($42.50 each). So much food that we could of shared with another two people. Friendly service.

jayjaytruviews

What a lovely Vietnamese restaurant with a great interior design. The food was a bit pricey but well worth it. We went with the “FEED ME NOW” option which lets you choose 4 smaller and 4 larger dishes and two sides for $39.50 per person. My favourite dish would have had to be the salmon sashimi and Southside curry. The flavours are amazing but not overwhelming with perfect levels of spice. Drinks were also amazing, will definitely come back to try their other dishes.

Leo Pafu

One of the best find in Melbourne. Reasonable price and really good food. I have to say better than Chin Chin and Rice Paper Scissors. The food is of high quality and tasted good. Portion is huge in comparison with Chin Chin even for entree. Highly recommended.

Carmen Ubermanowicz

My family went here on Sunday to celebrate my Dad's birthday and we were impressed! All the food and drinks were delicious. We especially liked the Chinese broccoli and pork belly! If you have an allergy please ensure you tell the staff multiple times. When ordering I was told non of the dishes I picked had nuts only to find out when the food arrived that they do have nuts. This could have ended in a hospital trip if I didn't triple check. The bathrooms were also dirty but that may have been because it was the end of the night.

RG JR.

Great food, great service and great value! We were seated outside which was nice when it was still bright. But when it got dark our table needed light. It was just a bit too dim. Otherwise, everything was great!

Aravind Ratna

Must Try Delicacy, Stir Fry Pad Thai Chicken Noodles are the best and are so addictive and so delicious that one cannot resist!

Nicole Kellam

Hochi Mama offers delicious food and exquisite cocktails. My personal favourite items on the menu are: the ‘roast duck wonton crisps’, ‘mama’s pad thai’ and the ‘hochi chicken banh bao’. Unfortunately, I did find the dessert options to be a little underwhelming. Overall, this restaurant is a must try and a very cute date night spot.

Jordan Trevena

Lovely restaurant with really friendly staff. The food was absolutely incredible and had really good portion sizes. I’m not too good with spice but they were able to accomodate a couple of the dishes for me which was awesome. Definitely coming back! 😊

Melbfoodie_mark

📍Hochi Mama, Melbourne Lord knows I waited way too long to eat out again. Legit counted seconds until June 1st. I've been to Hochi Mama about 2 years ago and it was mad proper. Good trendy vibes, dope music, delicious foods and best of all, cheap. So I had a high expectation going in and man, they killed it. We grabbed Salmon Ceviche, Scallops, Soft Shell Crab Fried Rice, Saigon Curry Crispy Pork Hok, Stir Fry Pork Belly and Mama's Pad Thai - they were ALL SO DAMN DELICIOUS. I honestly think the quality sky rocketted since 2 years ago. Or maybe it's because they just had less tables to manage due to Covid, who knows. Saigon Curry Crispy Pork Hok ($29) and Mama's Pad Thai ($22) really stood out. I don't know what their secret sauce is but they were all so flavourful and tasty. Pork Hok was juicy and went surprisingly well with its coconut curry sauce. Mama's Pad Thai was probably one of the best pad thais I've had in Melbourne. One thing I really want to point out is that the chefs here really know what they are doing with the maillard reaction. I could literally taste that torchy herby aroma while eating their pad thai and fried rice. Mad proper. Can't really think of any other place that can top Hochi Mama in terms of price and quality. Definitely worth if you are sharing meals with a group of friends. But FYI I might be a bit biased because I didn't eat anything all day just to fully indulge myself. But just to give you a bit of perspective, my friends also liked them a lot so it should be fine. - #melbfoodiemark #HochiMama #melbournefoodies #melbournefoodiehub #melbourneeats #melbournefoodscene #melbournefoods #melbournefoodblogger

Joe Barker

Our host Morgan was unreal cool. Super friendly, not only to us as the customers of the vibrant environment, but also to the unfortunate person without a home to sleep. So much so, that the guy, after there interaction, gave Morgan the whole box set of the Simpson's series on DVD. Super cool dude, who's personality compliments the restaurant very well. Would and will be back

Bianca D

I celebrated my 21st birthday at Hochi Mama last night and the experience was incredible. The food was amazing and the chefs did a great job catering for dietary requirements. Our waiter Bryan went above and beyond the ensure everyone was having a fantastic night. I will definitely be returning soon!!

Josh G

Bryan was great! Super friendly and deserves a bottle of wine for his efforts :)

Rebekah Hogan

Bryan was so helpful and enthusiastic in helping our dear friend celebrate her 21st birthday! Food and service was outstanding. Happy customers :D

Georgia Eastwood

Our waiter Bryan was amazing and created great vibes for the evening

Tim Mahoney

Our server Bryan was a delight. He spent just the right amount of time explaining the menu, making us laugh, and being attentive. The food is very good value especially if you get the share menu for 2. Serving sizes are as per regular menu and very generous. Currys we’re rich and flavourful. Only downside was there was the same salad garnish with every meal which became a bit same same when you have four people getting the share menu.

Northcote20

My friend and I popped into Ho Chi Mama after the wait at rice paper scissors was too long. The first two dishes - chicken Bao and duck wontons were delicious and came out super quick! However when the caramelised pork belly came out, it was a massive disappointment. It wasn’t crispy (which is fine) but more ?boiled. The fat was thick, chewy and slimy, and the meat was extremely chewy/tough with a strange taste. Definitely not ‘melt in your mouth’ pork belly. We declined taking it home at the end (we couldn’t eat it). The staff deducted a soft drink off the bill out of courtesy. However I wouldn’t rush back in a hurry.

Sensei

Nice dinner, me and my partner wanted to go Asian but she can’t handle hot (spicy) food at all, Morgan the waiter was super friendly and accommodate her requests with no problems whatsoever. The food was all great maybe the coconut rice a bit to sweet for my taste, but that’s personal, also cocktail was good and the vibe very positive. Thanks Will be back!

Aaditey Bains

Couldn't get into Paper, Scissors, Rice which turned out to be a good thing. Two doors down was Hochi Mama. Every meal was a taste sensation. All 5 of us said it was the best meal ever. Waitering staff were outstanding, gave us a table when they were full; lit the outside heater, and were exemplary.

Affogato Addiction

Can be very busy, was lucky enough to get talk on walking in. Had a light meal, with plenty of good veggo (mostly tofu based) options. Salt and pepper tofu was nice, would have worked better if they used firmer tofu rather than silken. Side salad, $4.50, is a good option for extra veggies.

Dom87

Staff were amazing-polite and attentive. I didn’t find the food particularly good, it was ok it just didn’t stand out, especially for the price. Had chicken satay skewers, veggie spring rolls and the Vietnamese slaw.

Mikip98

Delicious, kind staff and great service - highly recommend, although slightly on the pricey side. Great for a special occasion!

Eater123

This is a rave as we loved dinner here! The feed me deal for 2 is great as you can pick a few things to try and you'll want to here! We loved the chicken bao, the salmon cerviche as they had huge flavour and I'm not big on lamb but the massaman curry was to die for and will be going back just for that! The cashew chicken would be the stand out at any other restaurant but because everything else was so amazing, it was just ok here. The staff were all so lovely and friendly and even gave my boyfriend a happy birthday song and treat which made his day! We will be back!

Connie

Quite enjoyed the asian dishes here. I really liked the pad thai and grilled pork belly but didn't love the lamb ribs. There was so much fat on there it was just not that enjoyable to eat. Left feeling quite satisfied still

Jessica Sargeant (Unbeleafablefood)

We had a great feed with good service at Hochi Mama! Great to see lots of delish vegan options. Would def go back :)

Gravy Lover

A quality venue. Good variety of drinks and food . Friendly staff , just to name a few things ! The food was amazing cashew nut chicken was great and the dinner special for 2 people is a bargain ( so much food ) I rate it as high as Chin Chins if not better and you don’t need to wait 2 hours !! I will return

Big Fat Layer

Amazing food at a very reasonable price for two! Many fresh veggies and fragrant herbs to accompany with succulent meat! What a feast. We think Hochi Mama serves better food than the higher rated xxx not far away. More attentive service, too! Will definitely come back with friends to try other mouth watering dishes on the menu! You set Melbourne's benchmark, guys, well done!

YummyMummy

Yum! Came here for my birthday dinner as a treat and we were not disappointed! Young, funky and delicious! The food was tasty and plentiful- the choose your own banquet option was good value with so much food we were stuffed and too full for dessert. The flavours were fresh and tasty, the coconut rice deliciously coconutty!! Really fun place with innovative dishes and great service! Loved it!

Some Bunee Loves Food

Came here for a team lunch and all of them loved the food! We ordered the trio of scallops, vegan pancakes, roasted duck won tons, soft shell crab fried rice, pad thai and vegetables curry. The soft shell crab fried rice looked incredible. The whole soft shell crab was on it! The pad Thai beef was mines. I was amazing at how there were so many different elements to this dish eg. Crispy noodle bits, etc to mix together in the pad Thai and it just makes it so much yummier! It's a more richer flavour than normal pad thai. Loved it!

Ashleigh Michelle

Hochi Mama is one of the best Asian Fusion style restaurants there is in the CBD. The ambience is modern - the decor and art makes for a cool place to eat. Couldn't fault the service, everyone we came in contact with was super friendly and our food came out quickly. We ordered the Hochi Chicken Bahn Bao, the Pho Thai and the Hochi Fried Chicken. Everything was great. The fried chicken was especially crunchy and the spicy sauce it was served with was so tasty. I wanted to try the panna cotta dessert but sadly I was too full already - next time! Love your work Hochi Mama!

ToFeedTwo

Popped into Ho Chi Mama on a bustling Wednesday. A perk of working in Melbourne CBD is being close to everything.. especially fantastic food! What we ordered: Hanoi Chicken Banh Bao Satay Chicken Vietnamese Fried Chicken Cashew stir fry w/chicken Coconut rice The smaller meals of Bao and chicken satay were such great choices. We believe these are the best Bao we have ever tried. The chicken was tender on the inside and golden fried on the outside. What more could we want? The Satay sauce that accompanied the Satay Chicken was that delicious, we are the remainder of the sauce with a spoon. As for the main plates the cashew stir fry was SO fresh we felt we were eating the dish straight from the wok. The Vietnamese Fried Chicken was similar to the bao - chicken was just cooked to perfection. We will be back!

Samantha Ignalaga Huang

What a great night! Booked the late sitting for a group catch up so we had the banquet. Good value for $49.50. There was so much food and a great variety of dishes! The serving size of each dish was very generous and each dish was full of flavour. We couldn't finish all the food! A little noisy inside but it was a full house even for the late sitting....the atmosphere was buzzing! Enjoyable night for all. Thanks for having us!

M3lissa____

We came here on a weekend to have dessert and ordered fhe panna cotta and was very impressed. The presentation was on point and if you love pandan you do not want to miss this dessert It had nice textures and the pandan flavour was really subtle and nice

Foodies.and.Coe

Excellent outing. The place is nice on the eye, the food is delightful and the staff are great. We went for the 30$pp menu option and we were up to our necks in delicious food, highly recommend! The baos are perfect, the coconut curry was creammmy and the spring rolls are authentic and delightful!

Lauren

Great food, great cocktails and to top it off Enzo our waiter was fantastic and even remembered us by name! Great night and can’t wait to go back

Nika Storme Oly

Me and my family went here for lunch the other day. We had such an amazing time. Everything was just perfect the food, drinks, the atmosphere but what I loved the most was the workers and the service. They were so friendly and were dancing with my 2 year old. They made the experience just that much better we couldn't stop smiling. I cant recommend this pace high enough it's must go place in Melbourne

Sonia Mehlhopt

Amazing food, amazing service! We went early (about 5.45) and were seated immediately. The food came out really fast and the guy who served us was awesome. Had a ‘dance like no one is watching’ vibe. Would definitely recommend to friends.

Gabi Macfarlane

This is the best Asian restaurant I have ever been too. The dishes are beyond unique and the staff are so friendly. I can't begin to describe how amazing this restaurant is!!

Hungry

Service was amazing!! Probably the best staff and service we’ve ever experienced. Great vibes and food was also great. The curry and chicken bao’s are a must have.

Andy Liu

Hochi Mama was a great experience, we got the feed me option and every dish was delicious. the chicken bao was the highlight as it was crispy and flavourful. the pork was a tiny bit dry and the stir fry had a small portion but was amazing in taste. would overall rate 4/5, would be 5/5 if the portion size was bigger. great for a date night

Charlotte Cooper

The cocktail is great, I like the Mexican lady boy, it’s a bit spicy but it’s a great sensation. All the vegetarian dishes are amazing, I could easily turn into a vegetarian! Lots of carbs in each dishes which would fill you up. I am not a fan of the coconut rice, lots of coconut cream on top.

Iamguyin

Been twice now and both experiences equally as good as each other. Quirky spot, great service, clever decor, great prices and value. Well worth a visit!

Urban Muncher

Rating 4.75/5 Service ★★★★ Food ★★★★★ Ambience ★★★★★ Price ★★★ ★★ We have now visited Hochi Mama for the fifth time. They never failed to deliver to my high expectations each time. Be prepared to wait for at least 45 minutes if you haven't book. We waited at a nearby bar for almost an hour and a half the first time we came. The food, absolutely delicious and the portion so worth the value! The ambience and decor makes it one of my favourite restaurants. Definitely highly recommended to friends and family.

Parul Aggarwal

Everything we ordered was delicious. Great fusion food. Lovely inviting restaurant .

KEL

Second time being here and still loved their food. Cool vibe, nice neon signs and friendly staff. Great selection of cocktails and food. Love love love the crispy chicken bun, super yum. Also in love with their pandan panna cotta dessert, so many lovely colour and super tasty.

Withaknifeandfork

We loved 😍 The 5 dishes for $65 deal for 2 was great value! We preferred the smaller dishes over the mains. The scallops in curry was delicious. The crispy baos were also delicious. We disliked 😖 The lamb curry was a bit tough and dry. They used to have a “pho-pling” which is similar to a xiao long bao but with pho soup. However they decided to take it off the menu. Please bring this back!

Emily Williams

ONE OF MY FAVE RESTAURANTS EVER!! Everything on the menu is absolutely to die for, and I mean EVERYTHING!! The fried chicken is a MUST!! 😛😛

Richard Tom

We have been waiting to come and try Hochi Mama for some time now, and wow was the wait worth it, even in winter the Vietnamese flavours came through with its freshness. We opted for the Me Hungry Now Set, our selection was the Pork Croquettes, Trio of Scallops, Hanoi Seafood Spring Rolls, Mama’s Pad Thai & the Pork Ribs. All were very flavoursome which sent the tastebuds wild, however as a way to lessen the strength of flavour coming from the Pork Ribs a side of rice would be recommended. Other than that, the ambience and energy from everyone was great and very positive, definitely had a great time here.

Louise

Hochi Mama received a lot of “Yum!” and “This is amazing!” from my friends and I. The food and cocktails were standouts, with my favourites including the chicken bao, chicken satay and Hanoi Chicken Stir Fry. Hochi Mama really know how to pack flavour into their dishes. The only negative for me would be their beef pad thai. I thought the beef could be a little more tender. However, this minor issue will not stop me from going back and trying more of their delicious dishes.

Honest Foodie

Been here twice and loved it every single time! The customer service is so good and the waiter we had was so friendly. Came for my best friends bday and ordered so many dishes which were all perfect and flavourful. They even put a candle on the dessert and got the whole restaurant singing happy birthday. Beautiful experience, amazing food, exceptional service. Will be back again and again x

Paigi Chen

Had a lovely feed me feast at hochi mama the other night. Had a choice of 4 small dishes, 4 large dishes and 2 sides. Yay: we enjoyed most of the small dishes. Standout was the salmon ceviche and the viet croquettes. Out of the large dishes, the pad Thai was really nice. Also highly recommend the coconut rice, was a sweet treat. Nay: The meat in each dish was a little hard and over cooked- especially the pork belly which was disappointing. Also it was so dark inside the restaurant and the tables were a little too close together.

Melbourne Culture Eats

Last night was our first visit to Hochi Mama as we had heard so much about it. The service was super fast, the meals come out so quickly! In saying that its a high turnover restaurant so you would expect the service to be on point. The fit out of the restaurant is super cosy and cute. What we didnt like is our table was right next to a couple of girls and we could hear their whole conversation. It lacked privacy and intimacy.; What did we eat you ask? 🍴: Hochi Chicken Banh Bao ⁣ 🍴: Beef Rice Paper Rolls ⁣🍴: Beef Pho Thai ⁣🍴: Southside Curry ⁣🍚: Steamed Rice ⁣💰: $$$ - finer dining ⁣- more on the pricier side Our stand out entree was definitly the Hochi Chicken Banh Bao. Loved how fresh they were and the flavour was salivating. As for the Beef Rice Paper Rolls - they werent the best - i was very disappointed that they werent served with a dipping sauce. The rice paper roles needed it they were super dry and lacking crispness. As we have both recently returned from Vietnam we were very hard critics. On to the mains - The stand outs of the whole dining experience. The Chicken Southside Curry was divine, creamy and loved the hint of pumpkin. The Beef Pho Pad Thai was also delicious. This is more of a special occasion visit for us due to the price-point. Overall it was an awesome experience. Follow Melbourne Culture Eats on Instagram & Facebook for all the best world eats around Melbourne. =)

Sarita

The menu offers a decent variety if you’re a vegetarian. The vegan duck pancake rolls and veggie dumplings were lovely starters. The southern curry was quite nice too, the only negative is that rice isn’t served as standard with the curries so need to be ordered separately. The coconut rice arrived well before the curry by which time the rice was cold. Whilst the food is tasty, it can get very loud very quickly, to the point of not being able to hear your fellow diners! I’d like to try out more of the veggie/vegan menu.

Eat Good Melbourne

Hochi Mama serves up modern asian fusion with a casual hipster vibe. It’s quite loud inside so it’s great for a night out. We ordered the oysters, spring rolls, scallops, soft shell crab and chicken. I loved the scallops, so tasty in the rich curry sauce. Service is great and super friendly.

Janelle Byrne

Experienced a wonderful evening of delightfully delicious food and sparkly attentive staff. Five stars isn't enough. We loved every bite YUM!

Elonie

I came here before for dinner, and was not happy with the staff, who tried to make us leave even though we haven't finish eating. Recently have come back for lunch takeaways because of MealPal and their food have been alright. Their pad thai came with crunch noodle bits which adds good texture without the use of nuts. The saigon chicken curry & rice looked like there's not a lot of sauce at first, but it's all at the bottom. The amount was actually just right and with the added fresh herbs and salad, the meal does not feel as heavy.

Erica George

This place is something! Such a character. Its lively, heavily crowded,with quirky dim lit ambiance, set in an alley. Weekends are packed,reservations are a must if you dont want a long wait. The staff is warm,courteous and very efficient. The food is the highlight. It's so authentic and brutal. The flavors are packed in with a punch. If your visiting Melbourne this is the place to eat! Also dont forget to try the unique cocktails!

Jill

Cheap but delicious!! The only downside is the place is so tiny and the tables have been cramped so close to one another. But who cares when you have delicious food to inhale.

Ricky.katyal86

This place is great for late night dinner cravings. Amazing mix of Asian fusion dishes, great entrees and menu designed to share. Love the cocktail list and vibes of place. Great for Friday night dinner. Although went once for weekday lunch with there special lunch menu,it wasn’t that exciting and the place didn’t had that vibe .

Surabhi Ganapathy

Feed me is a must. You will enjoy flavours, variety and will leave full!! They also do a great job of catering for different dietary requirements. Lots of vego options! Lastly, Georgia was lovely

Sense Of Food

🇻🇳 vietnamese fusion dinner 🐑 lamb massaman 🐟 salmon ceviche 🐔 hochi fried chicken banh bao 🏚: Hochi Mama 📍: Liverpool St, Melbourne . ———————————————————— . 📝: Hochi Mama, a contemporary day-to-night venue that champions modern, Vietnamese-inspired cuisine. Hochi Mama is an ideal CBD pit stop for takeaway at any time of the day or night. The dinner menu is divided into flavoursome post-work tapas and mains that are predictably designed to share. . ❤️: The menu introduces contemporary flavours carefully, while still honouring tradition. Don’t go past the crowd-pleasing Hochi Fried Chicken Banh Bao, known as the best on the menu, a soft steamed bao pillow stuffed with crispy fried chicken, spicy kimchi, fermented chilli beans and tangy creamy sauce. Other favorites include the Lamb Massaman, which are super tender and served in creamy curry, and Salmon ceviche with mayo and an Asian twist with dollops of sour and spicy Thai seafood sauce. ———————————————————— . . . #instafood #restaurant #foodstagram #foodporn #food #eat #hungry #starving #foodie #yum #yummy #delicious #vacation #cafe #travel #holiday #vietnam #seafood #night #weekend #wine #vietnamese food #bangkok #thailand #melbourne #australia #dinner #friday #fusion #thaifood

Piggyeatalot

May 2019 3.5 stars ⭐️ I previously mentioned back in Jan that I was disappointed w Hochi Mama and they have kindly invited me back to try their menu. We tried ordering their lunch banquet but with only the two of us they kept telling us we can’t order it because it’s for 8 or more people, even though it didn’t actually say that. It only said something like for 8 or more people everyone must participate in the banquet menu. That’s a little bit confusing and sad because we do want to try everything so we can then give a better review but no matter, we ordered and entree and mains each and the manager (?) kindly said he will throw in something extra for us. We ordered the soft shell crab sliders and the roti to start w and the chicken slaw berry salad and Saigon grilled chicken as a main. They gave us some extra fried chicken gua bao which was juicy and delicious- a big thumbs up from us! The soft shell crab slider was nice, though the soft shell crab itself was a bit dry, andI would much preferred the chicken bao. Our order of curry roti didn’t actually come 😕😕😕 The chicken slawberry salad was fresh, delicious and it has a good balance of flavours. Definitely something I would order next time when I am feeling something healthy! The Saigon grilled chicken was equally excellent. Once again the chicken was cooked beautifully, juicy and perfectly grilled. Overall it was a fantastic lunch with the highlights being the three chicken dishes. It would have been nice if the banquet menu rules were less confusing and if we had the roti but our full tummies are happy with all the delicious offerings anyway. We thank you Hochi Mama for hosting us and we can’t wait to visit again. ❤️ Jan2019 2 ⭐️ Kinda disappointed with HochiMama. Glad I didn’t pay full price for my pad Thai because the whole meal was just way too salty. Thankfully they gave me some lemon which helps, but if I had to pay $13 for this, I definitely won’t recommend it. Thankfully I got it through Mealpal, otherwise I would have been completely annoyed. I buy Mealpal so I can try different food and then go back to have sit down meal there. I definitely won’t be having a sit down meal at Hochi Mama that’s for sure! 😐

Mia Tua

I had a very lovely dinner at Hochi Mama. My friend booked a table for us which I highly recommended, unless you’re happy to sit outside in the cold! Staff was really really friendly and very attentive and accommodating. We chose the ‘feed me’ option which made us both happy and a good value for money. I mostly enjoyed the chicken baos. Just be aware of the spicy level of the dishes though. Most item with only 1 chili are mild, but the wontons are really really spicy. Even my friend who likes spicy said they were very spicy! I could not eat them and the waitress kindly swapped them for me with another dish! Thank you so much!

Stevie

Morgan was super lovely, gave good recommendations and was really happy and approachable. Excellent service. I don’t particularly love Asian food I really enjoyed this

Prof. Pinky@LunchLab

J’s score 3.75. J & her little sister had a catch up dinner here on Tue 19th Mar. Service was good & relaxed - staff were friendly, helpful & prompt. Meant to be a 1.5hr setting but they were allowed to run over. The space is clean & comfy - the seating wasn’t squished all together like some popular places. Background music was just that (not too loud 😃). The crowd itself was loud though, as it was really busy! Sis had: Grilled satay chicken > A largeish serve which she liked. It had a lot of salad, but not a huge amount of peanut sauce. It wasn’t that spicy which was good for her (as she can’t take the heat 😅)! J had: Salmon ceviche > A moderate size – it was quite spicy & had nice mayo. Large long strips of salmon were possibly a bit too thick in places (only real criticism). More sashimi than ceviche? They shared: Coconut rice > Swimming in warm coco milk – interesting & quite nice. Hanoi vego spring rolls > They were nice & had a crispy lace wrap (& salad). The dipping sauce with fresh sliced chill (hot) was slightly watery. Asian green veg stir fry > Mainly Morning glory (which was lovely), mixed lettuce & carrot. The soy(ish) sauce eventually made the lettuce soggy (a drawback at the end). Cocktails – They each had a Hoochi Mama > Fresh & tasty. Sis had a Forever young > Pineappley. J had a Duck duck goose > Yummy 😋! J probably wouldn’t return based on the value for money factor…

Mark Cusack

Wow what else can I say! Crazy good. Great service, very well priced and even better food. Great GF options for my girlfriend and non GF for me. Only downside is gets super busy so best to book a table. Will be heading back soon. Good bar next door as well :)

Alanna

Love this place! Been here a few times now and it’s become a go to for us! Food is just amazing packed full of flavour, staff are easy going and attentive. Super affordable for what you get.

Aaron Chin

Hochi Mama is the best Viet fusion restaurant that I have been to in Melbourne. We booked a table (and glad we did because it was a full house) and was seated immediately upon our arrival. There were four of us. We ordered the "Me Hungry Now" and it was totally worth it. The best dishes we had were the pork hock and whole market fish. Growing up as a Malaysian Chinese where we do eat a fair amount of pork hock, I have never seen pork hock done like that and the curry sauce that accompanies it packs a punch! The whole market fish was fresh and done well so the inside remains juicy but not uncooked. The only thing is that the waitresses wouldn't make any eye contact so it's hard to get their attention. Maybe it was due to the restaurant being busy but I think this can be improved. Overall, would come back again in no time.

Kate

All the rumours that Hochi Mama is incredible is no lie! The wait was worth it with every meal, side, and dessert being a delight to enjoy! Very understanding of Coeliac Disease made dining here even more enjoyable!

Georgia Crisfield-Smith

Amazing food every time we have come and great value for their ‘feed me’ menu. Out host Georgia was fantastic and made the dining experience really nice and special for my partners birthday.

Nat S

Always really busy and buzzing but a nice place and once seated staff are very friendly and helpful! We opted for the ‘me hungry now’ which is $65 for 2 smaller, 2 larger dishes and 1 side. We were pretty full afterwards! Duck wontons and chicken baos were delish! Lamb curry could have more meat in it. But everything has a good spice to it too. Would return!!

Robin

Located in an iconic Melbourne laneway, Hochi Mama is a fun and relaxed restaurant/bar serving up modern Vietnamese-inspired street food. Expect interesting interpretations of traditional classics, as well as more contemporary Asian Fusion menu items. In the bar, highly-experienced mixologists offer an exciting cocktail menu designed especially to compliment the food. Located near ample parking, trains and trams.

Cody

I celebrated my birthday here with a large group. We shared the $39.5 banquet which is such good value for money!The food is delicious, one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne and my friends loved it too. The service is impeccable and they catered to all of my friends food allergies very well. Highly recommended.

Shak

Absolutely love this place for it’s food, ambience and service. Occasionally there may be a short wait if we haven’t reserved a table but we are always well looked after. The set menu for $65 for 2ppl is awesome as you get to choose a number of dishes to share, also a great option if you have a large group! Food is always spot on, portions are not large but due to number of dishes we usually receive it is always enough.

Eric L

Visited tonight Thursday night with three friends making us a party of four. Booked a 5:30 p.m. sitting. The place became alive at this early sitting and continued until we left at 7:30. I must say this has become one of my favourite places. We chose to order the $65 set menu where you can choose 2 small 2 large and one side serve from anything on the menu. Because there was four of us we ordered two of these. We ordered a variety of dishes to try and included everything from Barramundi through to pork belly and other dishes. The food quality and tastes were simply sensational, without exception, and unanimously voted so by everybody at the table. All in all the food was so delicious and they hit it on the head claiming to be a fusion of the Asian Cuisine with modern Western influences such that the final product that lands on the table is just simply amazing. If you are after a casual yet sensational gastronomic experience I thoroughly recommend this place. Given the preceding comments I am comfortable to say that the price value equation is evenly balanced or favours the visitor just because of the sensational flavours. Service was really good our waiter was very helpful decor modern and simple clean casual relaxed just the sort of place I like. Well done Ho Chi mama!

Jesso

went during the break of harry potter & the cursed child theatre show, was booked out but lovely lady made us a spot on the bar. ordered hochi fried chicken & massaman lamb curry, both were amazing, great flavours. staff were lovely & talkative behind the bar, would definitely attend again! loved & cannot fault on our experience

Tina Gan

Food is good here but the staff have a weird attitude all the time, seems like we’re doing them a favour by dining there (this only applies to the hostess with the bright hair, the servers are all lovely)

Christina Mathiasz

Was not as blown away as i thought i would be, judging from the zomato reviews. Our food was good but not great. Best dish we had was the pork bao, which had great flavour but needed more fresh filing and the fried chicken was super crispy. Unfortunately the crispy pork large plate was a disappointment. The pork was not crispy and quite dry, that we hardly ate any of it. Stand out of the night was the delicious cocktails and cudos to the excellent staff!

