Review Hawker Boys

Tan T

A tiny nice and cozy Vietnamese restaurant. Vegetarian spring roll was nice and beef and beef ball pho was good too but for some reason felt like soup did not had much flavor to it but I added the sauces in it and it was too good that I had the whole bowel. My partner had the chicken and beef pho and it was nice too. I recon if they could spice up the soup a little bit more then it will be amazing. Over all good experience and would definitely recommend to try.

Ozzy Kunnu

This was our second visit after a really long time and the experience was as good as the previous one. This place specializes in Vietnamese street style food and it's beautiful....which is a value for money. The hospitality was warm and quite quick.

Suvankar Sen

Nice place. There were quite a number of people outside so had mine in. Nice deco with funky wall illustrations (which I loved), although the my table could've been cleaned a bit better (it was sticky), although the place was quite clean. I ordered wonton noodle soup which was good for the price. The wontons were well prepared and juicy. The egg noodles were fresh as was the soup. I did miss the kick from this item, so cutting a ⭐️ here. Nonetheless, a fun place with nice ambiance and decent food. Worth exploring again in the future.

Angel Khong

Hawker Boys was a Vietnamese restaurant serving modern Vietnamese cuisine. We ordered a bunch of different dishes and my favourite was the pork belly/spring roll vermicelli noodle bowl; the pork was crispy and so were the spring rolls. The Vietnamese fried chicken looked really good but it was a bit bland. The rest of the dishes were just ok. Service was pretty friendly, and the venue was not spacious but the overall ambiance remained cosy.

H T

Very fresh beef and prawns in the beef pho and Vietnamese rolls. A hearty meal that hits the spot during winter. However, I found both dishes to be slightly lacking in flavor/herbs.

Sera M

My new favourite Vietnamese restaurant and go to Pho place in the CBD! I had the Saigon beef pho which was fresh, delicious and the broth was amazing! The wontons are also a must try!

Dave Weber

Most disappointing Pho I've ever had delivered to my doorstep. Instead of traditional pho broth, this tasted like diluted chicken stock. No Asian herbs, no chili. Just a bag of bean sprouts, with a tiny slice of lemon. The broth was delivered in a half-size container, and the noodles were a kids portion. The only positive I can say is that the chicken pieces were good and the bean sprouts were fresh. Overall, nothing like the photos or other reviews.

Katherine Tomelty

This little restaurant is located in a small lane just off of Lonsdale Street. If you're looking to eat out during the day or the night (highly recommend the night for the aesthetically pleasing atmosphere of the city and the lane with all the other restaurants as well) you must stop by and come here!! I've come here only twice and have enjoyed every moment of being inside the restaurant. The staff who work here are very thoughtful and kind, you can do a walk in or choose to book a reservation for either indoor or outdoor seating. The food options are great and cater to the majority of dietary requirements. Another great part about this place is that the portion sizes are so reasonable and so are the prices!! In the pictures that I've attached, the dishes displayed are the chicken rice paper rolls, siagon beef pho, and the pork with rice dish. Definitely delish!!

Ms.bs

Ordered a range of items and was not disappointed. The chicken banh mi was delicious and the bread fresh. Extra points that the chicken was breast! The chicken wontons also deserve a shout out as they were unexpectedly delicious! The baos were also yum! Lost a star due to some of the chicken at times being very thin and as a result was eating more crumb than chicken at some points. Would defs still return and recommend

Jelly9449

Lovely waiters and waitresses, normal tasting food.

Teigan Price

Went here as a group of 4 on a Saturday night, we booked in advance though when we arrived there were quite a few tables free. Service was quick and attentive and the food was absolutely delicious! My partner and I had the spicy chicken baos and mushroom dumplings to start - the baos were AMAZING, the chicken crunchy and well cooked and that delicious spicy sauce. The dumplings were also nice though quite expensive given the number you get. For main I got the chicken rice bowl and I was surprised how much I loved this dish. My partner got a noodle dish that he also really enjoyed. Our friends