Winney Wang

I always wanted to come here but every time I come it's fully booked or a long wait. However husband and I were lucky that we had a gap between the muscial show. We got in first at 5.30pm. Got seated quickly too! We haven't being here before so the waitress suggested for us to try the $65 deal which we did. From the smaller dishes we picked crispy chicken bao and chicken skewers. The larger dishes we had soft shell crab and pork belly. We were so impressed how quick the food arrived after we ordered. The crispy chicken was just to die for! So yummy on the first bite with that chili Mayo source which hubby loved. We could easily have more of it. Chicken skewers with the peanut source was delicious too. For the large dishes, the pork belly with the chili source was a great mix! It has a good punch to it. I normally not a chili person so I had a little but it was enough to give that pork belly a delicious taste. The soft shell crab was also very delicious too. We think that the $65 deal is really great to try for variety dishes. Overall we had a really lovely experience!! We highly recommend the restaurant to others and we can't wait to come back to try other dishes.

PiggyandPanda Eats

We went to meet a up with a friend who third wheeled our lunch and decided on the quite popular asian fusion place; Hochi Mama. We love asian fusion food so we were looking forward to what Hochi Mama had to offer! The interior is wonderfully decorated and quite trendy, the staff was helpful and gave detailed recommendations. We had the chance to try: • Hochi Chicken Banh Bao - very delicious, soft bao & crispy chicken but $15 for 2 seems quite costly • Rice paper rolls - fresh & balanced but again quite pricey • Seafood Spring Rolls - solid • Massaman Lamb Curry - unfortunately was a miss for us! Lamb was very dry and not tender making it quite difficult to eat 😞 Overall, unfortunately the dish we were looking forward to was a miss, but otherwise food is generally good but quite costly for what you get. Piggy rating: 🐷🐷🐷🐷 Panda rating: 🐼🐼🐼

Carmelia Ng

My friend works at this restaurant so we decided to go for a visit. I went in open minded and I was completely blown away by the food. The food was so creative and so unique but also authentic at the same time. I cannot recommend coming here enough. Amazing vegetarian options and lovely staff. I've never uploaded a photo on Zomato but today's the day! Bring your friends, bring your family or better yet just bring yourself you won't be disappointed homies. Specially shout out to our waiter Morgan!

Sesame Eats

Hochi Mama knows how to do Thai fusion the right way. Rather than making watered-down westernised versions of Thai food, they do their own thing to great success. The Thai Curry here is far from traditional, but unlike many other contemporary Thai places, it’s actually incredible. There isn’t anything to complain about with their other dishes either. The Soft Shell Crab Paw Paw Salad, Pho Thai, and Salmon Ceviche were all enjoyable experiences. The environment is warm and hip but is often very packed and noisy; make sure to book before you come. The service is also very friendly and attentive considering how busy it is. I’d definitely recommend coming here for your next Thai fusion dining experience.

AaronN

We were pretty disappointed by the food here. Everything was overly spiced, and the so-called crispy pork belly was anything but crispy. It was the opposite of crispy. There was no crispy element to it.

Felix The Cat

Came here lunch (so I’m solely judging on the lunch menu), but would have loved to try the dinner menu. Tried the strawberry salad which had nice flavours; sweet and tangy, but it was too much towards the end, would have preferred some rice or noodles with it. The starters were quite average.

Kris L

Located in one of Melbourne’s hidden laneways, Hochi Mama is a fun and vibrant restaurant serving up modern Vietnamese and Asian fusion food. Their food and cocktails are just as colourful as the interior. We only had a few small dishes to share and they were delicious (but portions are a bit small) - we are likely to visit again to experience a full meal.

Natsfoodadventures

We get the 'me hungry now' set and I must say the serving size of the large dishes are generous. We order a tiger beef salad on the side and I would definitely recommend it to those who love it sour with a little kick of spice. Although we didn't get to finish everything, it was a great experience.

SK

I really wanted to love this place but unfortunately the flavours simply weren't doing it for me. Nothing wrong, but there was just something lacking. No OOMPH to make me return.

Jodie Pham

Lovely small venue, I would recommend booking before you go as the place does fill up quite quickly. Buns we ordered did come out hot, and food service took quite a while.

MsConnoisseur

My Key Three Pointers * I felt it was a tad pricey for what we got. * I wanted to love it but I was not feeling it. * My verdict mediocre. The service was super friendly and very accommodating and helpful, they made many adjustments to make some of our selection more kid friendly. Our order was mixed up on a few things but they are so nice you simply can’t get upset. They bring out the food super quick and amended the errors in a flash. We had the fried vegetable dumplings, beef rice paper rolls, crispy chicken buns, pineapple fried rice, satay chicken, masamman curry. I thought we were doing Vietnamese but felt the menu had many Asian inspired dishes. I’m not sure why but I did not love anything enough to say wow I need to come back. I felt the salads on the side of most the dishes were the same same same, the rice paper rolls did not do much for me. I did like the massaman curry but would much prefer it without the pineapple. I loved the simplicity of the Decor and the low tables with stools outside. It was not bad but it did not really do it for me.

Pav Parmar

Went there for New year eve dinner ... The food is so good .. and the service too .. we orders so many dishes and and loved all of them .. from fried chicken to stir-fry dishes, one of my favourite restaurants now

Joy

Really really bad service. Food was alright, nothing special to shout out for, at least not great enough to mask the restuarant's poor service. An asian service staff, probably the manager was the worst during our lunch there on New Year Eve. His body language was impolite and disrespectful. It was a let down considering the high ratings on Zomato. Would not recommend this place at all, just head next door to Shimbashi Soba or Rice Paper Scissors for really excellent food and service even at their busiest period.

AngeLuvFood8

I came here on Christmas Eve for dinner, booked for 6.15pm. Had been wanting to try this place for a while and good opportunity as I had a friend visiting from Mexico. 🔆LOCATION🔆 Hochi Mama is conveniently located in Liverpool Street an alley way between Bourke and Little Bourke Street .🔆SERVICE🔆 The service was absolutely shocking. The blonde girl who took our order looked like she didnt even want to be there. We waited over 20 minutes for our drinks, and in the end found out that our drink order was not even put through the system. Finally, after 35 minutes our drinks came but to our disappointment was not that nice. Too sweet! We ordered Pineapple Fried Rice with chicken, but we received Pad Thai instead. The waitress just dumped the dish onto the table and hurried away even before I could stop her. Finally I got her attention and told her that we didnt order this. Her respond was shocking - instead of being apologetic, she said " so what did you order then?" ! What kind of attitude is that? Understand that Its Christmas Eve, but they had more than enough wait staff on hand. Service was absolutely appalling.Seriously, they should make the wait staff write down the order to ensure no errors. 🔆MENU/PRICE🔆 We ordered: Pork Belly Bao, $15.00 Trio Prawns, $14.00 with extra prawn, $4.50 Sweet & Sour Crispy Soft Shell Crab with salad $23.00 Pineapple Fried Rice with chicken, $20.00 Apple Juice, $4.00 Cranberry Juice, $4.00 Total order: $86.50 🔆VERDICT🔆 I will not be coming back again! Service was awful, food was below average and over-priced! The Pork Belly Bao was very disappointing. There were only 10% meat, and 90% fat. The Pineapple Fried Rice lacked flavour and the chicken was not even marinated. I can make better Fried Rice. The prawns were tiny! For the price we paid we expected decent size. The flavours were there but was a total rip off. We ate, and left within 1 hour. We didnt even finish our drink, and decided to go elsewhere for dessert. Very disappointing Christmas Eve dinner and an embarrassment as I took a friend who was visiting overseas there to eat! Seriously you can get much better food elsewhere!

Jackson Trundle

This place is good! The food is great and comes out rather quickly. The staff is incredibly friendly! The prices are incredibly reasonable considering the quality of the food! had been meaning to try out this place for a while and certainly wasn’t disappointed and would definitely come back.

Princeofharts

Came here for a second visit for a quick work lunch. Had some minor issues on the first visit but they invited me back to try it again. Was great! I recommend the fried chicken (as a starter) and the chicken curry (main). Service was top notch, thanks to the lady with blonde hair (apologies I didn’t catch your name) and the rest of the crew. Thanks so much!!

Rach

Delicious food and can generally cater to dietary requirements. Highly recommend the Feed Me deal which gets 2 people 2 small dishes, 2 large dishes and a side. The ambience is okay, the restaurant is very small and quite loud. Overall, great customer service. The waitress heard the food was too spicy and of her own accord, asked if we would like another with less spice. Worth a try for sure!!

Kiffdcosta

Food was really great here! Service was excellent & the vibe was although a small place was really good. I would recommend getting the ‘me hungry now’ as it’s not only a great price but you get to try a whole range of things

Yume Yume

Really yummy food. Certainly an interesting menu with plenty of tasty options. The cocktail menu was also very excited and I liked the suggested pairings as a cute touch Definitely a little noisy but also it was a Friday night and the staff were clearly under the pump but still maintained a relatively vibe. I had been meaning to try out this place for a while and certainly wasn’t disappointed and would definitely come back.

SouthEastEater

*4.5 Dined at Hochi Mama as a group of 6. We all participated in the ‘me hungry now’ deal, which was more than enough food. Definite stand outs were the massaman lamb curry, rice paper rolls (eggplant) and salmon ceviche. The north meets south steamed barramundi was very good, however portion size was disappointing. Great service and all staff very attentive and helpful. Overall, I highly recommend dining at Hochi Mama!

Zoe

Came here for dinner and there was great service, great food just a loud atmosphere! In saying that I would still recommend and eat there again for sure!

Amit Tuteja

Asian fusion is the big thing these days. This place serves a fusion of Vietnamese and Thai (the food leans more towards Thai). It’s a very busy place with not much room at all. Bookings are recommended. Although we booked we were led to a table right in the way to the kitchen with very wobbly chairs. On our request the waiting staff moved us to a bit better table (on the way to the toilets). But the chairs were still wobbly. The service staff was excellent and very caring. The food itself was above average. Beef in rice paper rolls was tender but lacked flavour. The trio of prawns was yummy. The mains of pork belly was very chewy, so we informed the waitress and she promptly replaced it. The second time around it was much better. The fish was the highlight, it was amazing. Loved the way they do their coconut rice!! The cocktails were great too!! This is not a place to go for a quiet meal, but if you can handle noise then go for it.

Li Lisa

I wanted to like this place because they had great customer service and food was very well presented. But sorry it did not taste so good. noodle was mushy, The sauce for noodle salad is nothing like Vietnamese sauce. The beef rice paper roll had too much lemongrass. The tofu one had too much salt... Haven’t tried other dishes yet but it are better/cheaper Vietnamese places

Maddy Chokljat

Went with a large group and we had the banquet and I wouldn’t go back again. I had to pay $50 for it yet I barely ate anything as I didn’t like any of the dishes. The waitress was not helpful at all and the table was so crowded it was uncomfortable. Was definitely a big rip off I feel like I just gave them a $50 note for nothing.

Brett

First time to Hochi Mama and will definitely be back. Great atmosphere and equally great food. Our waiter Kaya was friendly and suggested some dishes that we may like. He was spot on. The salmon ceviche and steamed barramundi were a stand out.

Daniellefuerst1

Great food if you can handle spice but otherwise would not recommend as found most dishes spicy! Atmosphere and vibe were great (very noisy!). My favourite dishes were the baos (both chicken and pork!), Hochi Fried Chicken and Massaman Lamb Curry!

Sanj Tanya

This place is amazing! The food is great and comes out rather quickly. The staff are incredibly friendly! The prices are incredibly reasonable considering the quality of the food! We started with the chicken Bahn bao and vegan duck, then moved to the sweet and sour soft shell crab and the Southside chicken curry! Everything was mouthwatering. Would go back for more.

Aleksandra Smiljanic

I visited Hochi Mama just recently and was very impressed with the level of friendliness and warmth experienced by the staff there, particularly by Cleo. She explained the menu to us and made excellent recommendations. Our favourite was the Bahn Bao which has very flavoursome fried chicken wrapped in a soft bun. Would strongly recommend this place for delicious affordable asain with second to none service.

Lily-Rose Palmer

Amazing food, cocktails, and service. The prices are very reasonable and our server Cleo was a friendly and attentive host. My new go to place to take friends and family! Crispy tofu bao are a must try.

Kheng OMNOM

This is the second time I’ve been to Hochi Mama and I’m really impressed as its even better than the first! We ordered the “Me Hungry Now” for 2 people plus two desserts and we were so full. I personally feel this deal is incredible value and I’ve dined at a lot of Fusion places. I love the ambience as well here but everything we ate was outstanding! My favourite was the Chefs recommendation Sashimi and the chicken curry as well as the flounder and baos! Basically everything we ordered. My partner really enjoyed the golden gaytime fried bao and I loved the pandan panna cotta! This place covers all your tastebuds and a must visit! Will definitely be coming back to try all their other dishes :) the staff were also incredibly friendly and welcoming when we arrived! AMAZING

Amid

Had a meal here with colleagues, good curry which is similar to red Thai curry but with less vegetables and more paste. Colleagues also happy with the meal although it took a while to serve ya. If you are allergic to coconut better ask the ingredients first.

Bear Noms

Came here tonight for a catch up with friends. Got seated promptly as we made a booking. The place was busy with a vibrant atmosphere. We got the $29.50 a person deal for the 3 of us which included 3 large, 3 small, and 2 side dishes. The Hanoi style flounder was a winner, fried with a sweet spicy sauce! Worth adding the $9 for it. We also enjoyed the chicken banh bao which came with a delicious tender fried chicken. The salmon sashimi was also unique and tasty. We also enjoyed the pineapple fried rice, spring rolls, and Southside curry. The only downside was the staff were a bit abrupt and we felt rushed. If you want to stay long to talk, this is not the place.

Claire Sawyer

We stopped by here on the way to the theatre and found the food to be delicious. Staff were friendly and welcoming. Cocktails were great. Prices were quite reasonable. A great place to eat!

Daisy

The three of us ordered the Me Hungry Now menu and found the food to be more than enough, especially as we didn’t expect dishes to come with salad. Most dishes tasted amazing; the only disappointment was the soft shell crab. The beef salad wasn’t too spicy at first but it hits after a while. We were surprised to find that the coconut rice actually had coconut milk drizzled over it which enhanced the coconut flavour. I got the Astroboy cocktail as sake cocktails are rare and the description was very tempting. It was a nice light cocktail with a lot of foam on top. The tables in Hochi Mama are very tightly packed, making bumps and scrapes inevitable. The floor is also a bit sticky. Be warned if you visit with backpacks or shopping bags.

Ruth Cathcart

Booked in for a birthday dinner. Brilliant place! Buzzing atmosphere, friendly staff and the food is beautiful. Fresh and full of flavour. We got the $59 to share between two. Overall a great spot for a couple or group to get lots of options off the menu. Coconut curry was delicious (slightly spicy) and pho Thai was great. The bahn bao is definitely a must!

Yummyjjoa

Ambience is great. Food is pretty good, eggplant rice paper role is amazing but it's super spicy!! Only downside is that the seating is only for 1.5 hours even if you make a booking.

Angeline Pyz

I have been to this place time & time again. I cannot get enough. The customer service is amazing! So many waiters & waitresses that will help you out & talk you through the menu. I have brought so many people to this place & all have them left with really good things to say. The food is absolutely delicious. All in all that is why I keep coming back, I’m never disappointed 😋

JK

Delicious food and Cleo was a great host! Make sure you leave room for the pandan pannacotta for dessert - it is amazing! The restaurant is super popular so make sure you get there early.

Sarah Brancatisano

Mama, you looked after us well. Great value for money ‘feed me’ menu (was really hard to pick from all the delicious sounding selections). Will definitely be back for the fried chicken and to try more menu items. Deep fried golden gaytime bao was a great mix of Vietnamese cuisine and an Aussie classic and the ‘up in smoke’ cocktail was a great choice in beverage complimenting the vibe and the food.

Bindiya Kripalani-Mirpuri

Great food and brilliant service by Cleo. The lunch special is so worth it. Cleo made the entire experience memorable with her customer service skills. Highly recommend Ho chi mama.

Melfidaniella

So good! I love any Asian fusion cuisine and this is no exception! The service from our waiter Fraser was tops and the chicken bao is a must try! We will definitely be back!

Stelly

I had a booking for 2 here at 5:30pm on a Saturday night. We were seated promptly, however all the tables were very cramped together so it wasn’t the most comfortable seating arrangement. Keep in mind that the dining time is 90mins, although that should be plenty of time as the service is extremely fast. Waiters are friendly, but it did feel very rushed and disorganised, with dishes being given to the wrong table. We went for the Feed Me option ($59 for 2), which let us choose 2 smaller dishes, 2 larger dishes and 1 side. We found it to be the perfect amount of food - not too little to still feel hungry, but not too much so that we could still fit in dessert after. Started with a Good Morning Vietnam cocktail which was delightful, but would’ve preferred a stronger coffee flavour to shine through. Hochi Chicken Banh Bao is a must-try - soft and fluffy bao, crispy and tender fried chicken, and a very yummy chilli sauce. It could’ve done with a little more sauce, as it got a bit dry in my opinion. Salmon Ceviche was a delight too - loved the secret sauce and the crispy fried shallots on top. Sweet & Sour Crispy Soft Shell Crab was another highlight of our meal - the sweet and sour sauce was extremely addictive and complemented the crispy soft shell crab very well. The slaw was also nice and refreshing. Spicy Seafood Stir Fry was, though still tasty, probably the least impressive dish of the night - it was a pretty ordinary stir fry dish. But the crispy kale was so flavourful and soaked up all that delicious sauce. Seafood Spring Rolls were a nice side to go with our meal - crispy and not too heavy. Loved the dipping sauce. I had my eye on the Pandan Panna Cotta for dessert, and it was pleasantly surprising. It was very well balanced, with the sweetness and texture coming from the honeycomb, and the bitterness from the pandan panna cotta. Both the vanilla and mango ice cream were delicious and creamy, and tied the dish together. A lovely way to end the night. Overall, we had a great experience at Hochi Mama. It’s a great place to try fusion Vietnamese cuisine without breaking the bank!

Matthew Dodson

The best Asian food in metro Melbourne and fantastic service from Morgan. You can’t go past the trio of Prawns or the chicken buns ..... the only thing, the food could of had a little more kick after eating their spicy dish....still mild.

Flying Forward

Hochi Mama is what I consider a 2nd generation Vietnamese restaurant, in a sense that the founders grew up in Melbourne from immigrant parents and this is their spin. Bringing flavours they grew up with to the modern crowd, the restaurant is decked out in graffiti, neon signs, and pumping music. Fortunately, flavours are still bang-on - even with my takeaway Saigon Fried Chicken with Rice, the sauce had an awesome kick of garlic and fish sauce. The fried sunny side up egg completed the meal perfectly, as the yolk was still oozy. I'll be back soon for a dine-in session, with some cocktails definitely!

Conor McCabe

Always a great menu, but made better by an even better waitress. We have our waitress Cleo the reigns of the menu and she led us through the entire night. Absolutely awesome.

Alex Corva

Went with the feed me menu, and it was amazing! Went with Cleo’s recommendation and loved every dish. The cocktails were also delicious. Friendly service and great food. 5 stars for Cleo and the team at ho chi mama!

Shareen Rahman

Everything was awesome, the food, the drinks , the waiters, i loved everything but I wish they would move to a bigger place so they would have more space for more customers 😊 they really need to expand

PW Lou

The staff were friendly however a bit tricky to get service. You have to be quick to catch their eye. The acoustic in the restaurant isn't great and its hard to hear each other talk. We were seated beside another couple whom were strangers as it felt more like a 4 person table. If we were Asia or walked in, I would be more forgiving but not when one has booked a table. We had the scallop - which was nice and the salmon cerviche which was also nice. Mains were the pork hock, fried flounder and Asian greens with coconut rice. They were okay. The coconut rice was very different from my expectations - cream coconut poured over rice.. All in all, pretty average food. I'm certain that the feed me menu would be sufficient for some but unfortunately not for us. Hence a pricey dinner for us.

Saemyi Han

We were craving for some gooooooood asian dinner tonight. and HOCHI MAMA was juuuuuuust perfect! Everything was delicious! And we were very lucky to have Fraser and Morgan serving us. Very friendly and welcoming. Great customer service in general. I got not a thing to complain. Great work guys!!♥

Neil Moore

My wife and I, and our 3 adult children dined at Hochi Mama tonight. Great food, great atmosphere, great service. Had the: Vegan Friendly Crispy Peking Duck Green Tea Tofu Bar Hochi Chicken Banh Bao Salmon Ceviche Hochi Fried Chicken Asian Green Vegetable Stir Fry Coconut Rice and a couple of beers, a couple of Martinis, and a glass of Riesling. Great flavors, clean, fresh and vibrant. Contemporary, but wholesome at the same time. We were so well received, so well taken care of, and so attentively served, it was delightful. Cleo (our server) is a rockstar - and we would hope that at some point she is promoted to the role of CAO - Chief Awesomeness Officer !

VVega

Ruined a milestone birthday. Absolutely atrocious customer service. Very rude. We booked a large table for a birthday over the phone weeks in advance and at the time was not advised a credit card was needed to make the booking. When we arrived we were told they did not reserve the table because we did not give them a credit card to hold the table. They apparently called us (on the same week of the booking mind you) to get the credit card details but we missed the call and they did not bother to leave a message or bother to call again? They ruined the birthday and the whole weekend. The person at the desk was also very rude and did not seem to care that we had booked. A group of 10 was basically left with nowhere to go for a birthday and the staff did not seem to care at all. Considering this is a customer service based business, it is not acceptable. I will be spreading the word and telling everyone of my terrible experience. Not good enough.

Serenaa.chengg

Extremely disappointed in the service at this restaurant. We booked a table 2 weeks beforehand, called twice to confirm, travelled one whole hour only for them to tell us that they’ve ‘released the table’ because they didn’t get ‘credit card confirmation’, when they didn’t make it clear they needed my card beforehand. Wasn’t even apologised to. Was just told that they’ve learned from their mistakes. This restaurant is honestly so unprofessional and disrespectful, hope everyone else doesn’t experience this.

Sandy

Bad customer service. Friend booked in advance weeks beforehand and arrived on the night, only for the employees to say they released our table. All 12 customers travelled to eat here, only to be disappointed by the unprofessional service.

Wine And Food Lovers

Lunch in the sun at hochi mama today. Food was really tasty, i had the chicken curry & some roti. Service was friendly, the food did come out a but staggered but they were busy. Good price. Atmosphere was good especially once the sun came out, we were offered rugs before that which was a nice gesture.

Betterresult

Food: Tasty, Asian infusions. Service: Good - specifically the waitress with the Irish? accent who was friendly and accommodating. Ambience: Heaters and blankets were provided for al fresco dining - a big need in the Melb cold!

Dee

I came here with a large group for my birthday on Saturday and we had the most wonderful time. The $39.5 banquet is such great value and our host, Cleo was fantastic. We had celiacs, low fodmaps, peanut allergies etc but the staff were accommodating and went above and beyond to look after us. I would highly recommend Hochi Mama!

Guzzling

Food: Chicken bao was the winner hands-down but the soft shell crab and ceviche were great too. Would not recommend the Massaman curry - maybe they had off day but lamb was tough and tasted very average. Coconut rice is VERY coconutty and comes with coconut cream poured over it which I loved. Service:Great when we could actually get someone's attention. Staff were spread pretty thin across the floor but were very friendly when we actually managed to talk to them.

Donna Hayes

Love this little gem. Massaman lamb curry melts in mouth. Soft shell crab was light and not overly hot. Quick service with lovely young staff, Cleo looked after us superbly - very knowledgeable on dishes. Not an overly extensive wine list, but you will find something you like ... just ask the staff. Great for vegetarians and meat lovers. Yummy cocktail list. Book a table in advance, especially if you want to be inside.

Fatcat

Chill and lively atmosphere and very friendly wait staff. I highly recommend the Saigon curry (their signature) and the soft shell crab banh mi - delicious!!

Tracy Jc Nguyen

Great vibes, friendly and attentive service. Good value for money with the feed me deal. One of salmon dishes were beautiful. It is a very busy little place, but the food arrived pretty fast. Marked down for the dessert. We ordered the gaytime bao which was absolute rubbish, the bread was doughy and hard.

Lucky Star

Chicken Bao was good. Vegan crispy fried Peking duck was excellent, will definitely have that again. Southern Chicken curry was creamy and amazing. Tempuras are a must try. The price was good, $59 for 2 people - feed me. Will be coming back here again.

Vivienne Zhu

We came as a group of 8 and purchased the Me Hungry Now option, definitely worth it and we were able to share a large range of dishes. The fried chicken bao, pineapple fried rice and soft shell chilli crab were delicious. Definitely enjoyed Cleo's service, making our a super enjoyable and made sure we could stay over time given our delayed arrival! Best service and we would definitely come here again!

Abbie Sheers

Had a great experience at Hochi Mama with a group of 9. Morgan was our host and did everything he could to make sure we were comfortable! Fantastic service! We had the banquet which was great.. our favourite dishes were fried chicken bao, curry & coconut rice! Yum! Thankyou Morgan for your great service !

Claire

Had a really nice dinner here! They do a good deal of 2 entree, 2 main and a side for $59 for 2 people (can add more). Food was yum, service was fast and our server Morgan was very helpful and friendly! Cocktails were good too!

Mikayla Williamson

Lovely team, with delicious food. We had a great banquet amongst the three of us. Unfortunately we only had an hour to dine. But overall great experience. Thanks Hochi Mama Team

Harold Clark

Busy on a Thursday night. Loud, youthful ambience. Food was average, above or below depending on dish. Some small nice touches in the cooking. Smallish portions. Service below average. Reservations are for 90 minute sittings but the restaurant does not deliver in time. Don't plan on enjoying your meal within the time slot particularly if dining pre-theater. If you must visit, plan for more time if you can. Our party of five ordered seven dishes which came out one at a time and the last three arriving after 80 minutes had lapsed. Then only after an inquiry at the 65 minute mark. Wait staff response was "it's in the queue". Business got busy and now needs work.

Scott Edwards

Went to Hochi Mama Saturday night and it was excellent! Cleo looked after us expertly and the food was simply delicious. Great Vibe. We left the restaurant totally fulfilled and happy. Highly recommend.

Riley

Friendly staff with a refreshingly human element, love that they provide blankets in the cold. Nice looking and tasting food, some with their own uniques twists. Surprisingly quick, given how busy it was. Walk-ins don't seem possible but that's understandable, wish I knew that before we went there though (cold night). Vegetarian-friendly. Strongly recommend the Green Tea Tofu Bao, next time I'll be getting 4pcs to share instead of 2pcs to share :P

EatsByM

Finally visited Hochi mama after wanting to try it for so long and my experience was just average/slightly disappointing, mainly due the lack/poor service. The food was delicious and possibly might return to try other things on the menu however the service was a massive let down. We ordered the feed me menu, as there we were a group of 5, we were able to choose 5 smaller, 5 larger and 3 sides plus extras (desserts and drinks). For the smaller dishes we ordered the pork bao, fish cakes and rice paper rolls. For the larger dishes we ordered the pork hock, Hanoi style stir fried chicken, southside chicken curry, the fried rice with pineapple and the fried chicken. For the sides we picked two servings of coconut rice and vegetarian spring rolls. For dessert we ordered the friend gaytime bao, pandan panna cotta and the chocolate mousse. The stand outs from these dishes were definitely the pork belly baos, pork hock and the southside chicken curry. The desserts were quite disappointing and bland to be honest. The service was really lacking. We had to wait ages for some drinks to come out on to the table. Although the food was quick, after the main meals, staff cleared the table and was unable to get anyone’s attention for a dessert menu. Once we were done with all of our meals, it was again difficult to get staff’s attention to get the bill and when we finally did she didn’t bring it out and served other customers instead. Which left us sitting there trying to get someone’s attention all over again. Overall the food was great, the rating of my experience is based more around the service aspect.

Angela Xiao

The service especially by Fraser and Cleo was out of this world and made the dining experience more exciting and comfortable. Would recommend the salmon ceviche if you are a seafood lover!

Mmrward1

Food was amazing and the service was fantastic. Cleo was brilliant and very attentive. Definitely recommend the Pork belly boa and dumplings.

RGAnders

Ordered the me hungry now menu.. $59 pretty reasonable , although the portions are small. Won’t be ordering the rice paper roll as it’s pretty average, so make sure you order something else in the menu ( heaps to choose from) overall, I’ll give t a thumbs up, the service is great and attentive. Can be quite noise inside on a busy night.

Linda

Maybe cause we went during lunch on a Friday and it was super busy...or had super high expectations...but I wanted more!! The food was nice - the spicy chicken had great flavour and the portions are good value for money. Good amount of spice kick in the sauce. Service is great too.

Veta Bajaj

One of the tastiest and value for money 'feed me' menus in Melbourne. The portions were perfect for me and 2 other friends and we got to try a great variety of food. Out host Cleo was fantastic in explaining the menu and very patient with us when we couldn't choose what to eat.

Phillip Ngu

Had a great night there for my mum's birthday Sunday night. Food was great, service was great (we had Cleo who was awesome!), drinks delicious. Will come back!

Tarra

I had heard great things about Hochi Mama and was excited to try it myself! Unfortunately, my expectations were not met. The customer service was disappointing with no staff members acknowledging us in the queue outside for about 15 minutes. I understand that hospitality is busy and stressful but a small greeting and the assurance that they would be with us soon would’ve been appreciated. I was finally greeted by a lady with coloured hair who was unhelpful and fairly rude. After waiting an hour for a table I was excited to try the food. I informed the waitress of my allergy and she proceeded to tell me which of the menu items I could choose from. However, when the food was brought out she told me that I actually couldn’t eat some of the things she had told me I could order. This food obviously went to waste and I was left paying for food I couldn’t eat. I must comment that despite all this the two staff working behind the bar were very kind and helpful. I hope this poor service was just a one off but I will not be recommending this restaurant to family and friends.

Larissa Cox

Such good food and service. Our waitress Cleo was really helpful and accommodating to our dietary requirements. The chicken bao was delicious!

Kavindi Deheragoda

Went for dinner on a Saturday night and had the Me Hungry Now option. Delicious food and great ambience. Portions were bought out pretty fast considering that they were packed. Definitely recommend the soft shell crab, chicken Bao and seafood springrolls.

Francesco Garbellini

Amazing restaurant, with some of the best Asian Fusion food in Melbourne and probably in Australia. I’m a regular here and I introduce this place to a lot of friends and family and they all come back for the food and the service. All the staff is always professional and helpful. Being a regular means I have got a favourite staff member, Cleo, who is always welcoming myself and whoever I bring along with a beautiful smile and she is always helping me out making the best food choices in the menu. Absolutely recommended, always busy in the weekends so better book in advance.

Samantha

I love visiting Hochi Mama whenever I’m in the city. The food and cocktails are always great and the venue has a great vibe. Unfortunately sound doesn’t travel too well throughout the venue which makes it really hard to have a conversation with someone sitting across from you.

Stef Jones

Fraser from the waitstaff at Hochi Mama made our night. He knows his stuff - we couldn’t decide so he picked our menu for us and paired a perfect wine too! Food was amazing thank you to the chefs and especially to Fraser!

@lukebMelb

Last night's dinner was fantastic. We ordered the massaman curry , ceviche, chicken bao , pineapple fried rice and the spring rolls. The staff are extremely friendly and reccomend their personal favourites on the menu. We had to sit outside as the restaurant was fully booked (at about 6pm) which was quite annoying at first, however the staff provided blankets and turned on an outdoor heater for us, which quickly warmed us up. I look forward to returning in the near future. Definitely check this place out if you havent. The $29 feed me option is great value for money.

PedGetsFed

Came here for a work lunch, great value deals, tried the veggie spring rolls and pork belly stir fry. Both were delicious and the meals around the table looked good. Also shout out to Fraser for allowing us to split the bill... more restaurants should take note.

Matilda.stack

Had a lovely dinner here tonight. Food, service and tunes were amazing! Our host Cleo was very helpful and kind. If your in Melbourne it should be on your lists of places to eat. Would highly recommend Hochi Mama

Adel-phoodie

Went here with some friend and did the ‘me hungry now’ option. It was great value for money. Would highly recommend. The workers were all above and beyond friendly. My favourite food was the Chicken Bahn Bao defiantly a must try! The only disappointment was there were no tables left inside so we had to sit outside on a cold nice. However, we were given blankets and sat heat a heater. I will definitely be back here when I visit Melbourne again.

Coco Zhang

Fusion is hard to satisfy everyone’s taste. In terms of food, this restaurant is above average. The bun is great, only the fish is a bite dry. The dining environment and the decor of the restaurant wasn’t impression. Sit is too close to each other. Therefore it’s crowed and noisy when it’s busy. Price is fair when order the $59 set menu for both person. Service was good, and the staff is friendly. I would not mind to back, but it’s not enough motivation for me to particularly come back for this restaurant.

Dine And Dash

Really nice Vietnamese fusion restaurant! The food and service was great. Went here with a friend on Tuesday night - we ordered the $59 deal. We got the DIY rice paper rolls, spring rolls, curry and the beef ribs. They were all very nice. The beef ribs was definitely the best dish and was very filling! I recommend booking in advance as we even though we had a booking we also had to wait for a table to free up - the waiters were very helpful and made sure our experience was great.

Mjloco

Great food & service. And unexpectedly great value! About $50 each for the Feed Me menu (2 mains, 2 entrees and 1 side) plus a cocktail! Very busy so expect to wait for a table. Will be back for sure.

Lisa Giles

We came here for a family dinner, and opted for the feed me menu which was great value at about $30 each. My sister and I got cocktails, and my pash and dash cocktail was sweet and yummy. They were very busy and service was lacking a bit, as it took a long time before we could order, but the food was served quite quickly which was a plus. We also ran out of water frequently. The chicken bao was a standout, as was the crispy pork belly with apple salad. The rest of the dishes were a bit hit and miss. I thought the must order flounder dish was a bit overcooked and hard to serve. If I came back I think I would try another selection of dishes.

Mj

Loved this crazy little busy restaurant. The $59 feed me deal is perfect for 2 people and great for value. Was easy to make a booking but don’t arrive early or late because they are always busy and pretty much you have to come on your set time. The cocktails were awsome and I couldn’t rate the food any higher. Must try the soft shell crab and whole flounder. Yum

Professor_JER

I've got a funny feeling that I'm getting too old for places such as Hochi Mama. While the food and service at this Liverpool Street eatery was excellent, this has to be the loudest restaurant I've ever sat in! The ambient noise was deafening, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that we pretty much had to shout at each other to be heard. I don't mind bustle and energy at a restaurant, but this took it to a new level. If you're OK with that, then, fine, you're going to love Hochi Mama. Another thing to be aware of is that this restaurant does not occupy a large space, so the tables are small and pretty close set. I lost count of the number of times I was bumped, brushed against, or just had my personal space invaded. I'm not looking for a personal dining room, but getting knocked on the back when you are attempting to delicately balance slippery dumplings with your chopsticks certainly keeps you on edge. Hochi Mama is part of Melbourne's great mod pan-Asian fusion scene. Think steamed bao buns with fried chicken, paw paw salad with tofu, crisp pork hock with Vietnamese spices--that sort of thing. The Friday night that we went there, the place was groaning busy with a VERY young crowd, and that's fine; hipsters have to eat somewhere, I suppose. The wait staff are similarly young, ridiculously enthusiastic, and suitably attired in regulation t-shirts. It's a scene, man. But here's the thing: When I put all that together, I instantly think "bad dining experience coming up". But, no, the food is terrific, and it comes fast! Everything seemed to hit the table within ten minutes of ordering.The kitchen here is certainly well organised. All of the dishes I enjoyed were nicely prepared and balanced the spice nicely (although perhaps there was a little too much sweetness in some for my taste). Serves here aren't big, but neither are the prices. The deals involving choosing a certain number of small and large plates for a set price are good value for a CBD restaurant. And as for that oh-so hipster waiter who served us, he was terrific! He provided very helpful advice on the menu, worked hard to accommodate the vegetarian at our table, and was quick and efficient with drinks. Kudos to the young man. Would I return to Hochi Mama? Hmm, probably not. The noise, the crowd, the scene, the 'tude--it's just not my thing. But, if you're into that, definitely give it go. The food and service are great.

Moeeee

Heard a lot about this place and was excited to try. Unfortunately I was pretty disappointed. The pork belly was not crispy and quiet chewy and the other items I ordered were not memorable. Only decent items were the cocktails.

Win - FSC

It was our first time visiting Hochi Mama for lunch and it was such a delicious experience! Let’s get straight into it: Roti & curry dip - the roti was slightly over crispy but the curry dip had compensated for this making it into a lovely combo! 🧡 Hochi fried chicken - as the saying goes, it was finger licking good! The crispiness and juiciness of the fried chicken went really well with mamas sauce! Crispy pork belly with rice - the pork belly skin was so crispy and the meat was most importantly soft and juicy which melted in our mouths! What made it even better was the greens on it making this dish well balanced. A good lunch selection if you’re starving! Spicy fried chicken with rice - my favorite dish for the meal! The fried chicken was so crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside and you could definitely taste the spices marinated into it! 😋 Overall experience was pretty good and I would go back again to try their other lunch dishes! Keep up the good work mama! 🤩

Gastrology

Tucked away in the Liverpool St, Hochi Mama serves up a delicious spin on traditional Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. We enjoyed taking the $59 dinner feast on a test drive. To start, we loved the Hochi chicken bao which comprises of expertly fried chicken topped with kimchi and fermented chilli beans within a soft steamed bun. The satay is another excellent starter and features luscious turmeric chicken skewers and a scrumptious side of peanut satay sauce.

Finger Lickin

Been on my bookmarks for so long so we finally got around to checking it out and it didn't disappoint. The drinks had clever names and tasted beautiful which is always a great start to a meal. The starters have great flavours and there are lots of options. One of the people dining is a vegetarian and they had lots of options. The mains are great portions and none of them disappointed. Good spot to start your night with dinner and a few good drinks.

Espy Eats

4.5 Update: we were recently invited to try the newly updated menu almost a year on from when we last popped in for a visit. Same great atmosphere here and still a fun crew onboard. Tragically our favourite cocktail from our previous visit, the Ladyboy, was no longer on the cocktail menu. As sad as this made KD we were soon trying some of the new and tasty replacements. We tried a ‘straight out of Saigon’ made with gin, fresh lime Thai basil and a splash of sugar. We also tried the ‘up in smoke’. This was an impressive drink which was served in a tiki tumbler with a flaming sugar cube, the taste of rum was prominent and the fresh citrus was refreshing, I loved the twist of the added ‘caramelized’ sugar cube. It was described as pina colada esk, but personally I found it more like a caipirinha. We ordered the Lobster slider, it was served on a lovely sweet brioche bun with coleslaw and topped with kewpie mayonnaise and Siracha that gave off a soft heat to the palate. The Salmon ceviche, served with mamas secret recipe, this dish was delightful, the surrounding dressing supplied a lovely chilli kick, the topping of mayo add a new creamy element to this dish, and the dried shallots a crunch, it was an absolute delight to eat. Soft, crunchy, sweet and salty, it had everything covered. The Prawn crispy fried dumplings were served with a perfectly paired spicy soy dressing, this just added wonderfully with the flavour and left a light lovely after burn in the mouth. Our waitress claimed she loves this dressing so much she requests it on the side for all dishes she orders. Larger meals we chose Hanoi style stir fried chicken, which had a mix of stir fried veggies (I loved the inclusion of bamboo shoots) and sweet sticky crunchy marinated chicken with an awesome hit of chilli and hint of Thai basil. Tempura vegetables (cauliflower and broccoli) where dusted in a topping that gave a crunchy coating and was accompanied by a fabulously strong soy sauce the ‘’Mamas soy sauce”. We had a mixed response to this dish, one of us loved it, the other found it too strong and salty. For dessert we ordered the fried gayrime bao because honestly, who could resist. Well I thought this before I ordered. What ever you do, don’t even consider leaving this place until you have ordered this dessert. This fried bao with gaytime icecream and salted caramel syrup are what my dreams are made of, hot, cold, sweet, salt and crunch I have died and gone to heaven. Certainly an exciting spice hit of a menu. Thanks so much for having us.

M-brams

Loved it! The me hungry deal was super great value! I would recommend getting in early as they are super busy. Favourite dish was the Soft Shell Crab. YUM!!!

Alex

I have never review any restaurant before, but I have to review this one cause of their poor service. I mean their food was ok, but the service was really bad. They would give you a “I don’t care you ”face, sometimes they would ignore you even they saw you waving hand at them. The most terrible thing was that we were enjoying our dessert and one of the waitress showed up and smashed the bill on the table and told us to leave cause there will be another reservation right away. AMAZING service.

Wander Wonder Wonton

Saigon style but not Saigon quality. Really disappointed with our meals last night. The lobster slider was cold and slightly stale, the rice paper rolls came with no sauce and the flounder was over cooked and dry. Offered a 10% discount after letting wait staff know.

Iris Zhu

Really good food! Really awful service. That was our first time there and we didn’t know about the 90 mins reservation rule. While we were finishing our deserts, the waitress came and give us the bill and asked us to leave because they had booking right after. Very memorable experience and I felt the opposite of welcomed! Probably won’t go again.

Jessica Nguyen

Actually we were suppose to go to the one next door but the deal here was slightly better. We had the $29.50 menu where between 3 people shared 3 smaller, 3 larger and 2 sides. Smaller: pork and banh hoi, scallops with curry and satay chicken. Highly reccomend the chicken juicy and tender. Scallops were chewy and not cooked well. Banh hoi was average. Larger: seafood stiry fry, pork hock with curry sauce and whole flounder. Seafood stir fry was unusual, funky tatse to it. Pork hock was tough and hard to eat however, the curry sauce was very good. Whole flounder great overall. Sides: seafood spring rolls and goi. Spring rolls were very oily. Goi was more like a dressed side salad. All in all good experience, though wouldn't be back.

Alicia

We visited for lunch and opted for the "Me Hungry Now" menu as we couldn't decide- this is probably a bit too much for lunch! We did enjoy our meals, probably needed an extra salad instead of our meat dish as I think we had a little too much meat! The cocktails were a little disappointing... not very alcoholic or flavoursome. Maybe we just caught them on a bad day. Service wasn't stellar, to be honest the staff seemed a bit bored... again, maybe just a bad day.

Daniel

We wanted to try a bit of everything, so my group decided to try the ‘Me Hungry Now’ set menu. The highlights were the satay chicken and flounder. Other than that, the seafood stir-fry was a tad salty, and the seafood spring rolls tasted greasy. Service was exceptional.

Chloe

Amazing food, great vibes, fantastic service. The wait staff recommended dishes to us when we couldn’t decide and all were delicious. I was here on a work lunch during the week, they had a really good deal on that included an entree and a main for roughly $20 which was good value. For entrees we had the prawn dumplings (one of my personal faves), roti and curry and vegetarian and seafood spring rolls. For mains we tried the slawberry salad, I was skeptical but wow it was very good. We also had the spicy fried chicken which was great, the pork belly and pad Thai, all very yum. If I had to mention something that could deter /9’e people it might be that they only serve Vietnamese coffee no standard coffees, which I was okay with. Great place for lunch.

Beii Tith

Brought my partner here for his birthday. We ordered the set where we got to choose a couple of dishes. Food and drinks were both amazing and plenty of options. They were even nice enough to write happy birthday on our desserts and even sing happy birthday to him!

Yasmin T

Came here for my birthday and was so happy I picked this gem! The $59 option for 2 people (which we added another person to for an extra $29) was more than enough food for us, with each dish being inventive and flavourful. Across the board, the dishes are fairly spicy, so be prepared if chilli doesn't agree with you! The cocktails were fun and original, and the service was super attentive and lovely. Will definitely be coming back!

M.A.S.

Super delicious, very rich flavours and great value for money. The staff was very friendly. However the sea food did get me and my friend sick and they didn't respond properly to our complaint the next day.

Elizabeth Duong

What a beautiful way to celebrate mother's day with a glorious 10 item feast + desserts for everyone on the table! Serving up Vietnamese cuisine with a modern twist, our Vietnamese blood and tastebuds were delightfully satisfied - quantities were perfect for the price (not stuffed and not starved). Wish there was just a little more bite and sweetness in their fish sauce, as some dishes needed that little zing, such as the cute shot glass wraps which were a bit dry. The table was very pleased with their dessert. The menu featured matching cocktails for each item on the menu and clearly labeled dietary requirements so that no one needs to miss out! Hip decor and energetic, knowledgable staff. Will definitely be back!

Monique Walker

We were a bit disappointed with this spot. We had booked a table in advance and were seated immediately however we were packed in very tightly like sardines! If two large people were to try to sit at a table it would not be possible. The staff were very friendly and the food was pretty good. The tofu green tea bao was the definite highlight. The ambiance was a let down and we felt very rushed- in and out within an hour and one of the entrées came after main course served. Overall a hustle bustle place, maybe good for a quick bite after work or before a show but not for a relaxed sit down dining experience.

Sky Srblin

Wow wow wow. Two friends and I went to Hochi Mama last night and were AMAZED with the quality of the food. We opted in for the "me hungry now" option with one smaller dish, one larger dish and a side each. For $29.50 each what a bargain that was! I've never eaten such quality food for such an affordable price. We finished it off with the gaytime bao of which was phenomenal. Staff were nice, host was able to fit us in without a booking so thanks for accommodating us! I will definitely be coming back soon.

Cara

This place served rather delectable dishes with swift and attentive service. Went with a vegetarian friend, we had the eggplant rice paper rolls which were fresh and could have had more of them as a small meal. Also had the tofu curry of which the crispy tofu made the dish and spicy paw paw salad which was just divine as well.

Tige

Came for dinner on a Friday night not long ago. We had made a booking over a month in advance only to be seated at the bar. I was most disappointed in this, considering we had booked and that there were other tables that other diners were seated at when they arrived. I expressed my displeasure to the door staff who was apologetic and offered to swap us to a table once one became available. We did move to a table but this was most disruptive as part of our meal had already arrived. Tables were fairly tightly packed in and it was quite noisy, you couldn’t hear across the table. Food was nice, we had the share option which was good for 2 people. Not hungry after the meal but not overly full. The fish was tasty as were the beef ribs. The pash a dash cocktail was so delicious it was a saving grace of my experience.

Seema

The food tasted good but it was cold. Plus the guy taking the bookings came to me and said we just have 10mins to order our mains, eat and leave the table, which was rude!! So, me and my friends left without having mains and second round of drinks, obviously they lost their business for that night and future as none of us will bother to go there again.

Jenna Brooke

We arrived in high spirits hoping for a quick bite and lots of drinks before our main destination. After waiting for 15mins we ordered our drinks (we were planning on plenty more!) I regretfully divulged we were only having snacks with cocktails,to which the waiter scurried off and returned with another man to tell us "we cant do that" and to leave immediately. We were not asked if we were eating and we wouldve spent our meals worth in drinks anyway!buzz ruined.

Melanie (ForeverBrunching)

Back again at Ho Chi Mama tonight for a friend’s 21st birthday. I came late so I only got some of the mains & dessert but what I ate was very flavourful. The amount of food on the table for the price was definitely worth it! Highlight of the night was the amazing service by Gemma, who was super charismatic & very lovely

VP

YOO KIDS I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE ENOUGH! Not only is Gemma (our waitress) absolutely lovely (give her a pay raise) but the food is really bloody good too!!! The pad Thai here is absolutely divine and the feed me banquet is sooo worth it! You just sit back and enjoy watching all the delicious food flow through. Seriously guys hit this joint up. It’s only 5 mins from parliament station. Just do it. Won’t regret 👌👌👌

Nini

This was my first time here and we had the most wonderful experience here. Service was amazing, the waiters and waitress even stood around to have a chat with us. And tried to sing Happy birthday as loud as they could for my friend. Amazing vibes and food, have not experienced this quality of food and service in awhile! I also wanted to add, GEMMA (our waitress) WAS AMAZING, she was the most loveliest girl, 10/10 service from her. Give that girl a pay rise! Love you gemma!!! Highly recommend!!! You wont regret it.

G.R.eat

Love, love, love this place. The $59 Me So Hungry set is well worth the money especially if you order the fried chicken baos and curry ham hock, which are nothing short of DELICIOUS. Well done, Hochi Mama and thanks for the good food and delicious cocktails. You always keep us coming back for more! - One caveat- if you’re dining here on a public holiday, be weary of their 10% surcharge which is only disclosed at payment. When you’re racking up a bill over delicious food and drink, your surcharge sure can add up.

Eat_today_diet_tomorrow

Hochi Mama is a casual dining restaurant serving really interesting Asian fusion dishes. We went for the "Me hungry now". It is reasonably priced and more than enough food for us. We had the crispy pork bahn hoi, grilled pork bahn mi sliders, Hanoi style crispy beef ribs and whole flounder. Overall, the food was really good and we really enjoyed the meal. Our favourite dish has got to be the pandan panna cotta. The pandan flavour went really well with the coconut ice cream, it was amazing!!

Dee

Loved this place, food is amazing and well priced, atmosphere is great, especially being able to sit outside on a nice day. Service is spot on and friendly so will definitely be back!

Beini

I love the idea of tapas, nothing beats getting to try a range of dishes without breaking the bank. That’s probably why I was so taken by Rice Paper Scissors a few years ago. After hearing that the restaurant next door – Hochi Mama has a menu in a similar fashion, I was very excited to visit it on a balmy weekday night.

Kimmyreeow

such a nice little restaurant in the heart of melbourne. the food was very very nice. ordered quite a few different dishes with the highlight being the fried chicken bao and soft shell crab. It was super busy so it took a little bit longer to get drinks but the taste and quality of the food made up for the wait. highly recommend trying this place but make sure you book ahead and i probably would not want a table with more than 4 people on given the size of the restaurant and table sizes next time i come.

VodkaO_ZS

Nice spot for Asian fusion and drinks. The feed me option could be really large if you accidentally choose two large meals with heavy meat. But all foods are nice, a bit sweet for me though. The sake cocktail is really fresh and smooth. Walk in or book online, they don't take phone booking.

JW

I've visited Hochi Mama twice now, and both times have had great experiences. Hochi Mama is a hip Asian fusion restaurant that offers exceptional cocktails, a funky atmosphere, and tasty shared options. Both times I have rocked up without a booking and been seated promptly at the bar, which was a blessing in disguise! The barkeep are fun, offer a good cocktail making show, and make great recommendations, which you otherwise wouldn't get sitting at a regular table. The $59 sharing menu offers a good medium sized feed, which with cocktails (1-2) absolutely hits the spot. I love the spice level in all of the dishes and absolutely applaud restaurants that are not afraid to inject a bit of chilli into their dishes. Bravo! HIGHLY recommended dishes: Hochi pork belly bao, Hanoi style crispy beef ribs, sweet and sour crispy soft shell crab, and Hochi fried chicken (get the larger dish - this one is sensational!)

Dr S

Perhaps my review is not justified as Hochi Mama is a Vietnamese fusion place that tries to cater for the vegans, the vegetarians and the gluten-intolerant but when it comes to people who can't handle spice, there are very limited options. As I couldn't have anything spicy, I had to order the fresh rice paper rolls. I got the pork rice paper roll which was smaller than the average size ($7 for one) but was refreshing and had a nice chunk of pork in it. However, the beef rice paper roll was inedible. Dried flavourless beef that was hard to bite into. My friend got the soft-shelled crab curry with coconut rice and raved about it. The venue was very very noisy and cramped. Twice, the lady next to me dropped her drink all over the seat, the table and my jacket. Did I mention twice? And while exiting she managed to push over the water jug. .Maybe it's just her or maybe it's having the tables too close to each other. Amex not accepted. Quick service. Make sure to book online.

Lidya Indriani

Ordered crispy pork belly with chinese broccoli. Pork was crispy, but perhaps 3 days ago... what i had was soggy pork belly. Chinese broccoli was nice. Fried egg had undercooked transparent white :( disappointed. Should have gone to thai culinary lols

Mikayla Wald

Second time I’ve been and the service and food was excellent! Can highly recommend the $59 special for 2, definitely worth every cent! Our waitress Cleo was excellent and helped our every need, especially for the fussy eaters! Will definitely come back again!

Foodmaster

We didn’t have any booking and walked in. Got a table straight away. We opted for the Me Hungry Now! $59 and had the best of best dishes. Starting with a Chicken Banh Bao followed by some scallops. Then the mains arrived promptly, with Hanoi style crispy beef ribs and Hanoi style whole flounder. Now we had to pay $9 extra for the flounder, but it was every cent worth it. I couldn’t get enough of the bursting flavours in the dish. Excellent dish! When I am back I will be ordering just that and a side of rice! :-)

VeeC

Great staff that are kind, helpful, patient and attentive. The food is absolutely beautiful. Lovely flavours, a wide range of dishes, caters well for gluten free. It’s a must try. The cocktails are really different and nicely presented. The dessert we had was the Pandan Pannacotta and it was delicious. It was subtle, but perfect mixtures of tastes, and the honeycomb hit the spot!

Ozzy Kunnu

Recent Experience: It's rare to see restaurants meaning serious business of dishing out whats been promised, but it rarer to see restaurants striving for customer satisfaction, and in our truest and honest opinion Hochi Mama belongs to this 'rarer' category. This time we ordered Prawns Spring Rolls, Crsipy Pork with Banh Hoi, Salmon Ceviche, Southside Chicken Curry and Spicy Seafood Stir fry. The dishes for the evening were the Salmon Ceviche (for Kunnu) and Crispy Pork (for Ozzy). Mildly spiced, perfectly crispy Pork dipped in a sweet, spicy and sour sauce tasted so good that Ozzy couldn't stop raving about it. Hochi Mama's version of Salmon Ceviche (not at all similar to Peruvian ceviche) was beautifully tender and seasoned with a secret sauce and a dash (tasted like) of Mayo / Peri Peri Mayo. What Kunnu also liked about this particular dish is the spicy zing to the salmon came from cured radish. Next on our list would be the prawn spring rolls, chicken curry and seafood stir fry. They were an instant hit. Full of flavors without overpowering the natural flavors of seafood, stir fry was a bowl full of seafood treats. Chicken was yummy, tender, perfectly spiced and juicy, but didn't go too well with the very sweet Coconut Rice (probably too sweet for our palate). Totally loved the crunchy lightly flavored prawns spring rolls. As usual, warm, friendly and very attentive attendants taking care of every customer, big or small. Returning soon with our gang. Disclaimer: After having read our 'disappointment' on Zomato and Tripadvisor, Hochi Mama invited us to try a complimentary meal consisting of some usual favorites and new additions ( on their menu) with the intention to display their culinary skills (which they are known for) which we missed to explore the last time we had been there, yet, our revised review is honest and devoid of any influence or obligations or prejudices or biases. Earlier Experience: Rating: 3 Review: We ended-up here on chance as the one we were planning to go was shut. Place is quite small but bustling with patrons. Though we liked the vibe of the restaurant, it's little uncomfortable to be able to hear other people's conversation on from the other tables. Chicken Hai and Saigon Chicken curry with Rice was ordered. Strangely for us, both the dishes were under-flavored and very very usual. Chicken baos were dry and simple, whereas Saigon Chicken curry was more sweet than we usually prefer. Portions are decent enough for the price. Hospitality is warm and friendly.

Deanne Carson

We celebrated a family birthday here and I couldn't fault it! The food was fantastic, the staff patient, attentive and thoughtful. Thank you for meeting all our needs and making us feel like nothing was a problem.

Romain Hermelin

Cleo was a great find, specially the panacota : look at the picture . We will be back. Cleo will be waiting for us and the friends I am going to bring

Oodreiilittlepotato

Beef pad thai for takeaway. Its good but i feel like its not that authentic as pad thai in other thai restaurant. The topping/crips is nice. So yeah overall it was an okay dish :)

Megan

Lovely food & atmosphere. Food came out really quick, and waitstaff super attentive. In particular, Gemma, our waitress was fantastic. Super friendly and helpful. Thank you!!!!

Naveed Kazi

Had a company dinner there last night. Can easily say that everyone had enjoyed themselves with some great yummy food. Service was very good with food coming out relatively quickly. A great mix of different dishes to suit different palates. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a place to have some great Asian Fusion meals!.

OmNom Susie

We came here with a group early Saturday evening. I’m glad we booked as the place was bustling! We chose the banquet which included 3 (or 4?) entrees and 3 mains plus dessert. We decided on this because we didn’t have to choose and allow us more time gas-bagging. Before long, we were served: We had the pork belly bao (delish!), scallop (way overcooked that even the nice sauce couldn’t mask), veg spring roll (average), pad thai (YUM!), twice cooked beef ribs (nice!), chicken curry with rice (ok, a tad too sweet) and deep fried chicken wings (quite nice but could work towards reducing oiliness). For dessert we had the deep fried bao, filled with a scoop of golden gay time (?) ice cream, laced with caramel sauce and sprinkled with crushed pistachios: WOW! The staff were very helpful and friendly. I recognise that this is a hip place and may not be suitable for young families. Will I come back? With gusto! Well done, Hochi Mama!

Purple People Eater

Food was amazing, atmosphere was great, service was good. To many waiters per table though, so much confusion if I had ordered or finished or wanted another drink. Will be back. Pork hok was bomb. Guy on the door was a cool cat, hold on to him

The Frugal Cats

We went to Hochi Mama on a busy Tuesday amidst the CBD lunch rush. We had no bookings but they accommodated us and we were seated at the bar. Service was really friendly but the food took a while to come out, which was completely understandable considering how busy the place was. We got the $21.90 per person Biggie Smalls lunch special option. We got the Hochi Chicken Bao (fried chicken with spicy pickled cabbage, fermented chilli beans in a steamed bun) & the Soft Shell Crab Bahn Mi (soft shell crab with coriander, cucumber in a brioche bun). The Bahn Mi was definitely a winner for us! For our mains we got the Saigon Grilled Chicken with rice & the Pad Thai. The chicken dish came with a fried sunny side up egg and a side of jasmine rice, cucumber and pickled carrots. The dish was unfortunately pretty average with the chicken lacking seasoning. The Pad Thai on the other hand was absolutely delicious! For drinks we had the Cafe Su da (Vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk) & the Soda Chanh ( housemade lemonade with fresh lemon juice, sugar and soda). The coffee was definitely a winner over the house lemonade. Overall, we did have a pleasant experience and will definitely be back to sample more items off their menu 😺

Eatingmakesmehappy

Very disappointed with the food. The pad Thai was too dry and not flavorful at all. I ordered via app and waited for about 10 minutes later than designated time. Staffs were friendly and helpful. The size was quite small. Maybe it’s because I had it for takeaway. Not a happy experience though.

The Judge

Popped in for a quick bite tonight after work. They have an offer for 2 people which was 1 small dish each, 1 main each and a side to share for 59 bucks. Sensational value for money! We had the green tea baos and satay chicken as entrees. The satay was sensational and packed with peanuts, just how I like it. Then for main I went the massaman lamb curry -nice and tender lamb but the curry was little bland, and my partner went the southside tofu curry - which was creamy and for me a nice amount of spice, but too spicy for some. We opted for coconut rice as our side and freshened up our palate with the deep fried gaytime bao. All in all another Asian fusion which was nice and whilst the food was good it misses the mark of miyagi, chin chin and Lucy Liu for mine, however it is at a cheaper price point..

GL

Feedme menù was awesome Pice super competitive Good food quality Staff friendly Generous portions Very busy recommend make a booking Good job

Keith Lawrence

Something of an experience - incredibly friendly place, full on vibe, lots of atmosphere and a fun place to dine, inside or out. Can be very hard to get a table early on in the evening but turn over is quick so whilst you may have to wait as a walk-up, unlikely have to wait too long (we went off for a glass of wine at Self Preservation round the corner - 15 mins later, we received a call to say table was ready. No rush but confirming still wanted it). Started to empty out around 830. Food good - selected the feed me menu of 2 entrees, 2 mains and a side: $59 for 2 people is excellent value. Thai fish cakes great, pork belly bao OK (too much 'bao' and not enough pork belly): soft shell crab was the highlight, chicken tasty but still only the wings. It's the overall experience of Hochi Mama that is good - there may be better food elsewhere but here's a place that's just enjoyable to be. And the food is still good.

Simmyeats.Melb

Booked this a while ago and Friday night my partner and I had a chance to check it out. Service was excellent, all staff were friendly, happy and there to assist. The inside of restaurant is cool and hip, has a great vibe. The food is divine and you really have to come and try for yourself! We ordered the Me Hungry Now option where you get to choose from 2 entrees, 2 large and 1 side for $59 a couple. Such great value! We ordered the trio of scallops which was nice however I did feel the red curry did overpower the taste of the scallop. The pork belly bao was nice with the crispy skin from the crackle and the different combination of flavours from the other ingredients was delicious. For the larger meals we got the flounder and chicken curry with rice as the side, tick and tick. I highly recommend a visit here!

Liv McGrath

Really delicious food that was served quickly (almost too quickly, mains out before entrees finished) that came in a good $59 deal of one side, two smalls, and two larges which were more than enough for two people Interior was nicely decorated with good vibes although music was very loud and tables right next to each other so that you couldn’t hear what the person opposite was saying. Outside, given the warm night and quiteness, looked a lot nicer

Melbourne Food Lover

The place is really cool. Really modern and funky. The food is nice, probably not traditional Vietnamese but more on the fancy side. Everything was delicious by the way, especially the green baos with crispy tofu inside. Also, really cool the idea of the DIY rice paper rolls. If you're with friends it's fun. The only thing that left me disappointed was the service..they didn't even clean our table before we left. And we didn't leave right after our meal but at least 5-10 minutes after..I work in hospitality as well and I know how difficult it is when it's busy but I saw staff members looking at our table 5 times after we finished without even asking if we were finished or how was our meal. That took the whole experience down. Hope I can give u guys another chance, keep up the great food!

Antoniette Santoro

I have eaten here 4 times in the past year. The food is always fantastic. Fresh. Full of flavour. The menu is brilliant and the prices amaze me. Top quality for $35 a head. I always recommend this restaurant to people. Can’t wait to go back. Good work guys 👍🏻

TweeVy Ngo

A small lovely venue to enjoy a contemporary asian fusion meal. Their infamous pork belly bao and their stir fry pad thai were both exceptional. A fresh squeeze of lime juice balances the sweetness of the glass noodles in conjunction with the fresh bean sprouts and thin crispy noodles. Definitely recommended

KnowingMelbourne

I really like Hochi Mama. I actually went there by accident because the place I wanted to visit didn’t have room, what a great accident that was! A cool fitout, great ambience and a delicious cocktail list. The chicken satay are yummy and the bao are really good too!

Alex Andrew Coe Billson

If I could please my girlfriend like the tofu fried rice did... Pwoah, I'd be a happy man. Good Valentine's day feed, came with a champagne on arrival (and you knowwwww how I am on the champers). Add good atmosphere and great service and you have a night and a half. Looking for an Asian fusion place to dine? Hochi Mama makes it Vietnam-easy!

Janay Tahlia Casas

Me hungry now deal was perfect for a hungry couple of 20 year olds. Pho pad Thai noodles and bao buns were our favourite! Very quick service, amazing food and nice layout. Will definitely be returning!

Melbourneats

Big applause for the owner who created Hochi mama, just because it is very hard to pull off Vietnamese cuisines with a twist. We had the $59 feed me option between two people and I must say, it was worth it! You’re left satisfied with a happy tummy. Started off with some chicken baos and they were probably the best chicken baos I’ve ever had. We also had the phoplings that didn’t taste like pho but the dumplings themselves were tasty. The soft shell crab was delicious with sweet chilli, the salad on the side with this dish would be nice with some dressing as it was abit bland and boring. The beef ribs was amazing! Spicy salad but the beef ribs fell off the bone easily and had lots of flavour to it! The only downfall was the cocktail, which I asked the waitress their best cocktail which was called ‘Forever Young’, didn’t taste anything young about this cocktail. Other than that I’d definitely return for the food! Staff were friendly and attentive, the atmosphere of the restaurant was outstanding! Very nice casual vibe to catch up with friends. Take your lover, friends and family here for great infused Vietnamese cuisines!

DuckieLovesToEat

Being such a popular place, I dragged my sister to check this place out. Luckily, I made a booking because this place was so busy that even though I had a booking we still have to wait for another 10mins. We were hungry so we ordered we are hungry now. They were all picture perfect but alas! Not as amazing as we would have liked. The staff were OK. Not very friendly, maybe because they were busy? I think not. Will I come back? No, not really.

Deana Cannatelli

Delicious Asian Fusion food 👌🏽 How can you go wrong with a $29 feed me option for one person... there were four of us which meant we got an abundance of dishes (we couldn't even fit them on the table) 🤤 STANDOUT DISHESWERE: Pineapple Rice 🍍 Pork Bao Buns 🐷 Chicken Curry 🥘 Lamb Ribs 🍖 Up in smoke cocktail 🍹 (had to be added, nice twist on a Piña Colada) The service was great! Everyone was so helpful and service was super quick, even though they were very very busy! Definitely do yourself a favour and give this place a try! We really enjoyed it ☺️

Angel Khong

Loved their $59 deal, it was simply the perfect portion (and price!) for 2. I’d recommend trying their fried chicken (and fried chicken bao!), they were absolutely tasty. Had the beef ribs, soft shell crab sushi rolls, and rice paper rolls as well, but found them to be fairly average. Service could be improved, guess it was because they were so busy at the time?

Lily Kelcey

We had a mostly great time here last night. Staff were very friendly, knew the menu well & were attentive to our table. Drinks were delicious - highly recommended the Hoochi Mama cocktail! Now the food.....some things were a total hit and other not so much. We absolutely loved the scallops, grilled satay chicken & pork belly with Apple slaw (frustrating there were only 4 pieces and a wholllleee plate of slaw though). We also had the pho’plings which I was so excited to try and was extremely disappointed with unfortunately. The pho broth was very oily and not flavourful, the dumplings were also quite bland. Overall I’d probably come back here again but try other items on their menu.

Avolette

Cool and popular Vietnamese fusion restaurant in the CBD. The $59 for 2 menu was really great value! Cocktails were delicious and strong, with the bartenders being super friendly and fun! I had a special (off the menu) mango pina colada specially made for me! Food was pretty good despite my dislike for coriander and cucumber (which came with every single dish). - Soft Shell Crab - delicious and the sauce was really tasty. - Pork Belly - excellent flavours, and nice and tender - Fried Chicken Bao - apparently a must have. Crunchy as it should be. Worth a try. - Seafood Spring Rolls - crispy and yum - Rice paper rolls - got really messy, but the pork sausage (Nem Nuong) was amazing!! - It's a small thing, but the coconut rice was REALLY GOOD. ' Too full for dessert but would definitely save room next time!

Anna Ziegler

Food was fantastic! The Pho-pad thai and the chicken bao were the highlights! Everything was just fresh and delicious! Special mention to the staff though who were incredibly friendly, funny and very genuine (shout out to Emma who was particularly great). Only minor issue was that it can get a bit noisy inside but will definitely come back and sit outside next time :)

Kevin & Emily

K: Vietnamese fusion. I know what you are thinking. With our reviews on this style of food and myself not being a fan, it might seem bleak, but let me ease the tension and say that restaurants like Hochi Mama set the benchmark for Asian fusion cuisines. To summarise, myself, my brother and my best friend (birthday girl) enjoyed this meal thoroughly, in fact the whole experience was one to remember. From the outset, this restaurant is located in a pocket near Parliament station which seems to boast a rare amount of hidden gem places that we need to revisit. At the door we were greeted with none other than outstanding service. We were welcomed, conversed, and even explained how the restaurant worked, what it stood for and recommendations. The staff were extremely helpful and sincere in delivering food to our table and even cleaning it. This is an example of exemplary service. Ambience at this restaurant was very good also, with an interior symbolic of a modern, hip hop diner with a tantalizing bar and food space, with outdoor seating options as well. It adds very well to the overall experience. Today we opted for the $29.95 per person value meal offering 3 mains, 3 smaller dishes and 2 sides. We ordered the Lamb ribs, fried chicken, garlic prawns, pork baos, pho dumplings, and the banh mi sliders, complimented with coconut rice and vegetarian spring rolls. To summarise? Amazing. If you need a place to take someone who has never had authentic and tasty Vietnamese food before, look no further than Hochi Mama. The range and taste range of each dish is absolutely amazing. Our favourite were the Lamb ribs, coconut rice, garlic prawns and all of the smaller dishes with the pho dumplings being a very underated and underestimated surprise. It's strange just how good and enjoyable the food was but I would recommend the options we went for, especially those specially mentioned. Very pleased with the overall experience and will definitely be returning, or if not using this restaurant as a benchmark for future visits to establishments similar in nature. Fantastic! Food: 4/5 Ambience: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Value: 3.5/5 Overall: 4/5

Fiona Nguyen

With the $59 set menu with 5 dishes between 2, image how’d it’d be like between 4?! Being a Vietnamese myself, the dishes and flavours were pretty good. Really enjoyed the Pad Thai the most, but we weren’t able to finish everything on the table. Overall, pleasant experience, I would come back if Rice Paper Scrs is fully booked out.

Nicole

Horrible Service Food: My partner and I ordered the pork bao, as well as the DIY rice paper rolls and the chicken curry. All of the dishes we ordered were great and full of flavour. Decor: The inside of the restaurant has a street vibe, it makes you feel like you're in an lane way in Vietnam which was really nice. Service: Absolutely terrible, and is the main reason we wont be going back. Our server dropped pork out of the bao, and when we asked it to be replaced she said they had run out and that " You wont be getting any!" It was extremely rude and two tables beside us had pork orders which they received. Not only did we not get any pork, we still payed for the bao. As well, the kitchen closes at 9:30 but then take bookings up until that time so when you get to your seat you're rushed to order, and most of the servers were walking around stuffing their faces not paying attention to their tables. It seemed as if there was no manger on duty or anyone looking at what the staff were doing.

Mistermister

Love that it takes bookings. Food is awesome. Very similar to RPS next door. The service on the other hand was terrible. They were friendly but kept getting things wrong and were hovering to get us out even though we had another half hour to go before our table was turned over to another party. The place was stinking hot. It was seriously cooler outside the restaurant. Don’t go when it’s hot or you might melt

Naomi Sutanto

Entrée: fried chicken - totally recommend it. Mains: Saigon curry with tofu - I normally steer away from curries but this was a top seller and it did not disappoint. I can't take spicy, but this was very mildly spicy so it was okay. Jam packed full of flavor. Would order again. Other mains: my friend had the strawberry salad with chicken and for some reason it was very spicy for him, so I recommend asking the wait staff if you're particular about it.

Corgi The Foodie

Stumbled upon this when we were looking for some place to have dinner. Long Q so it must be good. First impression- fast service (probably as we didn't mind sitting at the bar), and the bar and style of food reminded us of Chin Chin (but Viet version). We had the banquet which was cheap ($59 for two) considering other feed me banquets cost the same price or more per pax. Starters- (1) chicken Bahn bao was really good- crispy yet tender and juicy fried chicken with kimchi and special sauce. Yum! (2) there wasn't any salmon sashimi (damn) but we ordered the scallops. While they were fresh and uniquely topped with red curry sauce which my husband didn't mind, I feel that the scallops were lost in the red curry sauce. Main- (1) whole flounder (upon recommendation by one bartender who didn't mention the additional cost)- reminded me of a Chinese style sweet and sour fried fish. (2) crispy pork with Apple slaw - while the flavours were good, it needed more sauce and tbh, the roast pork was ok- like those you get in Chinese restaurants. Side- coconut rice- interesting in a good way! There was coconut milk drizzled over the rice which was really yummy. Overall, a good value for money establishment if you don't mind the loudness. Very busy so do book in advance. We'd probably return to try other dishes and why not, especially at this competitive price?

Emma Barnes-Whelan

Excellent food but a bit cramped and service was poorly timed (my main came out within 30 seconds of having been served my entre). Given my entre was DIY rice paper rolls this made all the food difficult to manage

AnotherAsianAbroad

I was excited to try this but not quite sure what the hype is. We came as a group for lunch and were sat right underneath the air-conditioning which was absolutely freezing. As a guest you shouldn't have to be putting on your jackets in a restaurant to keep yourself warm..We did ask for them to turn it down but they could only turn it down a little bit as it would apparently heat up the rest of the place..which is fine but the restaurant only had 4 more other tables seated.. The food was very average. We had the crispy pork belly and it was incredibly chewy. The beef rolls lacked flavour as well and didn't come with any sauce. Only the chicken curry was alright, but again nothing special. Lastly the dress code of staff is questionable as the shorts/dresses are very short but that's just my opinion. Wouldn't be rushing to come back here.

Bel

Such a let down! We thought we would try something new as the wait at Rice Paper Scissors was a bit late and we regretted it as soon as we sat down. There were plenty of staff on and little attention given-it was so loud we couldn't hear each other and our drinks came after the food arrived. The $59 for two option was terrible, the portions were halved we left hungry and disappointed with what was served. The pork was so chewy. The boa bun and the rice were the best parts of the meal. Would NOT recommend!

Milktealayer

Got surprised by the amazing decoration in the restaurant. The style is so cool. A good place to take photos. Tried the pork belly with rice. It tastes crispy but a bit oily

Amysyder

The food here is really food and the waiting staff are very friendly. We made a booking for 5 of us for dinner. We did the dinner special which was $29 pp and allowed each person to pick one small dish, one large and one main. We all did this and everyone shared everything which I would highly recommend doing, gave us the opportunity to try a little of everything. The menu is very allergy friendly with options to suit everyone. The food was really good, lots of flavours that worked well together and the portion sizes were reasonable, good enough to fill five people up. The one downside was that there was another booking after us at 7:30 so we basically got rushed off the table at around that time, however they had pre-warned us about this so I can’t really complain. All in all it was good food in a nice restaurant, worth a visit if you are in the area.

Michael Tan

Came here for the pho dumplings and was sadly kind of disappointed. Didn't blow my mind but their pho was decent. Will give their other things on the menu a try.

Bernardo Jacobi

Very busy and popular place for a good reason: good food and good service! Tried the Vietnamese style fried chicken with salad, rice and fried egg with some roti for an entree... Yum! Portions were reasonably sized and presentation was beautiful but not over the top. My bill was very reasonable and the general vibe was great. I'm definitely coming back to this place.

The Food Queen

Had a quick lunch on a Monday. The place was buzzing with lots of tables reserved. We ordered the eggplant rice paper rolls - an absolute taste sensation. There were 2 per serve and we gobbled them up in a flash. We waited with excited anticipation for the beef pho and strawberry slaw salad. They both fell a bit flat. The pho was very oily and the taste a bit flat, the salad was drowned in sauce so a little over bearing. I didn't like the chicken as it was a thigh cut into chunks with fairly thick fatty skin, I prefer the standard shredded breast meat. My son added some of the salad dressing to the pho and said that was much better!

Lizzie Eats Melbourne

😱Lizzie's first impression: Very similar style to their food friends two doors down, but the menu is a of a Vietnamese asian fusion instead. Although not as busy, Hochi Mama is still worth trying. 🍩Lizzie enjoyed: The curry was amazing and was full of flavour and had the right consistency. The crispy baos are delicious and worth ordering every time. 🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: The pork belly dish was unfortunately a let down. Although generous in portion, the pork belly was not crispy and the meat was very chewy. 🎖Lizzie rates overall: A great place for some innovative asian fusion and very bang for your buck with 5 dishes for 59 for 2 people.

Food Lover

Nice food , had a set menu the highlights were chicken bao, beef ribs and the steamed fish ! Beware it’s very spicy. Delicious cocktails. One negative it’s very noisy don’t even try to talk !

Cindy Nguyen

I’ve been to Hochi Mama plenty of times, for lunch and have thoroughly enjoyed my experience. However, when introducing my big group of guests to their first experience of Asian Fusion, Hochi Mama had failed to deliver. We had a banquet meal and I was informed of what the dishes would be, but we were NOT given all that I was informed we would! Bad communication to customers. Service was poor, as our green tea was given to us after 1 hour of waiting for it!! Furthermore, once we received it, the tea was taken from our table and was not replaced with a new pot. We tried to order more, but the waiters/waitresses simply didn’t seem to care to provide the service they should! They avoided eye contact with us. I never thought that I would need to write a review like this, but the large group banquet was more than a disappointment. If you’re going with a friend for a quick lunch, it’s okay. However, dinner service requires a lot of improvement and proper organisation, especially regarding the staff. I have had to greatly apologise to my guests for your restaurant’s poor service...

Z

Didn’t feel anything too special about this restaurant, not sure what the hype is about. Had the pad thai which took forever to arrive but tasted pretty good.

Bill Panas

I did not get a good feeling about this place from the moment we were greeted at the footpath by an employee - she interrupted my introductory spiel about our booking, calling me 'deary', & without reference to any booking-sheet, etc. was only concerned as to whether we wanted an indoor table. After a few minutes she reappeared, telling us it would be a 15 minute wait (making it 20 minutes after our already booked time) for our table because the current occupiers 'had outstayed their welcome'. I found this a curious comment that suggested to me that the blame was put on the diners & not on the management who surely have the responsibility for reserving a table ready at the booking time that they had confirmed. During what became a 20 minute wait, this pink-haired individual was intermittently followed by 3 other staff basically asking us the same question: would we like an indoor table? On the 3rd exchange, by a rather helpful man, we were told that a table was being cleared for us now. When the 4th individual came over to ask the same question I had to tell her about a table being prepared by her colleague - I must say I was wondering if they had my booking/cared about my booking/who was managing the allocation of tables? The first dish that hit our table was a chicken bao...the chicken was cold ('stone cold' was the description from one of our group). Duly we told our waitress, who was obliging to return it to the kitchen. But the absolute low-light of the evening was the return of the chicken dish by the aforementioned pink-haired individual, who without breaking stride, dropped the plate with a thud on the edge of our table, without a word let alone an apology, & kept right on walking. Now, I've been to local pizza joints & Flower Drums, etc over the years, but have never come across such an individual working in such a role. Just like the blame she apportioned to those tardy diners for keeping us waiting, the manner in which she returned that dish suggested to me that it was our fault for returning it, because it certainly wasn't theirs that the microwave, etc hadn't re-heated it properly! Ignoring the food-handling issues of serving improperly heated chicken (which perhaps I shouldn't...are there any inspectors reading this?), this night, a birthday celebration for one of our group, was tarnished by this one person with the coloured hair. I would think some re-training in the gentler arts of hospitality (including attitudinal training) be afforded to her before the quite surprisingly positive reviews for this place turn to more of this. When given the obligatory business card at the end, I couldn't help but notice what was written on the back: 'LOVE YOUR MAMA...spread the love...on ZOMATO...TRIPADVISOR. NOT 100% HAPPY?...let us know at...email address' So, quite cynically, only great reviews in public forums & any negatives to a private email (is this aligning with the pink-haired employees's approach, or is she a part of management?!)- Unfortunately that's not how it works! My thanks to the other floor staff for being so professional.

Alan King

First time there on Saturday and will be back ASAP! Even though the kitchen was closing, the team were attentive, took the time to explain the menu setup including suggestions based on dietary requirements. Soft shell crab absolute favourite.

Sandz

Thought to try this place out when I couldn't get a table at rice paper scissor. Worst mistake ever. Ordered : Pork baos and the pork belly with Apple slaw dish - There was no actual meat on the pork it was just a piece of hard skin. When I bit into it, it nearly cut the top of my mouth that's how hard it was. When i tried to tell the waiter she said that's how it's supposed to be... The fried chicken baos was stale and not fresh. The barramundi was average. Half the portion just tasted like it was drowned in fish sauce. I can't even remember the 5th dish I orderd that's how underwhelming it was. Never again.

Tk

Great service and amazing food which is why I'm rating it so highly. We had the papaya salad with soft shell crab, and a curry. However, the restaurant was absolutely stifling, there was no air and our table was jammed in next to the window. They even needed to move the table for us to get out! I think either the restaurant is too small or the layout is just wrong. But I will be back, I'll just ask for a table outside next time!

Phuong Phan

On a busy Monday night, the restaurant was packed. Had to wait about 10 minutes for an outside table. Waiters and staff were super friendly, always coming in and out to top up drinks. Ordered a mixture of dishes to share. Must; strawberry salad. Something about the dish made it soo flavoursome. It seemed like most of the dishes were just mixed with salad but it was enjoyable with a group of 5.

Cheesy.boys

At $30 a head for 5 dishes this place is a bargain. The staff were great too! The “pho-plings” was a small serving and didn’t do much for us flavour wise but everything else was great.

Liv

Great atmosphere, friendly staff, fun bartenders, delicious cocktails and amazing food. Took my vego husband here and we chose only vego dishes for the 'Me hungry now' option and it was all delicious! Will be back :)

Brunos Food Safari

Such good food in this place. Was here on a Friday night on a balmy evening. There is another place close by too, which was similar cuisine from appearance, which looked good. Overall perfect little pocket in the city for a feed.

Little Bit Of Everything

A friend took me out for dinner and I absolutely loved there food and the interiors. Energetic and friendly staff. We got the feed me option which 29.50 pp for 5 dishes, great value for money and fresh flavors. We had to pay 9$ on top of it as we ordered the whole flounder which was delicious. We also got delta oysters, open chicken satay, crispy pork belly with apple slaw and Goi (Vietnamese salad). I recommend getting the flounder if you are a fish lover. We ordered a cocktail which super yummy.

CleoTheCat

Great food selection and cocktails! We had the fried snapper and beef short ribs - very flavourful and awesome for the price! The staff were also very welcoming and friendly.

Jessica Palumbo

This was the second time we visited Hochi Mama and it was as good as the first. Our waiter Kaya remembered and was again extremely love and helpful. Absolutely love the food here.

Cynthia Giang

I returned to Hochi Mama a few months back. The place is quite a popular dinner alternative, and is especially packed on a weekend. Food comes out quite quickly though, which is always a plus. But with three people sitting on a small table for two despite booking and having to literally climb into our seats because our table was wedged between other seated couples was not a great start. The Pho Thai was a bit too oily for personal preference. Flavours are somewhat there, but in terms of true authenticity I don't think it quite hits the mark. Being someone who has grown up surrounded by excellent Vietnamese cuisine, I am a little fussier in what constitutes as good South East Asian food. Staff are quick moving however, and offered friendly service, which is always a plus.

Neer Ly

The restaurant is actually really lovely. The atmosphere is wonderful and the wait staff, though not chatty, were efficient. The pork buns that we got for entree were slightly too dry, mostly the meat part and the buns weren’t super fluffy. The pickled vegetables and sauce went very well, though!! The beef main I HIGHLY recommend. I don’t tend to like beef dishes, but this was thoroughly enjoyable. The meat was succulent on the inside and crisp on the outside. The same goes for the chicken, which has been marinated perfectly. Not everyone likes their fried chicken done the same way and for those that expect a thinner batter, this isn’t the dish for you. What I didn’t enjoy at all was the lamb massaman. It came highly recommended on Zomato and I expected so much more. It was really bland, actually, the meat sort of woody and flavorless. A huge let down :( Generally really tasty, just depends on the dish!

Julie Lee

It was our first time to go to Hochi mama after seeing the amazing review and mouthwatering photo. We ordered the Pad thai , deep fried pork belly with apple slaw and a lot of other dishes ~~ total of 8 dishes to be exact. All of the food was sooooooo delicious and will definitely come back for the food. However not so sure with the service we were a total of 3 and they seated us in a table for 2 and gave us a very uncomfortable chair on the side it was busy so we didn't mind at all at the beginning however after ordering drinks and the food was coming in too quickly our table was out of control and it just happened that the customer to our right was leaving so I asked one of the staff if we can combine the table for us and she was YES and she will come back to clean our spot. So after she cleaned it up we combined the table and was finally about to enjoy the food not busy chocking it down just to get space for the next menu. But after 2 minutes another staff come to our table telling/ scolding us very rudely about us combining table so I told him that another staff told us it was alright to combine the table however his excuse was that it was a reserved table ...... the next customer didn't even come in after 30 min so it only makes me judge his decision because i saw more than 3 empty table to our right. Overall we went inside with all the happy vibes but left with a full stomach but and unpleasant feeling.

Chi Chi

Was mostly disappointed with the service, wasn't busy on a weekday lunch, but our waiter seemed confused with our order and didn't even write the order for my husband !! Instead we sat there while my husband watched me eat, thinking his was on it's way, after 20 mins eating into my dish we asked and the waiter said he didn't place an order for him for some weird reason???!! We will NOT be returning to this place. In my opinion it's trying to be fancy Vietnamese food but not even worth a second visit due to bad customer service. Sorry but you really disappointed with both flavour and service for us.

Christine Stephen

The food is absolutely amazing. Stumbled in looking for ramen on a busy Friday night. You would think that I’d realise a Vietnamese fusion place would not have ramen. However, I was not disappointed one bit! The pork belly and tiger beef salad from the sharing sections were delicious. A place I would definitely go back to.

Julia Zhang

Food was amazing! Ambiance was good and definitely a good place for vegetarians!! So many options along with reasonable price. I will definitely be going back often as the dishes don't get old! The food is also quite unique which makes it more fun!

Gisele_kaya

Great atmosphere, delicious food and quick service. On a Wednesday night, we were seated at the bar as we didn’t have a reservation however were served almost instantly even though it was a full house Couldn’t fault the food, and for someone who isn’t a fan of the bao bread I was extremely impressed by how delicious they were! Will definitely be back to try more! The music was loud however you could still have a conversation without yelling. Probably a good spot for a tinder date as you’d have a reason to lean in closer 😉 Chose the $59 menu option including 2 starters 2 mains and a side. Great value for $$ 👍🏼 dining experience!

Mash

Very trendy location for decent cocktails (taste not price) and modern Vietnamese food - which was rather mediocre. Went at a quiet time, service was good. Pho dumplings had broth that tasted like coriander water, pork belly was dry, everything that has a chance of tasting good was served lukewarm. Definitely a place to go for the atmosphere, but you will be rushed out by waiters due to high demand for tables.

Turtle 🐢

Do: Coconut rice with steamed barramundi Dont: Green Tea bao I loved loved the barramundi, the two distinct flavours of the two parts of Vietnam combined with the tender barramundi pairs perfectly with the coconut rice. The green tea bao was not that great, the tofu was quite dry and I remember tasting some sort of alcohol, almost like the Chinese strong spirit, bai jiu. The colour of the bao was green, but sadly no taste of green tea. Probably won't go back.

Truth Be Told Australia

This place was packed when we arrived. 815pm on a Friday evening, we booked ahead and there was about 12 of us . We opted for the set menu . Food was served super quick and dishes were really flavoursome and memorable. Stand outs were the crispy pork Bao , chicken wings had a nice crunchy rub to them, curry was creamy and spicy, and the pad Thai was a knock out . My deduction of a point was we were shoved in way too tight, and the food came out so fast it was hard to really enjoy as all we seem to do was frantically find spots on the tiny table to place the on coming food.i know it's important to turn tables , but your customers should not feel rushed. I would return, but I think I would request a table outside .

Claire Fletcher

Passive aggressive staff. I stood at the wait to be seated sign, waited, waited and waited. Made eye contact with numerous staff from a distance, and waited. Waiter eventually came over, looked through me, and then past me at a couple in line behind me, then proceeded to seat them. Looked at me again, turned around and walked away. I’m really confused with the service...

Prakash Kamath

Amazing food , you would crave to go back. Kaya was an awesome host . His recommendations were spot on. Very friendly place. The desert we had pandas ice cream was worthy of Master Chef finals.

Nathan Bell

We got the $59 deal for 2 and it did not disappoint! Food and cocktails are amazing!! Service is just as good, staff are friendly and prompt. Food came out quickly too. Would definitely come back again.

Birdman

My sort of dining experience. Sitting up at the bar, restaurant has a great vibe, couple drinks and awesome food. Came at 6.30pm on Saturday night and only had a 30 minute wait. Service from Alex was as good as it gets, genuine, friendly and very helpful. Highlights were the pork belly bao, chicken satay and the lamb massaman with the coconut rice was the best I've had I reckon. Fried Chicken was a bit oily for my liking and the Gaytime desert was spot on but a bit too much bao (think donut flavour) but still delicious. Will be back to try some other things on the menu.

Sweetlikesugar

What a great place! We had such a great experience tonight! Our host Alex definitely made our time a 10/10. Super friendly, efficient and just an all round genuine great bloke! The food was awesome, we opted for the feed me menu for $59 for 2 pax (bargain!) we started with crispy Pork Belly Baos - amazingly crunchy great flavours, Pho'Plings (Dumplings in Pho) - also great. Mains we had Lamb Massaman curry (make sure you get this with coconut rice, highly recommend!) and the Hochi fried chicken (was nice but maybe a bit too fried for my liking). Finished off on the Sweet Coco Bahn Mi, if you love Coconut and sticky rice this is the dish for you! I also tried some of the Fried Gaytime Bao which was fabulous! Can't wait to return to try the other items on the menu.

Jamie

Come with a friend for midweek lunch. Arrived before it got busy and got a table. The artwork is cool, but the place is too noisy for decent conversation, especially when sitting next to a large table of over excited occupants. We went for the Biggie Small lunch special. While the food was good, our biggest disappointment is that the dishes didn't come out together. My main arrived while my friend finished her entrée. She then waited a long period for her main while I had almost finished.

Michelle

Another brilliant food experience here. Absolutely love this place. Food is perfect and the service is sensational. Really great vibe all around. I keep Planning to take pics of the food. But I'm more interested in eating than photographing. Always a good sign.

Captain Tofu 💪🌱☘️🍀

This place is very underrated, those are the only words that can be used to start of this review. Staff were extremely friendly and it helped that one of the staff members were vegan. She was very cheerful and bubbly and happily put up with my million and one questions. We had the $59 deal where you get 2 small dishes 2 large dishes and a side. Had absolutely no complaints, food was out of this world and there coconut rice was amazing. Only downfall was that we were seated right against the window and I only had half a seat because of the brick pillar. But in saying that, that was our fault for not booking ahead. Bookings are Essential to make sure you get a good seat inside, don’t make the same mistake we did. 5/5 will definitely be coming back.

Preet Eats 👍🏾👎🏽🤔😄😋

Overall rating 4 - based on the great service, value, ambience and location. Food was yum and for what we paid $59 for two of us it was definitely worth it. We went before the theatre and it was a great choice!

Sxv_666

Total disappointment. Don't know what the rave is about this place. Went for Friday lunch for 4 people. We ordered $20 lunch which comprises of 1 main serve and an entree. I ordered seafood spring rolls and grilled chicken. The others others fried chicken & rice, pad Thai & and prawn vermicelli. 45mins later and after various complaints and trying to get service for outdoor seating. Entree came. 1. Seafood spring rolls were from imported frozen packet that you can get from local Asian Grocer. Nothing special here. 2. Grilled chicken tasted like boiled chicken!!! Meat was white and had that horrible un-marinated chicken taste masked with a thick sauce on the side. If you're going to grill chicken at least let it brown a little. 3. Had 1 garlic prawn (from a friend's serving) and it tasted like one has eaten a whole garlic bulb. 4. Pad Thai was pretty plain. 5. Ice coffee was very diluted. Overall not worth a visit especially having to wait 45min for lunch. Lunch orders should be quick and swift. Who has 1:5 - 2hrs for lunch? All of 4 of us agreed that we won't be back considering the food was pretty bad. How we can tell? We were raised on this cuisine so can tell the difference even for fusion. Better off going next door to Rice Paper Scissors. Now that's what you call great fusion favour.

Matilda Jeffrey

Very very busy and super popular. Good food but feels a bit greasy. Really nice desserts and good sizes for serves. Good for sharing or if you want your own meal.

Caroline Beaney

The disappointment that is Hochi Mama. I expected great things after looking at the menu on Zomato and other users' reviews. The first issue occurred before we got there. We had booked our table 5 days in advance but it wasn't an hour and a half before our booking time that we received a text we would be sitting outside. Why did this happen? Surely we booked far enough in advance to get an indoor table. Once we got there we realised the outdoor table was too small for 5 people. Fortunately the staff moved us indoors! The venue was very cramped. We got a bigger table but had to sit with others. Would have been great if we could have separated the tables for a tiny bit of a gap. We tried the $29 feed me menu. We could each get a small plate. We could have also each had a large plate but we decided to share the 5 large plates instead and the deal also came with 3 sides to share. Everything started out well. I ordered the oysters and they were delicious! Definitely my favourite meal of the night but super weird that they don't have an oyster fork so was very strange to eat the oysters with chopsticks or a large fork. Was very awkward. I also tried my friend's red curry scallop dish. I liked the red curry - quite spicy and rich in flavour. After that things went downhill. Most of the large plates contained a lot of salad and the portions were not large enough. The $29 feed me menu wouldn't fill you up - you would need to order extra. However it is still well valued. Soft crab was delicious unfortunately there wasn't enough sweet and sour special sauce on the plate. The pork belly with Apple slaw got cold very quickly. There was crackling on it though which was impressive. We ordered the Barramundi. Do not order this!!! Servings are very very small! I can't imagine paying $22 for this dish if I wasn't getting the $29 deal. The strawberry salad was a pleasant surprise! Tasted good. Can't believe a strawberry salad actually works! I liked the tofu a lot. Spicy Paw Paw salad was ok BUT the serving of the soft shell crab was tiny!!!! Only enough for one person!! My friend ate it all! The sides were a mess. The Goi salad wasn't that nice. Strawberry salad was so much better. The biggest shock was the spring rolls! We got both the seafood and vegetarian ones. Such weird texture on the spring rolls. And they were so oily! The seafood Spring rolls were oiler than the vegetarian ones - so much so that all we could taste was a mouthful of oil! My friend complained after the meal but the waiters claimed fusion food! So it's different... Yes but no need for oily Spring rolls like that! I wouldn't come back. I would recommend the $59 menu if going with a large group. Not worth buying individual plates. Servings are too small! Also we got a fried rice that wasn't ours so we sent it back. It was the biggest serving! Great for a side we should have kept it! They also kept trying to give us extra baos so the kitchen and staff were very confused!

Nini Foodie

We decided to give Hochi Mama a go after passing it multiple times on the way to more "hyped up" eateries nearby, and we were blown away by how good and underrated it was! The dinner menu copies next door's format with 5 dishes for $59 to share among two (2 entrees, 2 mains and a side of rice/coconut rice). Good thing is that there is flexibility for odd numbers with each additional person being $29.50 and adding 1 entree, 1 main and 1 side to the table. We had the hochi chicken bao, DIY rice paper rolls with beef, Southside chicken curry and north meets south steamed barramundi with coconut rice as our side. Hard to pick a favourite as everything was fantastic. The bao were a great size and the kimchi gave them a nice edge. DIY rice paper rolls - super cute idea and execution. Can make 8 mini rolls and the spicy sauce really lifted the dish and made it memorable. The chicken curry was absolutely massive - super generous portion and delicious with the coconut rice. The steamed barramundi was much lighter, perhaps our least favourite but loved the idea of having 2 serves with 2 flavours. Highly recommend giving Hochi Mama a go and we are excited to return to try more of their menu!

Alex .t

Having a table reserved and next in line then some people cut the que with no reservations and took our table which left us with only 1 seat at the bar between both of us. Future more the guy at the door said it's not his problem, so we said we leaving and didn't even stop us. Disgusting service and will never come back again

Fabiana Navas

Externally unorganized, made a reservation that they couldn’t not find and while we waited for people in front of us to pay so we could sit on the free table outside that they had left the waiter gave away the table to people behind us that had just walked in than telling us to wait at the bar for the next available seats. Why made a reservation if they can’t even find it going to the people.

Wilko Tea

Cute little cozy bar, very trendy! Love the atmosphere. Was packed even though I went on a Tuesday night. Sat at the bar, bartender Terry was very friendly and easy to talk with. His cocktail was spot on. Other staff there are super friendly as well. Great service. Ordered the pork belly bao, amazing flavour. The pork belly skin was a tad tough, but I know how hard it is to make pork belly skin crispy. Also ordered their hochi fried chicken and omg was so yum! Skin was crispy and flavoursome. Would definitely order that again. Thanks again Hochi Mama for the great good and customer service :)

Ann

I've been to Hochi Mama a few times now and have a few favourite dishes that I will always come back for! The pandan panna cotta is so good, that I went from being a non-panna cotta eater to now loving this dessert! I also love the barramundi two ways. It is so delicious that I only wished the serving could be 4 times bigger! All in all, a well-rounded trendy Melbourne restaurant.

Cindy Zhou

Came here with friends for a Sunday lunch. The 5 dishes for $59 deal was good value and let us to try a variety of dishes - starting with smalls dishes: we had delta oyster, scallops, pork belly bao and chicken bao. We enjoyed a lot. Larger: flounder, beef ribs and fried chicken. They were totally enjoyable and tasty, Would definitely come back for more food options!

Southside Foodie

Talk about value for money! First modern Asian restaurant I have come across that doesn't cost an arm and a leg for a few small dishes. Flavours were incredible, massaman lamb meat was so tender Great range of fresh cocktails Overall, a great dining experience.

LittleM

A friend and I had dinner here. We decided on getting 5 dishes for 29.50pp. The dishes we had were tasty, however I found the dishes to be very small for the price tag. I liked the crispy pork belly the most.

Shana Chand

Im sure the food is lovely but the customer service we received was terrible. There were 3 of us but we were forced to sit on a table for 2. I asked the waiter to move us to a bigger table so it could fit all of our food on it, however he was really rude and refused to move us despite having made a reservation for 3.

KITCHFIT

Loved this place! Came here for a quick dinner before a show. Beautifully, delicious food all round. Everything we had was super tasty. Very busy restaurant, bit of a tight squeeze, but that's expected I guess. We sat at the bar, very funny and fun bar tender. Great hospitality and buzzing environment. Would definitely come back for more food!!

Youngy

Staff friendly. It was popular for lunch, they had run out of a couple options. Interior is cool, bit of street art and mood lighting. In a very nice lane. Quick to take order, quick to receive food. Flavour was very very good. Not huge serves and not sure if I would normally be happy to pay $9 for rotisserie bread and sauce. It was very yummy but.... Overall a positive experience and we'll deserved high scores.

WeiTing Ashley Shyu

We went to Hochi Mama on a Monday night. We got the $29.50 deal, ordering tofu skewers, pork belly bao, the beef ribs and Southside chicken curry. I wish I could give Hochi Mama a higher review as the vibes are groovy and the menu is extensive... unfortunately, the quality of the actual food fell short of my expectations. The smaller dishes: the tofu skewers tasted like dried tofu lollipops. They were not soft at all and had more tofu skin than actual tofu meat. It wasn't enjoyable. The pork belly bao was nice. The actual pork belly was tiny but the flavours complimented each other well. The large dishes: the beef ribs were nice. Nothing memorable. Just nice. The Southside chicken curry was the highlight by far. It had a kick to it - surprisingly making the dish even more enjoyable. I would come back to Hochi Mama for the Southside chicken curry. The smaller dishes just didn't really make an impression.

Meg

I would definitely recommend doing the 'hungry me now' menu. It's a great way to try different things and you can choose anything on the menu, great value at $29.50. The barramundi was my absolute fav along with the fish cakes, both full of flavour and fresh spices. The cocktails are also delicious I loved the ladyboy cocktail especially. The decor is cool, cosy and fun.

J0yy173

On Fathers Day this place was busy but not packed. We were left standing around for what felt like ages before anyone acknowledged our presence and showed us to our booked table. The 5 dishes for $59 deal was good value and enabled us to try a variety of dishes without over - feeding. We enjoyed the tasty Mekong Delta Oyster, Scallops with Red Curry and Seafood Spring Rolls before ticking into the Garlic Prawns and Massaman Lamb Curry. The first four dishes were done really well - flavourful, harmonised textures and totally enjoyable. The lamb was overcooked and too tough for my liking but the flavour was excellent. In this funky setting and cosy atmosphere, the service was patchy. The food came fast but our drinks never arrived, though they were on the bill. There were two service staff and one didn't seem very interested in serving at all. We went elsewhere for dessert as the place didn't feel very welcoming. Shame as the flavours were really quite good.

Gabriela B

This is the first time i've ever went to a vietnamese/thai food fusion, which im really excited to try! We had the "Me Hungry Now" deal, which cost $59 pp! It includes 2 main, 2 small and a side dish. Its a pretty good deal for the amount of food we can have. The dish that i love the most was the spicy paw paw salad, its really light and refreshing, it had all the sweet, sour and salty flavor. All the ingredients is fresh and crispy which adds texture to the dish! I love the scallop with saigon red curry, the curry is light yet all the herbs and spices of the curry is very prominent. it goes really well together with the scallop. However, the crispy pork belly is standard, the skin was crispy but the meat is soggy and oily. The chicken bao and spring roll is okay, both of them were cooked nicely and crispy; but it doesnt have anything special to it. Overall its a good place to have an inexpensive yet many-variety-food kind of meal.

Erica Roccioletti

Loved Hochi Mama!!! Such a cool place with a really good vibe. They play awesome RNB music and have really cool decor inside. The food is amazing & they are such good value - $59 for two, we loved this option because you get to order from different parts of the menu. Highly recommend their crispy chicken!! The cocktails at Hochi were some of the best I've had, not to mention fantastic service! Loved it here & will definitely be back. Bookings are essential.

Jean

They have a set for approx 30 pp! So worth it, we couldn't even finish the food. The pau's were so so, but other than that the food is so good! The ambiance there plus service was fast and helpful!

Jennitals

LIT!: loved the portion size and dishes here. The dumplings in a fragrant pho soup was delightful unique dish. All the meat we had was super tender except the fried chicken which was crispy on the outside. The "hungry now" deal is lit NOT SO LIT: not sure how I feel about scallops with curry sauce

Amy Dobson

Visited Hochi Mama for a quick pre-show dinner - it was early, and the place probably wasn't even half-full. We were taken to a long table that had 2 people sitting at one end and was really close to another table with people at it. We sat at the other end of the table, out of the way of the others, and were told we had to sit right next to the people already there. My friend couldn't even get into her seat due to how close it was to the table behind and had to ask them to move so she could get in. No one else sat at the table during the time we were there and it put us off straight away. Food was fine, but in a town full of incredible food there was nothing memorable about it. Had a great cocktail however noticed the cocktail menu listed a description that included "If you love expresso martinis..." - is it petty to pick at spelling errors in a menu? Perhaps, but it's a pet peeve of mine. Nail in the coffin - no bill splitting. It's 2017, I don't return to places that don't split bills.

Salted Caramel

Had a lovely tasty lunch here today. Laneway location. Great sauces. Tasty! Favorite was spring rolls made with fine web of vermicelli- delicate and delicious. Good place for lunch.

Ben Terrell

Good food. Horrid attitude from some of the wait staff. The constant pressure to buy drinks was novel at first but it then became an issue of almost annoyance for the staff serving us due to our group not drinking alcohol hence refusing each time. Enough of an annoyance apparently that it was worth gossiping to other wait staff, who assumed the same attitude as the initial server. This experience was enough for me to consider this experience being the first and last at Hochi Mama. The food was a saving grace. I can deal with one server being unprofessional but half of the servers working?

Mills

In an area in the city where there's a pleather of great asian inspired restaurants like Longrain, Gingerboy and Rock Paper Scissors this place was facing some pretty tough competition. A bit more of a casual setting than its counterparts yet maintaining a similar quality of food but at a fraction of the cost! The $59 menu which included 2 entrees 2 mains and a side was enough food for 2 people and well worth it. Try the beef ribs and the chicken Hochi Banh Bao, super tasty! Service was very good and friendly. Definitely coming here again!

Wandering Ella

I’ve been to Hochi Mama for dinner and yumcha but I’ve never tried their lunch menu! I was a little surprise by how much they’ve dialled back the options for their more straightforward lunch menu. The Biggie Smalls option allows you to grab one ‘small’ or appetizer alongside one ‘big’ or main for only $19.90 though so it’s a pretty good deal! We got the baos to start and they were

Karen Giang

Been here on two occasions. Stumbled here the first time when rice paper scissors were full at opening and decided to give HCM a shot. Unfortunately, though staff were friendly and attentive, the food was a let down. The pork belly bao were dry, hard and unpleasant to eat. The pho dumplings were very mildly seasoned. The scallops however, were beautiful and as were the oysters. The crying tiger salad was overly salted but the curry we ordered ( i forget which one it was) was delicious. On the second occasion, tried the pho x pad Thai noodle combo but was very oily and not very flavoursome. The seafood spring rolls were soggy with oil and had no seafood flavour (I wondered if they accidentally gave us the vegetarian spring rolls). Unfortunately I have given this place a decent go, but don't think I will be returning here again.

Melbourne Adventurer

Have been here thrice and loved it everytime. Highly recommend the steamed barramundi, fried chicken wings, pork belly bao, seafood spring rolls. Pholings are interesting and should be sampled atleast once. Desserts are tasty. We will certainly return for more.

Julycheee

Similar to the concept and food at Rice Paper Scissors, it gives the perception of good value food for sharing in a hip environment. Just like Rice Paper Scissors, I found the food pretty bad, so really the price is just fooling you. Also the seating was so cramped, there was actually another diner's back leaning against our table because that's where his seat was. We barely survived without any of his restrained movements knocking anything off our table! I noticed that the "extra head" price was actually more value than the price per head for two people. The menu is also incredibly confusing, with some of the small dishes coming in one serve and with vast price differences. We agreed with the neighbouring table who also were befuddled to learn this while ordering - why is the concept sharing, yet the chicken banh bao comes in one piece vs the pork belly bao in two pieces?! The food itself was all over the places. The Vietnamese sushi roll the spring rolls were tasteless and entirely bland. The (pho + dumplings) "pho-plings" had a pretty basic broth that is a far FAR cry from good pho. The crispy beef ribs salad was numbingly spicy (as indicated), but the beef ribs were more floury than crispy, to be honest. The fried chicken was pretty good and by far the only decent dish we had. I actually came here with low expectations after reading a so-so review, so the bar wasn't that high to begin with...

Kirsty Haggerty

A group of my friends went here a few weeks ago and we loved it! The waitress was happy to help us with the menu to get more for our money, which was great. I also ordered the Kardashian cocktail and it was so pretty! Best described as a glittery champagne cocktail - definitely order this if you want to impress. I loved the atmosphere and modern feel. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for great Asian food - I will definitely be going back.

Sheemal Visun

Hochi Mamas is a hidden little gem in Liverpool street.... not too far from parliament station. They offer Vietnamese dishes with modern twist. They have dinner for 2 option which gives you 2 small, 2 large and 1 side items from the menu so each person pays $29.50. This is a great deal and the sizes of the items are reasonable and filling. The flavours just explodes in your mouth. The highlight from menu has to be the spring rolls. Perfect place to dine with workmates on Friday night! The place does get quite busy so do book table in advance! The resturant also does not do split bills so best to carry cash on you when visiting this place.

FOOD TRIP

Hochi Mama is a hidden little eatery that puts a new innovative twist on the usual Vietnamese and Thai dishes. The place itself is everything cool and hip, with wall to ceiling décor and plenty of neon lights to add to the ambiance. Food is designed to be tried and shared with lots of menu options to chose from. Dishes are on the pricer end, but its about quality, not quantity right? Cocktails are fun and refreshing. Would recommend trying out if in the area

Claire Thorpe

Zac was a fantastic waiter! Really took care of us and was very polite when we had to wait 45 mins for the rest of our party to arrive .... delicious coconut rice!!

Stacy Hacket

4th visit to this fabulous food joint and each time gets better!! Everything about Hochi Mama is just amazing- the food (drool worthy and delish) the service (our bar tender and attendant Theo was next level awesome) and atmosphere always keeps me coming back for more.

Lole Lole Lole

Yum yum yum yum. Tried so many small and large dishes here and they were so delicious. Make sure you get the soft shell crab. Amazing stuff. Reasonably priced and the food came out so quickly, staff were friendly and the place gets pretty packed so make sure you book. Only downfall is that the tables are so close together but whatever.

Marcus Sim

Was great, lots of variety, friendly staff! The fried chicken and the spring rolls are brilliant! Also great atmosphere, and orders were brought out super quickly!

Adriana Andelkovic

Hochi Mama is definitely a must visit whether you're a local or visiting Melbourne. Took our Irish friends for dinner and it was definitely a hit! The vibe is great, food is even better! Amazing vegetarian options too- perfect for sharing. A must visit.

Amy Stephenson

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 a Melbourne favourite. Never disappoints. I can't even pick my favourite thing on the menu. But my review needs to be 140 characters so I will have to say the crispy chicken.

Stephanie

Best fried chicken out!! Everything on the menu looks and sounds delicious, always spoilt for choice!! Sooooo yummy! Delicious cocktails! Great vibes and friendly staff :)

Rebecca Fakhri

Wow!! Incredible ambience, friendly service and amazing food.. there is a little bit of everything on that menu for everyone whether they are vegan, vegetarian or a meat lover. We did the 'me hungry now' option where you get 5 dishes and the serving sizes are really big. Cocktails were delicious. This restaurant has a fun twist to it and I really enjoyed the vibe of the place :) We ordered the following: - vegetarian spring rolls - pho-mplings (dumplings in pho) - barramundi - rice paper rolls (grilled eggplant) - strawberry salad AMAZING!! Will return for sure :)

Carol Sheldon

Hochi Mama was this months lunch date with middle son, always looking for somewhere in close proximity to his work and good food! Have been to Rice Paper Scissor which happens to be next door a couple of times , had not realized Hochi Mama was in the same Lane 😁. Lunch times can be quite busy but we easily secured a table. The menu has a few options for ordering one being order a small & a biggie dish for $19.99. We chose this option shared our smalls & had our own biggie! The food was super tasty & not too spicy given we both struggle a little with too much heat 🔥. There was more than enough food to satisfy our appetites, such great value too! Highly recommend and will definitely return to try other options on the menu 😋

Melb Eating

So here's an idea - if you have a sharing menu, make the dishes sharing dishes. A single bao..? Probably not something I can share. And probably shouldn't be your menu. Repeat that often enough, and perhaps you should keep on walking past. Just a thought....

Brunchinwithb

Great cocktails and the staff are friendly!!! The sharing menu is great!!! Absolutely love the hochi fried chicken, crispy pork belly bao and the south side tofu curry with coconut rice. We were short on time and mentioned that we had a play to watch, the food came out in 20 mins. Great service and atmosphere! Thank you guys!!!!

Joelperkins93

Food was sensational and service was great, was quite cosy for 4 people. Cheap for the amount of food you get with the $29 4 dish option. Will be coming back again!

Justos

Nice food, busy place, quick service and great value. The food is good, fresh and modern. Chicken was great, pork belly was nice. beef rib was dry but still nice. Very busy place, still got our food fairly quickly which was great. $29pp for 5 plates, definitely awesome!

HungryMelbournian

Was not able to take pictures as the setting is dark and would rather have not insulted the amazing food. Heres a quick summary of my experience .. The cocktails are aaamazing! Definitely must try. Loved the Gin based one (sorry forgot which one) The $59 deal is perfect. A variety of meals for a great price. Everything was so delicious, would definitely be back. Staff were polite and great!

Alice Chen

The Pho soup is superb. But the pork bun was too hard to chewing and the noodle is less than I expected. Overall, the environment is quite cozy and service is very good as well.

AP

As a group of 5, we had to order the set menu which include a small and large plate each and few sides. The famous phoplings were very average. I enjoyed the trio of scallops, crispy pork belly and beef salad the most

Amy Sharma

So glad we booked a table here - by 6pm the place was packed! We had the 'feed me' deal which ended up being a lot more food than we could fit in! For smaller plates we had the Vietnamese sushi roll with soft shell crab and satay banh mi with crispy tofu. Both were delicious. For larger plates we had the Pho Thai with tofu and crispy pork belly with apple slaw- they were both so good but the crispy pork belly was a standout! Cooked to perfection, and the apple slaw was a fresh contrast. I had a passionfruit and white chocolate cocktail which was one of the best cocktails I've ever had. The only downside was how noisy the place was - got to point where we had to leave not long after our meals. There was virtually no space between tables either. Overall though we had a good experience because of the food.

Sinfully Delicious

This place is amazing 😍😍😍 The food is simply delicious and the cocktails are too. Great value $30 per person for mains. We tried the pho dumpling which came in a beautiful broth, u cant go wrong with the pork bao, but top pic would be the fried rice with pineapple and the lamb massaman and for dessert the pannacotta with fresh fruit. I would pass on the friend spring rolls next time which was the only dish i didnt like. I would definitely come back to this place!!!

Matt

Quality up market Vietnamese, go there with your friends and get a whole load of food to share. Enjoyed it all, especially the fried chicken

Vicky Ho

Hochi mama screams TGIF vibes even on a Monday night. I love the atmosphere of the place, the waiters are friendly and everyone around you is enjoying their drinks and food. I recommend getting the pho'plings and crispy pork belly bao as your starters (I've tried most of the starters) . The crispy pork bao was beautifully tender with crispy pork cracklings. For the side I had the spring rolls. As much as I loved it, it was too oily to eat without feeling guilty. I had the spicy beef rib for my main, make sure you have a high tolerance for spice if ordering this. The beef rib was described as "slide off bone" however it was tougher than I anticipated. I was not amazed or disappointed by the main meal. Verdict: an overall good dining experience. Would not come back though

Truman Tang

Very good value for money ($59 for 2 ppl), great atmosphere, good service. Food quality is not quite what you'd get at Chin Chin or Jinda but it's comparable and you're not paying nearly as much here. Would come again ☺️

Indira Ayu Maharani

Great food! Good service and theyre so nice. So, I ordered the dinner set for 2 and can feed 3 person hahaha, and it is more than enough 😂👌

Andy Trancao

I had heard so many good things about Hochi Mama I decided to take my girlfriend here for our anniversary. We had a few of the large dishes because we simply couldn't decide what to order! Everything was amazing but the Lamb Massaman was our favourite, it paired so well with the coconut rice! The cocktails we had were also some of the best cocktails I've ever had! Will definitely be returning soon!

Glenny

We went with a group and ordered the $59 deal which is great value for money. The serving sizes are big and there was plenty to go all around. The services was amazing and the staff were very attentive. I'll be back in no time.

Christine

Had the "feed me menu" which was great value for $30. Everything we had was delicious and large portion sizes. Great cocktail list too. Quite a loud place however so we couldn't hear each other.

Clarinna

Went for a dinner last night, I made a booking through zomato for 8pm. When I got there the table was not ready and we had to wait about 15 mins. The place is bigger than rice paper scissor so i suggest if you don't like waiting for an hour, come to this place instead. We didn't go with the $59 for two people offer because we thought they'd be too much, however we spent more instead. What we ordered: - Fried Chicken Bao - Crispy Beef Ribs - Chicken Curry - Coconut Panacotta - Brioche bun with Pandan custard and coconut We really liked the food, everything was tasty without being overly intense in flavour. My fav was the beef ribs, meat was tender, the salad and the dressing was really refreshing and not too tangy. The coconut rice was literally coconut cream pour on to rice so I suggested just ordering normal rice. Desserts were okay, the brioche bun reminds me of $1 ice cream sandwich from Singapore. The plating could be better.

Wendy

Came to HoChi Mama for a catch up dinner with friends. We got small and big plates to share. Very busy and good atmosphere. We ordered the fried chicken with spicy mayo, pork bao, chicken bao and a spicy pork belly with apple slaw and salad. Overall the food was underwhelming and there was nothing that really stood out about it. Can of Coke took about 20 minutes to come out. Probably won't be returning.

Ray

Stumbled upon this place and thought would give it a go. To see how busy the venue was, guaranteed that the place and food must be good. The staff were very friendly and they managed to find us a table straight away. Given the amount of people it was quite loud but that adds more to the good atmosphere. We felt the $59 for two people deal was great value. The food came out really quick, everything seemed very fresh. The food was tasty but some lacked that extra flavour and was missing something that would make the dinner great. The crispy beef had to be the favourite as it was so fresh and original. Would return because of that dish.

Mi55Bee

Very average food but thankfully price wasnt too much. We had the feed me banquet with so much food on the table. Try not to order the pork belly bao because its hard as rock! Pho thai and fried chicken on the other hand was really tasty. Hit and miss in some menu items but overall it wasnt too bad.

Ilovefood13

Hochi Mama is a Vietnamese fusion restaurant so do be prepared for different take and twist on the traditional Viet fare. It's a funky restaurant and bigger in size than Rice Paper Scissors next door. Staff were friendly and pleasant to deal with. The $59 for 2 deal where you get to choose 2 smaller, 2 larger and a side dish is such good value for money. The larger dishes were definitely enough to share between 2 people. We ordered the crispy chicken bao (note there is only one bao so if both of you want one each, you need to add another nap to the order) and trio of scallops (we added another scallop so we can have 2 each) for smaller dishes and the beef ribs and crispy pork belly for larger dishes and coconut rice as side. All up, our bill was $73 (with the extra nap and scallop and a Coke). In terms of the food, bao was soft but thought the crispy chicken was too salty for my liking. Enjoyed the scallops which were cooked just right. Was a little disappointed with the ribs as whilst it came off the bone easily, it wasn't as tender as I thought it would be (maybe I was expecting it to be similar to another beef ribs dish that I had not too long ago which was so soft and tender that it literally melted in my mouth). The crispy pork belly was ok but again, I was comparing it to another pork belly dish that I had previously where the skin was much crispier). I didn't mind the coconut rice even though it did come with lots of coconut milk. I would come back again as it's good value but might try some of the other dishes next time.

BellaItalia

Super delicious, cool space with tasty modern Asian dishes. Went with a group before the comedy festival and they could not be more accommodating. Fantastic sharing plates and very generous serves.

Facebook User

❤️❤️❤️ delicious food the $59 deal was way too much food though. The dessert with the sticky rice and mango and lychee ice cream was absolutely awesome

Sweet And Sour Fork

The Southside Tofu Curry ($20) on the other hand was, surprisingly, a winner. The curry sauce was rich and aromatic, with the elements of sweetness and spice carefully and meticulously balanced. The creamy sauce held a good variety of veggies, plus some satisfyingly hearty slabs of pan-fried tofu, and tasted fantastic over a bowl of Jasmine Rice ($3.5).

Urban Foodie

First visit here and very impressed with the food The staff were great but the kitchen must have been wanting an early night! We ordered a mix of small plates and full plates to share between 4 hungry adults. Every dish was delicious! Not a bad feat by anyone's standards but instead of servicing us progressively as we enjoyed each of these wonderful taste sensations. When the next dish arrived one after the other, we ended up with no space on the table as we ate. We had asked for a break between courses but our waitress said the kitchen had already started cooking them?? The Restraurant has good ambience and was good value. Hopefully they will hone their protocols in the kitchen. We definitely be going back.

Kriti Kapoor

We were there early as we had a show to go to - 5pm. It wasn't long before the place was really busy and as the meal progressed we could see why. The food is just great. Small dishes for sharing at a reasonable price. The staff are friendly and efficient and nothing is a bother even though they were super busy. The food was in good size portions for 2, fresh and tasty. At the end the bill was less than you might expect for a meal like this. Up there at the top of our list now - if you are disappointed maybe you are just hard to please.

NiluH

Excellent food, cocktails, ambiance and service. We dined there and tried their entire cocktail menu. Nothing short of brilliance. The food simply bursts with flavours. Loved it. Will be back again.

Claudia Rodriguez

Went there last night with a friend. Wewere seated at the bar and ordered 2 mains and 2 cocktails. Finished that and my friend ordered a beer. Halfway through her beer we were brought the bill. We thought it was rude buy hey food was great so we just kept chatting. Finished the beer and went to order a second beer only to hear that they needed the table and we had to pay! Not happy! Food was really good and cocktails amazing but we are not coming back!

@twogoodtoresist

Though modern Vietnamese street food seems to be the in thing right now, hochi mama really takes this cuisine to the next level. The bustling vibes and wait at this restaurant is a testament to their amazing food. Every item on the menu is a beautiful balance between authentic and modern. The cocktails are to die for too! They have some pretty amazing lunch deals as well as a very reasonable 59$ for 2 people (2 entrees, 2 mains and 1 side) value deal. All dishes that we tried were deliciously flavoursome. Our "must tries" include the open satay baguette, the sushi roll (which uses rice noodles rather than sushi), the chicken curry and the pho Thai (the ingredients of pho but in a pad Thai style dish). The pandan panacotta and pash and dash cocktail (passionfrut and white chocolate) were a perfect end to a fantastic meal! Service is both friendly and efficient!

Sophie S

Went here on a very bustling Saturday night after comedy fest show. Lucky we booked! Seated and looking at menus we ordered cocktails first (had a lycheezy which was tasty). Atmosphere is very hip..ster. But ultimately it is decent looking and you can hang at the bar whilst waiting on table if you don't book. The waitresses/waiters were pretty attentive and we all decided to get the dinner for 2 special. 2 smaller dishes, 2 larger and 1 side $59. Mind you, the waitress let us know hochi Mama's style was more towards tapas size sharing plates & can confirm that the sizes are small enough - which means you don't become over-filled. We had vietnamese sushi rolls, pho'plings, Saigon caramelised pork belly (my fav of night) & the popular hochi fried chicken with a side of rice. All very tasty indeed! I would love to go back for lunch menu at some point too!

Agnes Lei

Friendly and lovely service, the staff is attentive and helpful. Food is a bit disappointed, the sauce of the scallop cover the taste of scallop. The scallop didn't have any texture and presentation need to be improved. Strawberry salad didn't have the taste of strawberry, visible strawberry but no palate on it.

Poonam Advani

We went there for a Friday evening out with friends and ordered from the Me Hungry Now (MHN) option. $59 for two people gave us 2 small portions, 2 large and 1 Side dishes. Since we were 4 of us, we got 2xMHN. We ordered: Smaller Portions: Scallops, Open Satay Banh Mi, Rice Paper Roll (Veg), Vietnamese Sushi Roll Larger Portions: Spicy Paw Paw Salad (Crab), Hochi Fried Chicken, Crispy Pork Belly Bao, Pineapple Rice(?) Sides: Hanoi Vegetarian Spring Rolls; Jasmine Rice Dessert: Pandan Pana Cotta Verdict: The dishes at HCM are made to share – I love that concept. So when we were served our food, I couldn’t wait to dig in. The food was aplenty, all four of us were full before dessert. The Spicy Paw Paw salad was a hit, so was the special Vietnamese sauce that came with the Hochi Chicken. We gobbled up the spring rolls just as they were served and were pleasantly surprised to see that they came encased in a delicate mesh as opposed to the pastry they’re usually stuffed in. Most dishes at our table were vegetarian and I have to say – I was quite surprised by the variety that was available. I didn’t miss the meat when I was feasting on all that veggie goodness. I was lucky to find HCM for my first sit down Vietnamese cuisine try out & I wasn’t disappointed. I can’t be sure of traditional Vietnamese flavors and I won’t compare the food at HCM with that but I loved the experience of dining here. The place was busy but the wait staff was attentive. All our food came in as it was ready – left me a bit confused but I didn’t have time to complain once I started eating. The dessert tasted great as well but was not worth the price tag. I’d definitely go back to HCM.

Mummy+Me Eats

When fusion is done right...YASSS! Plus 5 star service without the pricetag. Thanks Hochi Mama, this mama will be back on her next night off! SERVICE: 5/5 From the moment I arrived, there was a warm welcoming right at the front door. I was the first to arrive from our party of 4. I was promptly shown to the table, and was chuffed it being the best seat in the house. Right beside the highly photographed neon sign, our table had front row seats to that bustling bar. It was awesome watching the bartenders work their magic all night long and create all these delectable cocktails. The menu is quite extensive and the drinks had a good portion of the menu to itself. It was a mocktail for me, and despite not having a mocktail menu - they easily created variations to the cocktails on offer. Our waitress was spot on all evening, never far from our table and the dishes just kept rolling out in procession. Everything we asked during our stay was met with a smile and all too easy despite being packed to the brim for Saturday night dinner service. We had a show to catch nearby and despite us ordering 10+ dishes & drinks, we were all happy and fed in 70mins, impressive! FOOD: 4.5/5 So everyone knows about the $59 for 2 where you share 5 dishes. BUT, if you are on your night off ...this mama was gonna EAT! So our table ordered additional dishes on the side and glad we did. There were more than a few eye-popping moments. Absolute WINNER, MUST TRY, DO-NOT-LEAVE-TIL-YOU-DO, TAKE MY MONEY NOW dishes were: Hochi Chicken Banh Bao Pho Pad Thai Vietnamese Sushi Roll with Soft Shell Crab Salmon Sashimi + Pandan Panna Cota Those 5 dishes plus that ah-damn-maaaazing list of drinks far exceeded any expectation we had. They made me up a Thai Chi x Lycheezy (mocktail version) as I couldn't decide. And glad I was indecisive - these guys know what they're doing. DECOR & AMBIENCE: 5/5 The vibe in here on a Saturday night was buzzing! Despite booking a 6pm session, it filled up quick. The space itself is not the largest but they've used it well with ample seating including diners right up on the bar and a spacious alfresco area. I felt there were 3 main drawcards in the space, the bar area where all the remixed R&B tunes were coming from, the neon sign (where we were YAYERRR) and the graffiti artwork on the side wall with large tables infront. Layout and decor was definitely on trend and enjoyable place to stay for a few hours. Especially if you are a mama like me with limited energy, and want to do dinner & drinks without the club..A PRESTO! KID FRIENDLY: Leave them at home, grab your girls and leave the rest to Hochi Mama.

Just Jamie

A Great Modern Asian in the City, With stunning Cocktails. So i visited here twice in the last month and both times it was awesome, once being with Matt and a couple of friends and the other going back with Matt as he was invited through the DonutSamBlog he writes for. I love their concept here where for 2 people you get 2 small dishes (starters) 2 Large Plates (Mains) and 1 side all for $59. They also have a good selection of Cocktails and deserts. All the small dishes we tried were pretty good, The Oysters were so fresh adding the chili to them made the flavor so nice and left a touch on the tongue. The Chicken Bao had to be the best though so soft and moist good chicken and the to die for sauce made it extra delicious. The Dumplings were good but we were left unsure on how to drink/eat the liquid in the bowl. The Main plates, a good selection also. The Masaman Curry just WOW! lamb melting in the mouth and the added pineapple was genius and left a good sweetness in the mouth. The Baramundi was my most favorite dish i would say, i loved the say it was served with a spicy and not so spicy dish so there were two types to try. Me having a spice palate it was so good my mouth on fire and a good way to end the savory dishes. The Beef salad was also a nice dish. Drinks, well a cocktail menu that was just wonderful. Great Flavors and taste combinations. Something for all sweet, fresh, creamy. Out of them all i loved the Zen garden the most as it contained one of my favorite flavors elder-flour. They also make a great espresso martini. Desert, We only had this on the invite night and the one we wanted was not available due to missing components so the chef combined two which was lovely but i can see why they were separate some of the ingredients did not go that well together. However the panna cotta wow! smooth and so tasty. The Coconut ice cream also amazing. Overall a great place, wonderful food and nice staff! i will be back for sure Please note part of what i ate was eating on an invitation from the restaurant Restaurant Type : Modern/ Asian

The New Fave

There's been many a time when I've been waiting in the cold for a seat at Rice Paper Scissors, staring enviously at the patrons of it's next door neighbour Hochi Mama walking straight into their doors. But after dining at Hochi Mama the other day, I was quick to realise why it's so easy to get a seat.

The Dear Luncher

If you’re going to make a good impression with The Dear Luncher, a great way to do that is to immediately provide an easy pop culture reference via the name of your establishment. Takes all the hard work out of it. When Hochi Mama appeared on Your Dear Luncher’s radar, he automatically knew that his review would be littered with Seinfeld and 2 Live Crew references.

Miranda Phal

Amazing! Love the vibe of the place; great music and good customer service. Everything ordered tasted great. Really recommend their strawberry salad and fried chicken.

Penguineats

We started off with the Pho’plings and were suitably impressed. Served within an aromatic and flavoursome broth that exhibited a pleasant pho fragrance, we found underneath the garnishes four cute little dumplings. With a thin and delicate skin, the meat within the dumplings was juicy and well seasoned. A nicely rounded dish with a mix of Asian influences.As a modern fusion Vietnamese restaurant, Hochi Mama puts an interesting and unique twist on traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Catering for a Western palate and geared towards sharing, we found our meal overall tasty and enjoyable, though not without flaws.

Split The Bill

Ordered the me hungry now for 3 people for about $90. This consisted of 5 different sized dishes. The meals were delicious my favourites were the pork bao and crispy pork belly (which was a very generous serving) with the apple slaw we also ordered the scallops and seafood spring rolls. The service was great too. Highly recommend this place!

Don'tMessWithMyFood

Quick service with a smile! Food was amazing and FAST! sashimi and barramundi highly recommended. Mango blossom dessert was more than I expected - the Pandan flavour of the sauce was excellent (coming from someone who grew up with pandan as almost a staple ingredient!). I expect the Pandan Panacotta to be amazing as well!

Ta.be.tabi

Hochi Mama serves Vietnamese fusion cuisine designed for sharing. The dishes are divided under smaller, larger, sides and dessert. The space is as expected, a modern look crossed with street dining, which was very warmly lit. The Matcha Man cocktail is prepared by whisking ceremonial grade matcha powder, and mixed with elderflower, jasmine and lemon. As I opted for a non-alcoholic version the gin was excluded. The flavour overall was just really tart, and hard to detect the matcha flavour.

Must Be Hungry

Hochi Mama has been on our bucket list for way too long, so tonight was the night to check it out 😊. Tucked in a classic Melbournian's lane (Liverpool), this little restaurant is packed with character and charm 😍. In fact, as soon as we walked in we felt at home. One of their wait staff explained in details their menu and highly recommended their 'Me Hungry Now' deal: $29.5 per person to get 1 small and 1 large item each from their 'Sharing is caring' section, plus 1 side dish 😛 A cracking deal that we could not resist 😅. Our choices: Scallops with Saigon Red Curry Pho'plings Crispy Pork Belly Bao Massaman Lamb Curry Spicy Crispy Pork Belly Hochi Fried Chicken Coconut Rice and Vegetarian Spring Rolls After less than 5 minutes the food invasion started (thank God 😂) and it kept going and going and going. Fast yes, but also at the right pace 👌. The dishes were all flavoursome, sticky (in a good way), juicy, spicy, crispy and sweet 😘. We absolutely loved it, but above all we picked the Pho'plings: such a clever dish packed with flavours that we won't forget 😄. The service was flawless and the atmosphere was spot on: definitely a bonus on top of great food 🙌. Overall, a lovely dining experience which it will bring us back here again and again. We highly recommend it 😋. It is now officially MBH approved ❤ Thank you for having us 🙏

"JT" Jeffrie Trika

Great dining concept ..... Fusion is not an easy challenge to balance and accomplished. The first impression "always" counts ... smartly set up. Mama said, if you go to a Chinese restaurant and there ain't any Chinese looking people inside, just don't go in, move on until you find one :-) So it was "out of character" for me to stop by a place like Hochi Mama, however, I was glad that Mandy invited us to dine in. Second impression, this medium small venue was crowded, vibrant, very tight inside and a bit cramped, just like any other popular Chinese restaurants around :-) the table that we were seated at first, next to a dividing wall I can't even slide my legs inside under the table, there was no gap as there was another patron's chair behind me. Thank God the waitress was kind enough to move us to another table, a little bit roomier. Third impression, Asian looking staff in the kitchen and Caucasian staff at the front is a great fusion, assurance of a good Asian inspired food and pleasant hospitality, we were so looking forward to this Vietnamese/Asian fusion food experience. Fourth impression, looking at the menu, what great dining concept, for just under $60 for two you'll get two Entrees, two Mains & one side. Yes, drinks aren't included, so pick your poison, it will determines your final bill. Adequate Drink List, happy to report their Wine by the Glass is good complement for their food. Food wise ..... Smaller (entree); .... got to start with those fresh, tangy, Tamarind, acidic taste ..... Trio of Mekong Delta Oysters Trio of Scallops with Red Curry They are just "SPOT ON" .... what a great start, here we go! Larger (mains); Lemongrass Beef short ribs were spot on, it did not take long to come to our table, generous portion, soft, tender and all the right "authentic" flavours of Asia .... would be fair to say that it was pre-prepared in advance to get it to that "good". Garlic Prawns with Crispy Kale; Prawns were overcooked, Kale was good, great Garlic sauce, comes with crispy "squarish" Garlic according to one of the waitresses (which I thought it was a crispy Pork fat - which I love), the only downside it was salty, but wait ..... there's a Coconut rice that we've ordered. Sides; Coconut Rice, first impression, what is that? Smothered with Coconut cream, a great balancing act with the "saltiness" of the saltiness from the Garlic Prawns sauce. Steam Rice, we did order the quintessential staple food of Asia to go along with these yummy mains/larger. The highlight of the evening was their Pandan Pannacotta dessert, looks beautiful, vibrant contrasting colours, inviting, it has all the elements that you want on a plate, balanced and even prettier with those edible contrasting flowers, more importantly, tasted great too. Last impression, just like their "catchy" name HoChi Mama, which I suspect a fusion of Ho Chi Minh City (a city in South Vietnam) their Vietnamese/Asian fusion food weren't perfectly cooked but "catchy" enough for us to enjoy, it has all bases covered to be Vietnamese/Asian "authentic" enough for us to enjoy long into the future. What great dining concept, one of the successful fusion establishment, thank you very much for hosting us, Mandy.

Stephanie Papazois

Got offered a complimentary dining experience for two people, in which I gladly accepted. We each had the option of an entree, main and a sharing dish. We shared the soft shell crab vietnamese sushi roll, which was wrapped in vermicelli noodles, the satay chicken bun, and for the mains shared the chicken curry, and salt and pepper calamari. And sides of rice and a glass of wine each. The smaller dishes were all alright, but the standout was the salt and pepper calamari, couldn't fault it. It was nice and crispy, tender and had a nice sauce to accompany it. Also had a little bit of spice. The curry was pretty tasty but had large pieces of chicken and was a bit hard to eat. But still very enjoyable. Food was also beautifully presented. Service was 10/10. So friendly, attentive and accomodating. Really liked the ambience of this place, and the relaxed and laid back feel. Would gladly come back again to try other items on the menu.

Donutsam

Hochi Mama is a hip Vietnamese fusion restaurant nestled in the backstreets of Melbourne’s CBD. We were invited to try out their menu and had a great time in doing so. It ticked all the boxes with food largely being really good with the cocktails, service and setting also being fantastic. If like me you enjoy Asian food but prefer it with a hint of Western influence, Hochi Mama will be right up your street. A highly recommended option would be their signature Fried Chicken Bao. We were ordering from their legendary $59 menu which includes two small menu items, two large ones and a side. We found this was the right amount of food and were absolutely stuffed after ours. However if you’re a three-sized group or more, it makes sense to order a few more. Do make sure to leave room for dessert. The sharing aspect is a great fit for Hochi Mama, enabling you to sample a little bit of everything to find your liking. Spoiler alert: you’ll be liking a lot.

Justine

We were lucky to get a couple of seats at the bar upon walking up on a busy Sat night. We had two delicious cocktails and did the $59 deal for two, sharing Masamam lamb curry and the barramundi two ways for mains and the pork bao and chicken bahn mi for entrees. Pretty good value and we didn't over eat, just right amount of food. Food was nice and staff friendly.

Sinan Demir

Good ambiance, good service but food was just average for the price. Now I understand why the next door restaurant rice, paper, scissors has lines and this one doesn't.

Sally.erickson

Myself and two friends tried Hochi Mama before a comedy show. I booked for 6pm and our show was at 8pm so I thought 90 minutes for dinner would be more than adequate. No more than three minutes after ordering, two out of three meals appeared - obviously not cooked to order which was disappointing. My friend who had a curry enjoyed hers but myself and my other friend thought the food was bland and very oily. I had the veg spring rolls and when I bit into them, oil ran down my hand. That's fine, we can get over mediocre food but not the way we were treated by the staff. We spent a total of 25 minutes in the restaurant as we made to hurry so they could turn the table over for another booking. Before we had even finished eating the bill appeared and plates were cleared. Then the waitress kept coming back to see when we were going to pay. We tried to ignore this for a while, but when she came back for the third time and told us to go up the register to pay, we got the message. Nicely fitted out restaurant but that isn't enought to get me back

Rebecca Ann McPherson

Their coconut southern style chicken curry is to DIE for! In love with their interiors and quaint location. Would definitely recommend this place for tapas lovers and street food enthusiasts!

Anne

We had a table of 8 and asked the waitress to have the feed me option. Food was ok, nothing special and portion sizes were small so recommend if you have a large group and want to share to order a few servings of the one thing. Service was poor, they were to busy to offer more water and our finished food sat on the table for about 40 mins, a staff member starting to clear then disappeared. experience could have been much better if service was improved.

Jelena Louise May

Made a booking for dinner here before seeing a show at the Princess Theatre. The place was busy and had a great hip vibe to it along with a fun decor that got you looking. My partner and I obviously did the $60 for 5 dishes special. For the small dishes we picked the Vietnamese sushi rolls with soft shell crab and the satay chicken banh mi. For the larger dishes we picked the Hochi Fried chicken and the south side chicken curry with a side of rice. Each dish was great and enjoyable. The stand outs for us was the curry - which was perfectly spicy and had a great punch. And the fried chicken wings. Thanks Hochi Mama!

Ruby Wang

Great place to go with friends in the city as it is suitable for sharing. I went with 2 friends and we ordered: Trio of Scallops, Pho'plings, Fried Chicken, Rice paper rolls, Baos, Curry and desserts to share. Everything was flavoursome and desserts and cocktails are great too!!

Cookielessvee

Welcoming staff and great, lively ambience. Had the $59 meal which consisted of 2 large, 2 small and a sider. Ordered the crispy pork belly bao. Soft bun, crispy pork woth a spicy and sweet sauce that compkoment. Pho'dlings are quite small but the soup is sweet and the dumplings are salty. Spicy crispy pork belly with apple slaw is a must try. The slaw compliments the pork belly. Hochi fried chicken has a crispy batter and lightly seasoned but unfortunately got reflux abd sick from the oil.

Nay Nay

Vietnamese Fusion Can't say I've tried it... Loved this trendy little Melbourne cafe. Perfectly styled... Love the name and the the place and the fact it has a alley way vibe. Staff were great and we were well looked after. Just a great menu designed for sharing! The food delivered great flavour... Everything was well presented and served quickly! All the dishes were great but a special mention to that dessert that was PERFECT... Thanks Hochi Mama I'll be back

Julinka Ulehla

Delicious food and yummy cocktails with the best service Melbourne has to offer! Staff are super helpful and knowledgable about the food and drinks, $59 two people to share 5 dishes ($29.5 each) is awesome value, we left feeling very satisfied and will be back for more soon!

Heidi

Tested out Hochi Mama tonight with a big group of friends, we booked in advance so already had a table waiting for us, it seemed to be really bustling so book ahead! They have a very reasonably priced sharing menu for $59 between two for a decent amount of food. I liked the sashimi and pork belly baos, both very tasty. The tiger beef was a little disappointing, we all thought it would be nice sliced rare beef, but it was a grey in colour and a little unappealing. It also needed a maybe some more Asian herbs to make it a little more flavoursome. Definitely worth ordering the pho'plings, they were quite good too.

Amazon

Great service, delicious food!! Went for the $29.50 share option which worked out to be perfect amount of food. Did notice that wine is the same price, if not more expensive, by the bottle than by the glass - unusual.

Kate Dougherty

Great option for a trendy and reasonably priced meal in the city. I dined here with a large group of friends and found that the menu was incredibly accomodating given the variety of dietary requirements (vegan, vegetarian ect). The $59 special for two people is also great value. We sampled a number of dishes including the oysters, the scallops, the crispy pork belly, the barramundi, the chicken wings, the vegetable curry and the calamari. Everything was fresh and flavoursome. I particularly loved the scallops.

Mark Acton

I enjoyed great food and great service from very friendly staff, who were very helpful and answered any questions we had! I had a fantastic time while in Australia. I would definitely recommend it if you're in the area.

Henri Jay

Here's the story! my partner and I were craving something different, something great. And look no further than Hochi mama! From the moment we walked into the restaurant to the time we left, we felt so looked after. The server knew the menu like the back of her hand, we left recommendations to her (garlic prawns and tai chi cocktails was a perfect pairing), even all the other staff were attentive to us. The atmosphere of the restaurant was funky - very tongue-in-cheek and I can't heap on the praise enough. Thankyou Hochi for an unforgettable evening

Julia Ferguson

Love this place! Super fun vibe and great staff. Good food was super quick and delicious. Unique cocktail menus that pairs well with all the food, will definitely be coming back here again. Thanks Hochi xx

Lucy West

After looking up Vietnamese CBD restaurants my partner and I came across this and decided to give it a try - it's now our favourite spot in the whole city! We are vegetarian and gluten free and we had more options than we've had anywhere else! To start, the food was delicious and came out super fast. We did the $59 deal and got more than enough food between us. The waitresses knew the menu inside out and we would recommend following their advice - the tofu south side curry was to die for and it went perfectly with the slawberry salad. We each sampled the cocktail menu and it really made our experience: I had the kardashian (pictured) which glittered in the light and went down a treat, and my partner tried the matcha man - try finding a cocktail in the CBD that has green tea in it AND tastes delicious! This restaurant claimed to be Vietnamese fusion and it delivered in every aspect. The vibe was unparallelled and the staff are so knowledgable and friendly. I'm writing this after our second visit and we have no intention of stopping there. Our favourite regular and you should make it yours too!

Becky

This place was amazing! We popped in before the theatre so were in a bit of a rush! We informed our fantastic, friendly waitress and she made sure our order arrived very quickly! We had the $59 deal, two small, two large and a side dish, the highlights were the chicken bao and the fantastic chicken curry (we were torn between the chicken or lamb so will definitely come back for that!) We also had a few beautiful cocktails a sparkly 'kardashian' had to be my fave!

🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

I'm a repeat customer at Hochi Mama. The food, drinks, service and music are always amazing. Would definitely recommend They are great at catering for any types of dietary requirements and group sizes!

Ashley Rose

Great stop in for a quick bite! Cool venue, in a great street with the bonus of a few outdoor tables. Cocktails were great, food was good but not outstanding (lacked a little flavour) - certainly receive points for presentation though! Would be keen to try again, as they did seem a little rushed off their feet and I just really love the vibe of this place.

Sezza

This place was somewhat disappointing. I went on a pretty hot day and the circulation in the shop was bad - it felt so stuffy and uncomfortable. We ordered the phoplings, vietnamese sushi rolls, spring rolls, scallops, hochi fried chicken, saigon caramelised pork belly, and cold noodle salad. The only thing that was nice out of those dishes were the hochi fried chicken. How wrong can fried chicken be right? The other dishes we very plain and tasteless - we didnt finish the dishes. It was a disappointing unsatisfying dinner. We left the place feeling unsatisfied and hungry.

Luke

Heard good things about this place, but went Saturday night and dinner was really disappointing. We booked a table and at our arrival we had to wait outside for a solid 15minutes. We finally got the table which was an uncomfortable one placed outside just at the entrance exactly where other customers were waiting for their table or trying to read the menu on the wall. The heater placed outside ran out of gas, so this didn't either help. Ordered some food and a beer, and the beer arrived after 20minutes (!!!!!). Food nothing special and overpriced. No...I'm sure we won't come back here!

Maidtomunch

Hochi Mama was easy to find, with a welcoming and comfortable venue. The wait staff were all beautiful and friendly, and very helpful with answering questions and helping us with any requests. The cocktail I drank was so amazing and tasty (lychee martini). We got the special deal, where we got to choose 2 sides, 3 entrees and 3 main meals for 3 people to share. We got to try many different dishes because of this- and they were all fantastic! Highly recommend this place for (casual dining) asian cuisine in the city.

Cissythescorpio

Hochi Mama was not our first choice last night. Guess what it is great for fusion southern eastern Chinese food.👍👍 The restaurant has a package deal for 2 people with 2 smaller, 2 larger and 1 side for just $59

Mr_architecte

Really wanted this place to smash rice paper scissors next door, i was way off The fried chicken buns 10/10 but everything else don't bother, it's unfortunate cause the vibe and atmosphere is so upbeat, even though they couldn't chill my corona ....

MN-A

Tried this place for lunch. Not bad actually, better than I expected. All the dishes we ordered were quite flavoursome. We has the lunch special which was under $30 per person, great value. The rice paper rolls were yum. Likewise for the combo pho noodles. My colleagues had all praises for their curry and rice dishes. The place caters for GF and Veg dietary requirements so that's a plus.

Lyonee Dang

A relaxing day for comfort food. We headed here for Lunch the other day, we arrived a bit early however the lovely waitress sat us down and allowed us some time to read their menu. We ordered and food came out accordingly. Lovely service and friendly staff . The food was display beautifully and taste delicious.

Louisa Wang

Tried the $59 for two dinner. Ordererd the pork bao , chicken banh mi, beef ribs and garlic prawns. Happy with everything except the beef ribs which were extremely oily.

Aggie Koczwara

We visited Hochi Mama on a Thursday night, the restaurant was busy but we managed to get a table quickly without a booking. Staff were friendly and very attentive, they were able to cater for all dietary requirements and were even happy to make some "off the menu" drinks on request. The four of us went for the banquet option that gave us 4 large dishes, 4 smaller and 2 sides. This was more than enough food for us and great value for money. We recieved delicious Asian fusion cuisines packed with flavour and cooked well. Our guests from Adelaide were very pleased with their first taste of Melbourne food.

Rebecca N

Ordinary food, lacks any real taste. Definitely trying but unfortunately unable to compete with it's amazing neighbour (Rice Paper Scissors).

Shelah King

Husband and I came here the other night and was actually pleasantly surprised. We were planning to go to Rice Paper Scissors but they were so busy so we came to see what this place was about (which seems to be the case for quite a few of the other reviewers here!). We got the "Hungry Me Now!" which was two smaller dishes, two larger dishes and a side for $59 for the both of us. We decided to get the Banh Bao with Pork Belly, Scallop with Saigon Red Curry, Hochi Fried Chicken, North meets South Barramundi and the Spring Rolls. All were soooo good!! Bao was soft, light and fluffy, Pork Belly was Crispy, Scallop was well cooked with a hint of heat, Barramundi two ways, both still delicate with nice flavours and fried chicken was okay. Not bad but it does get messy as you eat it, but then again, it was wings. Also decided to get dessert; Sweet Coco Banh Mi. It was okay, ice cream was delicious, the best part, skimping out on the sticky rice a bit and brioche bun was meeh. Overall, meal was great, just what we wanted. Service was great too, didn't catch the waitress' name, but she was great, knowledgeable and helpful. Wanted to give her a tip but forgot at the end as we had to rush out. But definitely would come here again to try out the other dishes!!

XiaoHui Teo

We got the 59 dollars menu to share among the 2 of us which includes 2 small dishes, 2 larger dishes and a side. We ordered the fried chicken bao, pholings which is just dumplings in beef broth, braised beef ribs and steamed barramundi in sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce. Overall the food is just average, fried chicken was good but the bao felt soggy and dense.

Jac

Unable to get an immediate table from adjacent restaurants, decided to give Hochi Mama a try. Overall, food was not bad however could have been better. Highlight were the seafood springrolls and in particular, instead of using the usual wonton wrappers another type of pastry was used that made it very crispy and delicious. Downside was the pork belly buns as the fried piece of pork belly inside was quite tough and did not have the crispy skin I was looking forward to.

Rebecca

Fantastic little independent restaurant! We did the $59 deal which gets you 5 dishes which is fantastic value! I'm vegan and lots to choose from which is great, the tofu version of the curry and the spicy eggplant rice-paper rolls are amazing! Also tried a couple of the cocktails, the Thai chi was fresh and coconutty and the spicy lycheezy were the best! Service was ace too thank you 😊

Laura H

The food was excellent and good value for money (we got the special 2 larger, 2 smaller and one side for $59.90 between two). Very full afterwards. The cocktails were amazing, highly recommend the straight outta saigon. Our waitress, Harriet, was lovely, gave us the time we needed to look through the menu and gave great recommendations. We came here before seeing a show and would definitely recommend.

Stan Lim

Lets talk the food we had.Scallops - cooked well with good hit of red curry. The balance of hotness and sweetness was good for me.Phoplings - I liked the subtle broth. It had a nice chilli hit, bit sweet and a little saltiness. The one thing that can be improved I felt is the thickness of the skin of the phoplings themselves. Thinner and more delicate would be better.Beef ribs - the best dish we had on the night. Fall off the bone kind of stuff.Crispy Pork Belly - great flavours, smelt great before eating it. Meat cooked well. The skin is where it could improve. I felt after a few bites, it gets a bit chewy. Otherwise, a good dish with great flavour.Pandan Panna Cotta - Heaps going on this plate. Everything on the plate tasted really nice. My one thing with this dish is I kind of feel the Panna Cotta gets a bit lost. I feel it should be the hero of the dish but kind of gets lost with all the other 'strong' elements on the plate. The honeycomb I feel should also be smaller in size so you can have it with other elements on the plate. Other than that, everything on the plate tastes great.Overall, they know their flavours. Everything tastes very good! I think if they refine the details, they can take it up another notch!

Kristy And Cat

Cat and I are obsessed with pandan flavoured food, so when we saw the pandan panna cotta on Hochi Mama’s IG we knew we had to come here! We came for an early dinner on a Thursday night and it was fairly empty compared to Rice Paper Scissors. We initially thought we may have chosen the wrong restaurant to dine at, but we were totally wrong. Harriot who served us provided excellent customer service, was patient with us as we took our time ordering food and she would consistently come back to check on us. We ordered the $59 sharing platter and the quality of the food absolutely exceeded our expectations and portions were reasonable. The highlights for us were the ‘North Meets South Barramundi’ and the ‘Pandan Panna Cotta’. The barramundi was perfectly smooth and cooked to perfection, the sweet sour and soy based broth worked perfectly with the steamed fish. I can’t begin to explain how DELICIOUS the pandan panna cotta is, we believe they made it using real pandan leaves as the flavours did not taste artificial from the bottle nor was it overly overwhelming. The texture of the dessert was smooth and bouncy, the pandan aroma was superb in combination with the fruits and ice cream. If you come to Hochi Mama you have to try this!

Amimi

Service from waitress was great leading up to ordering. We travelled here purposely to try their desserts. Maybe I was expecting too much for a $16 dessert but i envisioned something quite pretty. Dessert arrived with 2 scoops of ice cream, a mango cut in half and a slob of pandan custard on a plate. Then whilst eating we were startled by the manager helping himself to the candle on our table to light up his smoke.

Brungiel

Hochi Mama definitely plays second fiddle to next door Rice Paper Scissors, but for what it is it does a fairly good job. Staff are friendly, even though the space is a bit small and cramped. And the food quality varies - I enjoyed the barramundi two ways and spring rolls, but found the pho to be lacking in flavour.

Mandy

Hochi Mama is far and away one of my favourite places to eat - ever. I love the authentic, unpretentious and laid back vibe of the space and the staff members. I love the cool RnB, Old School and Hip Hop songs on the playlist (finally, songs I can actually sing along to!) And most importantly, I truly love every single dish. As somebody who is gluten-intolerant, I love the fact that so many gluten-free options are available. My top picks (the ones I order every single time I visit, without fail) are the scallops (insanely good - cooked so well, too, without any hint of chewiness or toughness), the chicken curry (super tender meat!), coconut rice (you've GOT to try it) and the Pandan pana cotta (sooo pretty and sooo good). As for drinks, I usually choose a mocktail, but when I'm after something harder, I go for Ain't Nothing But a Gin Thing - it's like a slightly spicy blueberry-infused gin. So tasty!

María Camila Restrepo Z

We order different dishes between the Small and Large menu and we loved it. We have had the opportunity to try several Asian restaurants and I have to say that this is my favorite by the moment.

Linda Nguyen

A casual, modern and hip place to dine in the heart of melbourne city! The venue itself is verryyyy small but they utilize the space well including simple outdoor seating, also incorporating some funky artwork with good 90's music playing in the background as part of the theme. We were seated at the bar and started off with nibblies while waiting for a table which did not take long. After we were seated our orders were taken promptly.... now this is where things turned a bit sour. We waited 30 mins for our meals to come out before questioning the waitress; to our dismay she had forgotten to put it into the system. After troubleshooting this small incident our meals came out within the next 15 minutes. The food was good quality and flavorful, reasonable portion sizes without too much taken away from the authenticity of vietnamese food. the only thing i disliked was the banh mi entree which was bland. About the service; the gentlemen we originally dealt with was superb, but i think forgetting to place our orders were a big no-no, and overhearing tables next to us we didnt seem to be the only ones with this problem. I however appreciated how efficiently it was dealt with - perhaps this place is fairly new and still needing to settle in with high demands on a busy night? Overall, id come back, hopefully by then orders wont be forgotten!

Ali_paton

Vibe & service was great! We had the beef ribs which were super fatty but the flavor was amazing! The scallops definitely were the highlight! We will be back!

J.G

reservation is definitely recommended. Ordered and LOVED THE VEGETARIAN PHO. Very beautiful scenery. Service was fast and prompt. Left very full and will come back to try other menu items.

Shiju Mammen

A modern twist to Vietnamese food. We had the baos which were nice, although another serving would be great. Vermicelli spring rolls are always a winner! The caramelised pork belly and lemongrass beef ribs were delicious. Barramundi was generous with chilli for those who like a burn. Overall a good experience; thank you Harriet:)

Zoe Chin

Food was yum and our server Harriet was very nice! I'm a coeliac and they catered for me in terms of mains but unfortunately had no desserts

Zac Robertson

Give yourself plenty of time if visiting Hochi, if it's similar to my visit the food will be decent but you'll be in for a wait. Dining out before a show, we gave ourselves an hour and a half to order and eat but had to cancel the last item we ordered due to running out of time. The food was good but we could still have easily eaten more after 4 of the 5 dishes we ordered (got the pick 5 offer which is value) . Would reccomend the Vietnamese sushi. Unlikely to go back but can hopefully advise others how to get the most out of Hochi.

Artistedegastronomie

Hochi Mama is one of my new Vietnamese fusion hotspots in Melbourne as of today. I was intrigued by the rnb and hip hop background advertised on their website and was absolutely blown away by how hipster and urban their interior was decorated. I absolutely loved their special's name which was hilariously punny, "Lychyeezy", creds to whoever thought of it. Just putting it out there to anybody who's into spring rolls: THESE GUYS HAVE THE BEST TRADITIONAL SPRING ROLLS IN MELBOURNE (that I've tried anyway; you can doubt me all you like but trust me on this one); I'll tell you why: they use authentic vermicelli mesh to encrust the scrumptious taro filling! The chicken and chilli sriacha mayo sauce was also a pleasant combination. No comment on the rice we ordered because I let my mum eat it up but then forgot she doesn't really know how to critique food ahahah. Be sure to tip the monkey jar on the way out, you'll see why ;). Hochi Mama left us happy and eager to return, I can't wait!! Note: This place was packed within half an hour of opening so be sure to book and beat the lunch rush to save yourself a spot.

Foodaholic

On the way home from hochi mama and can't wait to actually get home to rave about this place. Firstly , for a place in the cbd - it actually took bookings! Thank goodness!! It was a life saver considering we had a young child and visitors from interstate, so we didn't particularly feel like lining up for who knows how long. Waitress was super friendly and all her recommendations were spot on. Food was fast, fresh and delicious and service was efficient. Please do not ever change to be as pretentious as some eateries out there 🙏🙏 Oh and I forgot to add- the lovely waiter who brought out our noodle dish- upon realizing it was for my young son immediately had the foresight and initiative to Suggest he take away the chili and bring some fish sauce instead! How lovely! And my son said the noodles were delicious and when can we come again? Can't get a more honest review than from a 4.5 yo!

Chrissy Lafian

We were looking for somewhere relaxed to have a catch up with the girls near the end of a long work week. Ho Chi Mama is the perfect environment to have a relaxed night with friends. The outside tables are perfect on a warm summer night. The oysters were amazing - sweet and sour and a good size. Save space for dessert as the panna cotta is incredible!!! We didn't have cocktails but can only imagine they're great too! Would definitely recommend coming here for a nice atmosphere and great food.

Jolene Lim

My partner and I wanted to try Rice Paper Scissors for dinner on new year eve after movie at Melbourne Central. As they don't take booking for dinner, we walked in and was told there is a 45 min wait from 8PM. Then we saw Hochi Mama next door which had similar menu but no queue! Didn't want to miss the 930 pm fireworks, we decided to give Hochi Mama a try although we haven't heard about this establishment before. Apparently it is only opened about 1 year ago. We were seated straight away and there is a nice vibe about this restaurant. We went for the $59 sharing platter and order scallops, chicken bao for entrees, beef ribs and caramelised pork belly for main and bun salad for side. The food was served very promptly and bursting with flavours. Wait staff are friendly. We are both very pleased to have a nice scrumptious dinner on NYE and didn't have to burn a hole in our pockets as the price is very reasonable. The only downside is we wanted to order the pandan panna cotta for dessert but they have sold out! Will definitely return to try the other dishes.

Clarissa

Hochi Mama is a great restaurant but some of the dishes are a hit and miss. However, if you are ordering their lunch specials, the $17-$20 price is definitely well worth it. The customer service was amazing with the attentive waitress and timely delivery of our dishes. The best dishes have to be the southern crab appetiser and pho noodles, the noodles were boiled well and the mix of pork belly, sauce and fresh vegetables tasted amazing. The serving size was just right and the selection of greens to top it off were a perfect mix with this dish. The three appetisers from the pork bun to the rice rolls were fantastic as well! The curry chicken rice dish was spicy, and if you are not a fan of spicy dishes - it is best to avoid it. However, I quite liked this dish but there was nothing special about it that would make me want to reorder it. Same goes with the soup noodles, but this is relative as the others I was with truly enjoyed their soup noodle dish. I felt like it lacked flavouring and I was looking for a 'punch' in taste akin to the pho noodles. The only downside to this restaurant is that being located next to Rice Paper Scissors and Shimbashi bar (both places I have tried and absolutely loved) Hochi Mama would pale in comparison. And this is evident when Hochi Mama is fairly empty on certain days whilst the others are crowded. However, this restaurant deserves a noteworthy recommendation to others with its Vietnamese dishes, well-brewed Vietnamese iced coffee and fantastic customer service.

NGOC NGUYEN

On a Friday night, some girlfriends and I thought We'd grab something to eat before heading to the theatre. Needless to say and not to our surprise, it was busy everywhere we went! With not much time to wine and dine we were desperate. We tried everywhere and ended up at the end of Liverpool St where we came across this gorgeous looking place called Hochi Mama which they promised us we would be in and out and in time for our show. They definitely kept their words. The staff were extremely accommodating and helpful even with our time limit. We only ordered some sides and small dishes and they were absolutely amazing! My favourite would definitely be the sushi. Haven't had these anywhere else in Melbourne! Yum!!! Surprise surprise, We ended up back at Hochi Mama after the show and treated ourselves with their tempting cocktails that were to die for!! Thanks for making our Friday night!! Definitely recommend to our friends!

Fiona Tran

Usually I'm not a fan of fusion food, but Hochi Mama's food was delicious. My favourite dish was the "pho-plings" what a great invention. But I also had a variety of dishes from each section of the menu, which were all very enjoyable. The vibe of the restaurant is very chilled, which I loved. And oh yes, can't forget to mention that it is also a bar. Cocktails were amazing! Great place to go for food and drinks.

Bbbpn

Bad, slow service. Really inconsistent food portions.Drinks waited for ages at the bar before being brought us despite being quiet and the food was nearly cold.

Helen B

Would not recommend a visit to this establishment. Well worth taking a few steps down the lane and investing some time into another restaurant. Staff are inattentive and bored, one man was particularly rude.Place seems generally quite unhygienic (floor/windows are dirty), just pop your head through the service window where the food comes from or take a step into the bathrooms!

Ryan Ilahi

There’s always a constant influx of new restaurants in Melbourne, which makes this city so amazing. One such new location is Hochi Mama, a Vietnamese fusion place located in the city. They opened their doors just over a year ago. Hochi Banh Bao – Fried Chicken. We started off the evening with Hochi Banh Bao. Fried chicken combined with spicy pickled cabbage, fermented chili beans are encased by a remarkably spongy, slightly chewy steamed bun. The crispy chickens were fried to perfection and topped off with mayonnaise to add an extra layer of flavor. With these fantastic fillings, this seemingly simple dish takes your breath away with every single bite.

Quyen

Perfect place for date night! Great ambience and a great vibe as soon as you step inside. Loved the menu as it had a lot of varieties. I'm not usually a huge fan of cold noodle salads but the creamy sesame sauce was too hard to pass and I was right! The sauce was to die for!! Pho'plings unexpectedly delivered but you must eat them immediately! Would definitely come back again and highly recommended for first dates! Q&A

Greedygreedyguts

Yet another hipster joint joining the Viet craze. Not a bad effort from Hochi Mama. I had the chicken salad with vermicelli. It was decent but needed a little more flavour, particularly when the menu said it would be charcoal chicken. As with restaurants trying to be "with it", there were a number of puerile cultural references on the menu which were patronising at the least and racist at the worst. "Sum-Ting on the Side"; "Always a Happy Ending"; "Me Hungry Now". Miss Chu does this too and I think this needs to stop.

Steven Wong

Great ambiance and tasty food. Have been back several times for the curries and fried chicken! Make sure you try the Pandan Pana Cotta! Good size serving for two ;)

Grace

Honestly underrated place, I'm glad that I couldn't get a seat next door! Serving size indeed could be slightly bigger, but the taste wise was really good. We got the $59 deal but felt that we were still a tad hungry so we got a pandan panna cotta to share. That's probably my fav of the night actually.

Gee

Couldn't get a seat at Rice Paper Scissors so ended up next door here. They have a similar deal on at the same price. Food came quickly and the staff were friendly although the food didn't have the same taste or attention to detail as it's rival next door.

Jerome Zaldivia

The BEST Vietnamese Tapas joint in the CBD with its very trendy R&B Atmosphere! The crispy chicken is to die for but also their cocktails!!!! CHECK IT OUT!

Eugene Cyy

Been here too often and love the food and atmosphere. Fried chicken is a must! Also partially in love with this delicious cambodian man always in a snapback.

Alvin Lim

The food and environment are amazing. Good place to chill out with friends. Friendly customer service as well. Definitely must try their Saigon caramelised pork belly.

Timothy Lee

This is a great place to catch up, celebrate and hang out with friends! Awesome food and friendly staff! Definitely a must try place, foodies!

Hannah Pickle

The staff are absolutely wonderful. Very helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. Great music and environment. The food was simply delicious .. YOU MUST HAVE THE CHICKEN... and the pork belly.... and definitely have the PANNA COTTA DESSERT extremely unique tastes. The cocktail list is superb!! I have a cocktail that tasted like sherbet! All and all I work in the city and it's now my regular spot.. at least once a week I'm going.

Andrew Lin

Been to Hochi mama a whole bunch of times in the last few months, food is super yummy, great customer services and awesome rnb/hip hop playing at all times. Order the fried chicken, its BOMB!

The Peckish Connoisseur

wanted to go here to check it out. The menu concept is similar to rice paper scissors where you get 5 dishes for a set price. You'd think it is a good deal however we were wrong. 3 of us went there and we ordered 8 dishes in total. We had the seafood spring rolls, crispy pork bun, scallops, beef ribs, barramundi and grilled prawns. Portions were very small. the prices don't reflect the size of the portions e.g. barramundi $22 for 2 very small portions. Since we had 3 people, things you order only came in 2 pieces which doesn't make sense at all (like the prawns and the crispy pork buns). The ginger beer i had i thought it was around 500mL given it was $14 however i was wrong it was only a small 300mL size. In the end, we got the bill and was charged $15. LLB for $4.50 on the steep side perhaps. Service was ok, bit rushed and communication wasn't great. Just need a bit of refinement and perhaps bigger portions and give extra servings if there was a 3rd person or 4th person etc. I mean you still pay the same price for the set. shouldn' t need to add money to add another piece for example. sorry, bit overpriced.

Facebook User

Serving sizes were SO small for the price. Tasty food but very overpriced considering the size. We paid $12 for a serving of 3 dumplings that were no bigger than a 20 cent coin each. The pawpaw soft shell crab salad was served with HALF a tiny crab to share between 3 people. Just seemed stingy and bizarre.

Nicole Leech

Disappointing! The food is terribly overpriced for what you get and while some dishes were tasty, others were just bad! From the smaller section we had pho'plings and pork belly bro. The pho'plings were 3 tiny bite size dumplings at $4 a piece, the bao were cold and the pork belly inside almost inedible! It was a cold chewy piece of pork belly with no crispy skin 😩. From the larger section we had the fried chicken which was actually good, chicken tender and juicy with light crispy coating. We chose the tiger beef salad to go with it, this should've been in the smaller section, it was definitely not a sharing size salad! A few pieces of paper thin cucumber with some grated carrot and radish and the tiniest serve of seared beef. The cocktails were good. Overall the ambience is cool and we had no issues with service but the food and value lets this place down. I won't be back.

Amy Hazel Price

Came here by accident, due to rice paper scissors having an 1hr45 waitlist on a Saturday night and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! The chicken curry was incredible with flavours similar to a red curry! And the chicken buns were awesome! Cocktails were yummy too!

Justin

Love Ho chi's great place for a drink and some food. The ambience is on point and the staff appear to be really well trained. I would highly recommend giving this place a go.

Steph

Great food, great music, great service, great atmosphere. Food came out fast & fresh & was so delicious!! The 'take a selfie' cocktail is a must try. Will definitely be back!

Jed Rizzulo

Some of the best service I've had in Melbourne. Absolutely loved the food too. Had the waiters recommendations which turned out to be a very wise choice. Beef ribs and garlic prawns were phenomenal! Great vibe in here. will definitely be back!

Louisa Berry

I have visited this restaurant twice now as they have a really great, affordable deal for two people. The first time was about 4 weeks ago and although the food was delicious the service was disappointingly well below par, however we came back again last Tuesday (6/9) and we were pleasantly surprised with how wonderful the staff were this time around, there was only two on but they rocked it! Really great to see and will definitely recommend to friends and family now, thanks! (try the pork belly, yum) L

Paul Murray

I've given a low score because of the service. We waited over an hour, I'd say close to 90 minutes after we placed our order. My wife and I were out with our newborn, so were very lucky our little one stayed sleeping. The food was amazing! The service was appalling because we were clearly lied to. We saw people come and go who arrived after we had placed our order. Our waiter told us we didn't get forgotten, "it's just busy in the kitchen". A saving grace occurred when another front of house member came and kindly offered free drinks and apologised for our order getting forgotten in our system. Our dishonest waiter returned with food stating the inconvenience would be reflected in the bill. Meanwhile, other waiters made lots of fuss over us, which was nice. However, when I went to pay, the "reflected in the bill" was a massive $1.50 reduction. Holy shit!

Baysidefoodie

Was going to next door rice paper xxx, but can't be bother with waiting. Pop in, was busy but not packed, wait for while for drink, and food was good, love the sushi, soy Mayo sauce. Overall, average as the service was bit slow with 4staff on floor 20 people or so in the room

Hope Peel

Had dinner here tonight and weren't massively impressed. Our drinks sat at the bar for ages until we got the bar guys attention and asked if he could bring them over. The pork belly was awful. It was just a bowl of fat. Pork belly is meant to have crispy skin. This was mushy and really badly cooked. We didn't get 1 of the dishes we ordered either but as we were seeing a show straight after dinner, we didn't have time to wait for it to be made. Won't be going back. For the price, we expected a lot more.

Joyce

Food is bad, some of the dishes should be warm dishes, but we were eating cold and hard rock crispy pork belly... yuk!! Will never go back again.

Allthenom

So so tasty! Went here last night and already can't wait to go back! Aside from a couple of teething problems like our food coming out before our drinks and having to ask twice for the bill, it was still a great meal. Staff were super friendly and helpful and service was very quick without making us feel rushed. The atmosphere was great and aesthetically pleasing and had a good vibe with old school hip hop and people drinking cocktails at the bar. Everything tasted fresh and was packed full of flavour! We got their special which is 2 small dishes, 2 large dishes and a side and we were stuffed! (Check my photo for what we had!) My favourite was the beef short ribs which were juicy and falling apart. And the spring rolls were exactly like what I had at street stalls in Vietnam!

Steve Levon

Found this cool little place on Liverpool St (cute little alley way off Bourke St) with amazing Vietnamese food that I can recommend to everyone. Great service with great food.

Lanna Nguyen

Among the many competitive eateries in Melbourne CBD, Hochi Mama is by far one of my favs with an exceptional spin on Vietnamese food. Both flavour and presentation were spot on. The 'straight out of saigon' cocktail is a must if you like a bit of spice in your life and would highly recommend the soft shell crab.

Ammy Elle

Came here randomly with a group of 3 mates! We ordered this set menu which was $59 for 2 people and you get 2 mains, 2 entrees and a side dish. Serves were small but entrees were great! Had the dumplings which were super delicious- would recommend! The scallops however were a bit overcooked they weren't that soft and juicy when they're cooked perfectly. We got the pork belly and the soft shell crab for mains. The crab was delicious even though it was only 2 crabs. The pork belly had a nice flavour but was overcooked and a bit dry at points. The side dish we got were vegetarian spring rolls which were yummy! Not what you would usually expect. Service was great :) but food just slightly off at some points.

Catherine

We decided on HCM after being told Rice Paper Scissors was an hour wait, which turned out to be the best disappointment! We selected the share menu. Holy shit, the oysters and scallops are deeeeeeelish! Yes, portions are small but the flavour is BIG. The smaller plates has 3 items each which was odd for a 2 person share, but we could order an extra single portion ($3) which was good. Our large plates were the steamed Barramundi and king prawns, those prawns were 5 star quality, if the restaurant had been empty I would have licked the plate. We had the side of coconut rice, and shared the most visually stunning and equally tasty dessert special (not included in the special). Panacotta with an array of edible flowers, icecream and crunchy honeycomb. Drool. 2 glasses of lovely wine and a baby coconut cocktail set us back $110. I'm happy with the price as the quality was sensational. The staff are exceptionally friendly and attentive. Cool vibes.

Meeee Hungry!

Came here for a second time...after Rice Paper Scissors and Shimbashe were still full at 9:30!! The food is fair - generally tasty and a good variety of different dishes to choose from. The chicken curry was very tasty (maybe a tad too much oil!) and their new sushi rolls with vermicelli were really good and a nice twist on the norm (though the price on the menu is less than u get charged! Which i did mention at the time of paying but dont think they cared!) The tiger salad was ok, but lacking a punch of flavour and was not a filling serve. The bao was nothing special and was def not worth the value for what it was. Have previously had the prawns which were nice and u get 3 king prawns - but they need to have a complementary item to assist with the sauce! The beef ribs are pretty tasty too. Friends ordered the strawberry salad which looked refreshing! Certainly a better choice than some Vietnamese places getting around!

Little Pink Piggy

Went to Ho Chi Mama with 3 work colleagues as it was a new restaurant that had popped up close to our work. I dont think many people know about it as it was empty went we entered and relatively empty as we left. Between us we ordered the sticky rice with chicken, a chicken pho and two beef phos. The sticky rice was just normal rice, not sticky at all and quite small in portion, but quite tasty apparently. The phos were good, but mine arrived lukewarm instead of steamy the way I like it. The beef was too fatty and I felt they could have put a few more pieces in. The broth had a lovely taste and I'm almost certain that it would be MSG free. The decor was quite fresh although it was cold inside and a bit cramped. I think this place would be nice on a hot day for after work drinks.

Gerd Pranoto

Came across this place when looking for noodles. The place was quite clean and nice. Had the large beef pho ($11.90). Portion was quite small, beef was tasty but soup was bland.

Suburb Review

Ho chi mama is your typical viet fusion place. Tucked away in a laneway next to shimbashi which i'm dying to try and rice paper scissors which we were originally suppose to go. I think most people on the waiting list to get into rice paper come here instead because they can't be stuffed waiting that long. Anyways back to ho chi mama... It was just okay. Paw paw salad with soft shell crab was my fav but slightly sweet, would be nice if it was spicy. Thit ko the caramelised pork belly was nice and fatty, with strong flavours. The pho dumplings i expected more, although the soup was amazingggg! I wanted more but the waiter took it away and didnt hear me say can u pls leave it :( the baos was okay but expected 1 each, not half half. The portions were pretty small for the price we paid. Overall good place to catch up with old friends over a few glasses of wine 🍷🍷 but plenty of other places to check out, wouldnt be in a hurry to return soon.

Susan Tang

Really enjoyed dinner here last night. Venue was great. Good was tasty and quick. I love how they have the special where u can try different dishes for $59- 2 large 2 small 1 sider. But they just need more variety on the menu

This Diner Is Anonymous

Fantastic place. My friend and I wandered out of Double Happiness, considered Rice Paper Scissors (and ruled it out because of the long lines) and happily stumbled into the (seemingly) brand new Hochi Mama. We were given a warm welcome and seated at the bar till a table became available. We went with the very appealing "Me Hungry Now" option, comprised of five generous dishes. The beef spare ribs, chicken curry, phoplings and pork belly rice paper rolls were all outstanding. There's a lot of Asian fusion competition around (Gingerboy, Chin Chin, RPS etc), but this place holds its own with a bustling, festive atmosphere and impeccable service. Great place, and will definitely be returning.

David Food Leasing

DO: If it's your first time, do the Me Hungry Now option. Highly recommend the Phoplings, Hochi Bun Bao, Fried Chicken, Pork Belly or Short Ribs. DON'T: Forget about dessert, both options of Banh Mi or Crepe are equally delicious. TIP: Order an iced coffee and take the hero shot next to their mural or cool neon sign. Very insta-friendly.

Eatandgetfat

We had made a booking here for a group of 12 with a $29pp set menu. The restaurant itself had a nice vibe and good decor. We were seater at a tall table in the middle. The high chairs made it a little bit difficult to get in and out mid meal if you needed to go to the bathroom as there was very little space to maneuver around. We started with vegetarian spring rolls which were great. We then got dumplings which looked like they were meant to be shao long baos but none of them had any soup inside. They just sat in a bowl of soup. The dumpling skin was a bit thick and doughy. Next up was fried chicken that was pretty good. Loved the chilli mayo sauce. The soft shell crab would have been amazing if it weren't for the sticky sweet chilli sauce it was covered in. I like my soft shell crab crunchy. The fried fish also came with a thick sticky sauce. However it was on the side so it didn't ruin that fried crunch. Then there was the beef. Oh. Complete inedible. I think it was meant to be braised but it was over cooked, dry and rock solid. They did a goos job of catering for our vegetarian friend however there were little options. Vegetarian rice paper roll. Tofu on salad and tofu curry. Once the food was done we waited for dessert (a cake we brought ourselves) which took a whopping 40 minutes to be brought out. By this time the restaurant had thinned out and there were only about 4 or 5 tables left. Im in no rush to revisit.

Angelika Ap

Had dinner here on a Friday night, first experience having Vietnamese, the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The environment was fun and lively! The food was awesome but it was different for us as we both had no idea how we were supposed to eat it. But over all it was enjoyable, the food looked better than it tasted but still very enjoyable. We would both definitely return.

Cameron O'Reilly

Amazing food, beautiful flavours. Good portion sizes (not huge, not tiny). Writing a review as ordered two bourbons and received scotches. Advised the waitress and advised we were quite ok drinking the scotch but wanted to inform and she comped the drinks anyway. Will go again.

RD

Below average. Asked to wait 30 minutes for a table when the restaurant had many spare tables Pork belly was braised with a very thick layer of fat Spare ribs lacked flavour Friendly service however I will not be returning Disappointing as I had high hopes for Hochi Mama!

JM91

Delicious! Tuesday night - quiet, perfectly placed tables! No squished in like a lot of places! Ordered "2 of the banquets for 2" even though there were 5 of us. Great value. Rice paper rolls - tick spring rolls - tick pho'lings - tick soft shell crab - tick crispy chicken - tick curry - a little spicy for me but the others loved it - tick garlic prawns - tick! Our waiter was amazing, very helpful with the menu and gave good advice as what was the best to order etc. Highly recommend. Parking is a little tricky in this area, however there is a wilsons car park opposite the laneway on burke street, $10 after 4pm :)

Themkc

Back back for lunch after a bad first experience and the food here is much improved. Solid mix of SE Asian flavours and interesting modern takes with ingredient choices.

Simone David

Best Vietnamese food I've had in a long time. Went here before seeing a musical and they made sure we had our food super quick - which was a lovely addition. Service was impeccable and I can't wait to come back!

Kia Binch

Pretty average for the price. Had two pork dishes - caramelised pork belly and pork rice paper roll - the meat was so tough!!!! Over cooked.I really liked the fried chicken bao with the kimchi!

Lovefood

had the banquet, ordered: Scallop with Saigon Red Curry - all you can taste is the curry, nothing wow about it Pho'plings - pastry was dry, meat was dry, the pho juice was hard to scoop Rice Paper Rolls - crying tiger beef - fish sauce was sour?? couldnt even taste the beef as they were very tight on the meat, the fillings was mostly noodles Southside Chicken Curry - ok Sweet and Sour Soft Shell Crab - ok, could do with more salad to balance the flavor Garlic Prawns - ok North Meets South Barramundi - best dish of the night for me. Service was really good, which made the experience a lot better. seems like everyone just comes here due to the wait from other restaurants...was ok experience, wouldnt come back nor recommend it.

Antoniette

I went to Hochi Mama for dinner with a friend at 8.30ish last night. Wow! Chicken curry, beef sticky ribs and coconut rice. All awesome!!! The place smelt amazing too. If you can't get a table at Rice Paper Scissors - don't be sad. This place is 2 doors up and equally as great. Very happy!

CoolBeans

Nice place! We went there for a quick drink and it's a perfect place for that. The drinks were good and presented well. It came out promptly. By far some of the nicest staff I've come across. If you've made reservations nearby it's a great spot for pre drinks and chill out. Will go back.

Sarah Loves Food

I went here with a friend while we waited for Rice Paper Scissors. My friend had wine and they didn't have specific mocktails so I just had ginger ale. We thought we'd have a little snack so we got the crackling pork rice paper rolls, there was only 2 and it was $8. I thought they'd be really special for that price but I was wrong. The filling was mostly noodles, the pork was dry and not crackly and it didn't have much flavour. The man at the bar was really nice and I liked the interior especially the hanging terrariums.

FoodingAroundMelbourne

After being told of the 1.5 hour wait next door we happily headed over to hochi mama for a pre show dinner. Boy, what a happy mistake not booking next door was. This place was awesome. Inventive Vietnamese food with traditional flavour. The 2 entree, 2 main and 1 size between 2 for $60 is a bargain. (Sorry about photo quality-camera flash died)

Yuzhi Liang

Came here to have a catch up with some mates, missed out when it was a pop up thought we’d give it a try. The pho was really good, but needed a bit more saltiness to the broth but added the hoisin sauce and it taste good. The caramelised pork belly was absolutely flavoursome and on point - will be returning very soon!

Ken Nguyen

Heard about this on Broadsheets Facebook page not too long ago, thought I’d give it a try with a couple of friends after work. Cocktails were interesting, had their own twists, my favourite has to be the Thai Chi, served in a coconut, that was awesome. And as for the food, you can’t go wrong with the classic pho bowl and spring rolls

Melissa Mai

Tried this place out about a week ago with my family, friday was pretty busy but luckily we booked beforehand. Something I have never seen before was the “phopling” which was interesting, but in my opinion the pho was the stand out dish. Was reasonably priced, can’t complain as everything we had was really good. Thanks for having us!

Michi Mort

Ho Chi Mama was really easy to get to for my partner and I, as it’s a short walk through chinatown or Parliament station. Service was amazing, staff were very informative and friendly, music was great, and the bar added some great atmosphere to our dinner. I recommend you all to try the friend chicken, it reminds me of when I use to have quail and it’s so flavoursome. My partner really enjoyed our entrees - the oysters. The dessert was bun in the ice-cream was okay, a bit sweet but that’s cause I’m not a sweet tooth myself. 5 dishes for $59 is great for a night out - would highly recommend you check this great spot in Melbourne if you haven’t already.

Brian Truong

Have eaten here several times and safe to say we love it, great vibes, chill music and great staff. The fried chicken is on point, so flavoursome. Had pre drinks at the bar before we went out too, so that’s on the plus side for me. Great atmosphere Great food Will be returning again

Brittany

First time reviewer, joined specifically to share my bad experience. Ate here last week (as Rice Paper Scissors was full, like many others I suspect) and had the pork and was sick only a few hours later. Highly certain it was food poisoning as I was fine the next day. And disregarding the food poisoning, the food and service were both fairly average.

Andy Herford

Ended up here as next door had an hour and a half wait for a table. Greeted with really friendly staff, who turned out to be pretty slow when it actually came to waiting on tables.. Spent more time with an empty glass than a full one. Food was ok. Courses came out at strange time and staff never really explained what the dish was- just guessed who it was for. Best part was the side dish which they forgot but managed to get at the end.

Adam Ibrahim

Came here on Sunday Night - my boyfriend had heard great things so took me there. It is a hidden gem! I don't usually write reviews but feel compelled to because we both had such a good night. We went for the share option - 2 starters, 2 mains and a side for less than 30 bucks each. He's a vegetarian so we went for the vego curry and the vego bun with coconut rice. as a big meat eater i was so satisfied by both dishes! the flavours were amazing. the hostess was awesome and recommended us great cocktails. I had one with chilli and my boyfriend had a lemon meringue pie one! great music, great vibes - this place is going to go off!

Samantha Varghese

We were greeted by super friendly staff who showed us to our table and took care of us the whole night. The food wait wasn't long at all and extremely delicious. Would definitely recommend the place, and will be sure to go back there myself!

Alvin Liew

Ordered some rice paper rolls which were crispy pork and tiger beef. To be honest, the filling in it wasn't worth the price I paid and it was just too simple and plain. Charging 8 dollars for 2 rolls? Couldn't have gotten better, more filling and cheaper rolls from other Vietnamese outlet. After having those, didn't bother trying other things on the menu.

Adam D

One of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Melbourne. The food was really tasty and full of flavour and the staff were friendly and helpful. You must try the lemon meringue pie cocktail... Amazing!!!

Dina

The only reason this place exists is because of rice paper scissors. We went here because rice paper was full and had a long waiting line. The food was very underwhelming and we were both left very disappointed at the quality of food. Don't go here... You'd be better off waiting in line for rice paper scissors.

Food Dine Roll

Pleasant surprise! We didn't plan to dine here tonight but it was great. We decided to go with $59 for 2 starters, 2 mains, 1 side. And i think that's one of the best meals plan ever. Greeted with a nice gentle man and followed up service right away. Food served extremely fast. We waited less than 5 minutes between each course. We ordered phopling (pho taste but in dumpling form) and rice paper roll. The dumpling was quite nice but not amazing. Same goes with rice paper roll. Main caramelized pork belly was pretty good. Really smooth sweet and soft. Fried chicken was done to perfection. Our side was alright .. spring rolls but nothing to go crazy over. Overall really nice place to dine out. We enjoyed it very much and so so full after. Service was great, friendly and attentive to us. Will return on date night or catch up with friends again. Also there's outdoor seating available.

Lee Betts

Stumbled upon this place after Rice, Paper Scissors was fully booked and we're so glad we did! The most incredible Vietnamese food, an absolute taste sensation and a bargain at $59 for 2 people! I cannot recommend this place enough

Kathleen

My boyfriend and I only decided to give this a try because Rice Paper Scissors was full. As we walked in, we were greeted with a lively vibe and atmosphere. We got seated in the corner which was quite difficult to catch any of the waiters attention, however they came by to check on us quite often. For starters, we ordered the scallop curry and crying tiger rice paper rolls. Although they were starters, they weren't too generous with the servings. Our dish had three scallops which is a really odd number and hard to share amongst two people. We also ordered the sweet chilli soft shell crab and the caramelised pork belly with rice. The crab wasn't as crunchy as expected but nonetheless it was still good. The salad that accompanied the crab was amazing! The pork was a little dry but the flavour was done really well. The food was good but not amazing. But we probably wouldn't be back, at least not for awhile.

Helly

Amazing service, great atmosphere and excellent food. These guys know costumer service. Stay for the sticky rice and ice cream - yum! Scallops also delicious.

Alice Kwan

A hidden gem. Amazing food and service! So impressed!! Will definitely be back. Make sure you have the fried chicken and the paw paw salad with the soft shell crab. Cocktails are great.

Anonymous Critic

I ate at Hochi Mama only because Rice Paper Scissors next door was fully booked. Serving portions were small - we had to order an extra curry chicken dish after we had finished eating the initial dishes. All dishes were excessively salty, and the soft-shell crab (which we paid extra for) on the salad was almost non-existent. The waiters and waitresses gossiped with each other instead of serving us. I asked for a fork and spoon, and the waitress took 15 minutes before she realised she'd forgotten. For the chicken curry, we were told by the waiter that it comes with a bowl of rice. We were then charged $4.00 on the bill for the bowl of rice. Overall, it's easy to see why this place isn't busy. Service needs to improve, serving portions need to be more generous, and go easy on the salt.

Mai Lam

Staff: Everyone is just an absolute delight! The owner was on the floor helping his staff and from scoping the restaurant, everyone was having a good time with the assistance of the lovely waiting staff. I actually had the pleasure of being served by one of the co-owners and he is just amazing. His good customer service reflects on all of his staff. Food: On the day, I had the rice paper rolls and they were just phenomenal. Tasted very homey and reminiscent of how my mother used to make them. All of the textures and flavours of the ingredients worked so well together, it was very refreshing to eat - Especially on a hot day. Restaurant: The space itself is very open and had a relaxed atmosphere with old school hip hop and rnb playing in the background. The waiting staff seem to always be on their feet to ensure that their work environment is immensely clean for their guests. Price: Price honestly did not matter to a point where I just tapped my card and did not even care. With the amount of service I received and the quality of food, my bank account and tummy were happy. Overall: This place is a must visit for those whom are in the area and would love a good place for solid Vietnamese food.

Vivien

If you want authentic Vietnamese food, you probably might be better off on Victoria St in Richmond, or somewhere in Footscray. I think Ho Chi Mama tried to do kind of a modern Asian fusion thing, but it didn't really work out as they would've hoped. Dishes that were trying to be authentic such as the pictures Bo La Lot (spelt on the menu as balalot) did not work out very well. The pho (both chicken and beef were had) was poorly seasoned, and overpriced for what it was. Noodle/soup ratio was shockingly off too. The two dishes just mentioned were under-salted and just weren't done very well. However, I have to say that they do an amazingly good fried chicken. That's not Vietnamese, so that's probably why it was so great. The vibes of the place are nice, but just by overhearing surrounding conversation, many customers were only here because they couldn't get into Rice Paper Scissors next door, and those who had been to RPS were very disappointed with what ho chi mama had to offer. Personally, I would come back just for the chicken.

Trinh Ly

Tried this place when their first opened late last year. The food and service was average. the only dish I enjoyed was the fried chicken. for drinks I ordered the lemonade which tasted very sour. this restaurant has potential so hopefully it improves.

KAG

Really cool urban fittings to the restaurant. Service was great and really enjoyed the food, definitely will be coming back to take some friends for a feed and drink.

Grizzly

Great combination of food, service and ambience! Managed to get a seat outside and ordered the $45 pp Mama's Favourites which came with two entrees two mains and dessert. If you're really hungry you may need to order another meal but overall it was a pretty solid meal.

Roz Germov

Vietnamese tapas - very good food but uncomfortable seating, overpriced liquor and unbearably loud music that makes conversation impossible. It has replaced The great value Saigon Inn which is very much missed. If they stop the ridiculously loud music - we would go back for the food

Kevin

The service is horrible, mr red shirt, black hat New Zealand waiter - please check your attitude. If the order doesn't get through properly, it's not the customers fault mate, get better at taking orders

Kira Jade

My boyfriend and I decided to try Hochi Mama on our date night! He has never had vietnamese food before, and can i say that this food was a great introduction to the wonderful cuisine. The food was quick, fresh and so very flavoursome. Our waitress was lovely and offered her honest opinions on dishes and cocktails, not just promoting the pricier dishes. That is a massive plus. The foods presentation was beautiful, their menu was hilariously written and I couldn't help but take so many photos because of their 'Holla at Mama' corner. Sure got a giggle out of that! The whole experience was laid back, after a long day at work it was a perfect end to the night. Great food, drinks and atmosphere. Off the menu: Southside Chicken Curry, Crying Tiger Beef salad, Saigon Caramelised Porkbelly, Crackling Pork Belly Rice Paperrolls and the Hochi Fried Chicken. Drinks: Pink Lotus The Fried Chicken was crispy, tender, could have used some chilli or something in their batter was it was light.. Delicious. Crying Tiger Beef Salad, a little over done with lime juice, or it may have been i wasn't expecting, the beef however was tough as, and not a joy to chew, especially eating with chopsticks you couldn't cut it into smaller pieces. Pork belly fell apart, was incredible. Rice Paper Rolls, could have used more flavour as a whole. The winner 10/10 was the Curry. it was fragrant, tender, spicy, there was just so much yes. We will be back and next time with a group of friends so they dont miss out this time!

Larry Mulligan Gibbs

OK, I've eaten stuff all over the world .... and .... Ho Chi Mama got something here. Went one night on a whim and had to return the very next night. Both experiences were top notch with excellent service and a very welcoming staff. Bottomline - this will be one of the best in Melbourne once people discover it. Don't walk .... run and check this out!

Food For Thought

A newish restaurant just 2 doors down from the very popular Rice, Paper Scissors. I would expect that this place gets a fair amount of the clientele that end up not being able to dine at Rice, Paper, Scissors because they are so popular. But I am sorry to say that you really shouldn't bother. We got a table fairly quickly and started off with just drinks. We ended up being asked by about 3 different waiters if we were ready to order yet, after explaining each time that we just wanted to have a drink first and will order food once we have them. When we were ready to order the waiter was clear in answering our questions and guided us on the amount and decisions. Food took way way too long to come, and when it did, not all of it arrived, so we waited and waited and waited. Ended up going up to to ask where our other dish was and had a question on the salad, (was it one serve or two serves on the same plate?). They never came back with an answer to our question and the last plate also never arrived. We gave up and started eating. Food was okay, nothing to rave about, in fact the barramundi was a little on the raw side. When it was time to ask for the bill, after being bombarded with many waiters at the start, we struggled to grab someones attention for the bill. When it did finally arrive, we found it not surprise that the bill was completely wrong. They had about 3 dishes on there that weren't ours, drinks just generically labelled as coke instead of what it actually was, and then other drinks completely missing. Assuming we had been given the wrong bill, we went up to the counter to discuss with a waiter. She struggled to understand what we were trying to say and basically ended up having to ask us exactly what we ordered, where we were sitting so that she could create a new bill, at which point a manager came up to take over. We explained everything to him to try to get a solution and just pay for our meal, he was lovely and considerate and would only accept us taking items off the original bill and said that he wouldn't be adding anything to bill that wasn't there. Which did mean that our bill was less than it should have been, but to be honest, it was a little too late. The damage had already been done, average to below average service, food okay but nothing great. We did appreciate the manager taking charge but he really needs to train his staff if this restaurant is going to survive. Would I go back? Nope.

Eduardo

Came here for dinner on a casual Sunday night. The service was pretty average, beer arrived quickly. The food didn't. People near us ordered after us- but our food came out later. The crying tiger rolls looked like they had decapitated nuts inside, after specifically telling the waitress no nuts. The beef ribs were decent - nothing to pop an eckie and rave about. The pho - which is a Vietnamese staple was horrible, it was dry and full of noodles. The broth had no taste, how could it if my bowl was 90% noodles. (I did ask them to spit the bowl in two, guess what... That too fell on deaf ears)

Mzlanah

The service here is horrible. There was one waitress covering the entire floor. We waited about 15min just to order and another 15 min to get our food, which was pretty average. We ordered the crying tiger beef rice paper rolls which we asked to have no nuts. They came out with what looked like nuts and the waitress had no idea if it did or not and had to go back to the kitchen to check. The beef short ribs weren't too bad. We also ordered the beef phó to share - which we had to request an additional bowl for and had to divide it ourselves. The beef phó was 90% noodles and 2% broth. The meat in the phó was really dry and horrible, safe to say that it was the worst phó I have ever had. Also was extremely disappointed to find out upon trying to pay that they don't accept meal entertainment credit cards because their eftpos machine is not set up to accept it (a card which works like any other visa). Some signage advising of this would have been great!

Foodlover

Tasty Vietnamese food from super friendly staff. Rice paper rolls, banh mi and spring rolls were all delicious. All came out almost immediately. I seriously can't fault this place and will definitely be back for another crack.

Midz

I have heard great things from this place, and I was not disappointed !I visited these guys while they ran the 'Pho Real' pop up shop where we would pay what we liked for the pho. They did mention they would be revising the menu and giving the shop at face lift. What a face lift it was! The place had changed 360 with a new bar and decor was fab!So we had the fried chicken and it was simply devine ! The chili mayo dip was the icing on the cake! One of the best fried chickens I've had! No lie !The pho was great, and it did taste like a home made broth! Deep, flavoursome with no hint of msg!We did not have time to order more as it was a quick dash dinner, but I hear raving reviews on their bun bo hue! So will definitely be back for that !Overall experience was fantasitc, from staff, atomosphere (cool R&B tunes) and food ! Will need to come back to try the rest of the menu !

Binula

A new restaurant down Liverpool street, next to the infamous Rice, Paper, Scissors. Vietnamese to the core with a fusion Vietnamese menu, aptly named dishes and creative cocktails and a neon lit, bar type decor. Most of the dishes are tapas and great to share in a group. There's a list of Pho to choose from as well for those in the mood. Came here with a group of 7 and had a great time. We were lucky enough to get the large 8 person table. We ordered the fried chicken, betle leaf skewers, paw paw salad with pork crackling, Barramundi fillets, whole snapper and a South-Asian curry to share - and everything was absolutely delicious! Both fish dishes were a highlight - filled with flavour and balanced perfectly with spices and condiments. The service was also excellent, with the staff going out of their way to be helpful and accommodating. Highly recommended!

Loz Arthur

Popped in for a quick dinner with friends and had a great time! The staff were really friendly and went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and well served. Ordered the veggie spring rolls with vegetarian pho. I loved the spring rolls! They had a delicious filling and were just cooked to perfection! I also enjoyed the pho but nothing to rave about. Nice place, good atmosphere, will definitely be back!

Anna

Visited Ho Chi Mama with a few work colleagues on Friday night after hearing about their new menu. Without disappointment, we were served with well balanced Vietnamese dishes and amazing cocktails. Three of our memorable dishes are the trio of oysters with a unique citrus Vietnamese dressing, red curry scallops cooked to perfection and whole fried snapper with papaya salad. Everything we ate were all good, it sure left a huge impact on my taste buds and will definitely be back.

Thin

A friend and I was looking for a nice bar on Saturday on the top end of Melbourne and we came across this little Vietnamese place with a great atmosphere. Decided to go in and have a few drinks and a quick bite before our show around the corner. Very unassuming but we where not disappointed. We had some great cocktails and some beautiful Vietnamese side dishes. We will definitely be back with a few more of our friends.

Roshanak Samadirad

The most disappointing and underwhelming place to have Vietnamese food. Rude attitude of the manager and the staff shocked us. There were plenty of spare chairs but they were trying to offer us the worst possible seats.. the girl who was taking the orders, did not do the job properly, so we received the main dish curry first long before we get the second starter and the rice, it was all finished, and we kept asking for the rest, she kept saying it's on the way.. at the end we realised that it has never been ordered. very ordinary food, at the end although the manager was informed about the problem, never tried to do any action to keep the customer happy, give this place a miss, there are far too better restaurants in Melbourne than waste your money at this place..

Clyde Cayetano

My partner and I visited Hochi Mama last night hearing of their new 2016 menu. From the beginning of our experience, we were greeted warmly with exceptional service and seated at a nice spot amongst the welcoming, funky ambience. We dined on a various selection of share platters that made our mouths water. Their trio of oysters are a MUST, bursting with a unique Vietnamese citrus I've never tasted with oysters before. Fried chicken is always a standard order for us, and Mama's juicy wings left a lasting impression. The garlic king prawns had our eyes wide open from the first bite, probably being the fattest and creamiest prawns I've tried to date. Our dishes were married with sweet coconut rice and cocktails that left a smile on our face. Can't wait for our next date night with Mama!

Occasionalist

Think of a restaurant decked out like a funky bar that brings a bit of Fitzroy/Collingwood to the Spring St end of the city. It has beautiful wall art on one side and hanging light bulbs and outdoor crate tables/chairs. I came here with a friend for a quick 30-45min catchup for lunch. I had the vermicelli noodle salad with grilled pork. The noodles were nice but there wasn't much grilled pork. The noodles also tasted slightly undercooked. It was flavourful but didn't hit the spot. I've had much better at proper Vietnamese restaurants in Richmond. 3/5 But I give it a 4/5 for decor and service which were great.

Codaholic

Couldn't get into Rice, Paper Scissors, so this was a quick substitute instead. The service was brilliant and the Vietnamese beer was top notch... However the food is just ok. Salt and pepper squid was plain and lacked punch; the soft shell crab slider needed a bit of hotter sauce or pickled cucumber.. The pork belly tasted nice, but the quality of the cut was questionable.

Alvina Chung

Was a bit disappointed when they told us that they weren't serving pho the night I went but none the less the food we ordered was nothing short of amazing. Don't let the small portions fool you, my girlfriend and I were completely full by the end of dinner. Our favourite dish would have to be the braised beef. I have never had something so soft and tender!! The kingfish ceviche was a refreshing dish to start off our night and of course we couldn't go pass the phoplings, one of the restaurants signature dishes. Everyone must also try their pandan creme brule!

Hungrycookie

There are so many things to love about Vietnamese food. Whether its a steaming bowl of pho, crispy bun xeo or deep fried spring rolls – the fundamental appeal lies with the freshness of the veggies and herbs that are integral to the cuisine. Hochi Mama modernises traditional Vietnamese cuisine, unveiling wicked creations such as the ‘phopling’ – a shanghai style soup dumpling filled with aromatic beef pho, that would have Vietnamese housewives scratching their heads with intrigue. The dish has created quite a

Nina Tu

As a Viet, I lowered my standards really really low since I knew this is a modern/westernized viet restaurant. I've had a lot of Asian fusion/modern/westernized food and this is by far the most disappointing. Immediately regretted being there when the banh cuon arrived and portion was tiny and for the price... It was a joke. I felt like this was punishment for knowing better not to pay way above average but deciding to give this place the benefit of the doubt. The pho'plings was what I anticipated most to try Hochi Mama, after taking finally having the opportunity to go and eat it, the broth was so salty. This would bring dishonor to all viet phamilys. Also my friend ordered friend chicken and pawpaw salad. Most bland dishes I've ever had. Not good enough. Sticking to Footscray/St Albans/Springy area for traditional viet food for cheap. Would not recommend.

Julia

One of the most disappointing experiences I've ever had. My friends and I immediately regretted the decision to dine here upon receiving the first dish. I couldn't even taste the beef in the banh cuon, the pho'plings were decent but the broth was way too salty and the green pawpaw salad had no flavour to it. The only dish I thoroughly enjoyed was the soft shell crab banh mi. I quote my friend "you can tell the chef didn't even taste his food before serving it."

FoodieAboutTown

HoChi Mama is one hot mama! We were so lucky to be wondering around on a Saturday and come across this little beauty and barely open a week we could still get a seat… before the word gets out! It’s a great fit out, bright, quirky, fun and it’s a really nice atmosphere with friendly staff and a cocktail list to get you excited!

DumplingDoll

Went with a friend a few nights after opening. It was a disappointing experience as the food we ordered was just not hitting the nail. The pork belly was greasy and oddly sweet, there was no salt to off set this overly sweet pork! And the quail was over cooked and dry, to the point where you can see the fibres and break the bone. The salad was nothing special and the pho'plings were over seasoned and the filling was not reminiscent of a bowl of pho. Overall it wasn't a positive experience and it didn't help that we had the most clueless waiter! Not coming again... Waste of money. There are plenty of other options in the CBD.

Onlybeyoutothefull

Beautiful Food! Super tasty and wonderful service :) I particularly loved the Pork Belly and Quail. Check out my blog - onlybeyoutothefull.blogspot.com to read more about my review

Devika Kumar

Hochi Mama is a really cool hidden away funky restaurant. For food we ordered 'Pho'lings', Fried chicken Banh bao, grilled chicken skewers and pandan creme brulee. I was a bit disappointed with the 'Pho'lings' - the stuffing was great but the broth was too salty and the portion size was tiny. The friend Banh Bao was delicious, filled with flavour and the pandan creme brulee was to die for! Will definitely be coming back for more!

MelbourneVita

Hochi Mama is the first foray into food forÂ ownersÂ Thai Ho, Raymond Phan and Midawell Phal, but based on the quality of food on offer, youâ€™d easily be fooled into thinking theyâ€™d been doing it for years. Offering contemporary Asian cuisine in a really relaxed urban setting, this new comer definitely holds its own against some stiff competition.

The Business Of Food

Hochi Mama, I really get the sense this is a blended fusion style of restaurant the moment I walk in the door, decor is fresh, graffiti feature wall is really well done and the other small highlights really bring the place together (such as recycled wood architraves, copper heating lamps over the exposed kitchen serving window). The environment seems to progress from bar to eatery to kitchen smoothly. Hochi Mama is all of these things and not one specifically. HoChi Mama offers a large selection of cocktails for a small bar and the signature coconut is absolutely worth trying, excellent for a Friday night. The clever thing about the drinks menu is they are printed and clip-boarded together, allowing the restaurant to quickly feature different parts of the drinks menu depending on the day and clientele i.e. BWS Monday to Friday lunch, cocktails, etc dinners and weekends. they may want to review the printed typefont and offset though. Staff are friendly and for a new restaurant work well together, this will further improve in time and is expected in any new endeavor, especially in Melbourne's food scene. Toilet facilities are clean, respectable and have also been given a splash of decoration which flows through from the use of the grafiti wall. Onto the food, for my taste, the outstanding dishes available are cauliflower, beef ribs, skewers and the Tofu. Even in the food you get the sense of a fusion restaurant coming through with Vietnamese street food inspiration. The menu is reasonably priced and everything i have tried was really flavor packed, I'll be returning to work my way through the menu, compliments to the chef.

Brando The Pig

COME HERE FOR delicious melt in your mouth braised beef short rib, fried cauliflower salad and ofcourse the Pho'plings - A bowl of Vietnamese noodle pho in one bite. The signature cocktail in a coconut shell is also excellent. BUT as I attended the launch dinner, they were experiencing some of the teething issues encountered by all new establishments. OVERALL a good start for Hochi Mama, certainly lots of potential as they refine their menu and service

My Food Trail

I attended the launch and had tasters of a variety of cocktail samples and finger food. I really enjoyed it all, but the stand outs for me were the pho'lings (pho dumplings) and the amazing melt in your mouth beef rib. The chicken wings were very tasty too.

Jana Maragozidis

Stumbled across Hochi Mama on a walk through Chinatown. We were told that it was newly opened so we were keen to give it a try. All tables were taken as we walked through the doors and had waited a while until we were greeted, could definitely see that staff were busy as we were later told that it was their second night of trade. After viewing the menu we thought it was easier to choose the feed me menu to try a bit of everything. Best decision, all the dishes that were brought out were absolutely delicious and filled with lots of flavour! We easily could've eaten more if we hadn't booked dessert elsewhere. I do recommend this place, they are still finding their feet as would any other new venue. Love their drinks menu- wish I had tried some of their cocktails that's one regret I have! All the best to you guys, we had a fabulous experience with lovely staff!!

Quan Ho

I went there last night and this place was amazing. This is exactly what i feel like we need in the Melbourne CBD. There isn't much vietnamese inspired asian food, and these guys have created an amazing atmosphere and great food. The Pho-plings were completly different, very creative and very delicious. The Soft shell crab banh mi tasted amazing, the price point for everything was very reasonable, and the cocktails were something i never tried before, their signature cocktail "Thai Chi" was so refreshing and so nice! Great work Hochi Mama! Will be back and referring all my friends for sure.

Hartini Wong

Went here a week before Hochi Mama officially open and I really love this place. Me and my friends enjoy the place very much that we talk so much and didnt realise that they are actually closing. We ordered Nem Nuong, Pho Plings, Crispy Tofu, Braised Beef and Pandan Creme Brulee. I dot find the Pho Plings really special because I think its more of a Chinese style dish rather than Vietnamese. I enjoy eating the Nem Nuong. I didnt ate the skewers by itself, i wrap the pork with all of the garnish that was given and it taste really fantastic ! The crispy tofu is delicious but its not the highlight of the main dish. The braised beef is ! Try to eat the beef with the eggplant. It taste really special ! The last but not the least, Panda Creme Brulee. I always interested in trying unique taste of Creme Brulee and this dessert it is very good ! Sadly we only bought 1 to share. I wish to have more of it !! The service isnt really bad but I think the waitress and waiter need more training. And if you dont really drink cocktail or mocktail or anything, ask them to put the jar of water on your table. If not, you will need to keep calling them for more water. Overall, everything was really good ! Hope you guys enjoy this place as much as I do ! Cheers ! 😊

Minda Barley

Friday night and Stef and I decided to have a post work dinner impromptu and having been seduced by the photos of "pho plings" we found our way to meet Hochi Mama walking past our favourite haunts like Shimbashi Soba and Red Silks . Mama better be worth it!. We wondered whether it would be busy but we just bypassed the after work crowd so when we walked in there were only a few tables seated. Not sure who was around to greet us we stood around awkwardly before there was a friendly greeting and awkwardness aside to settle in.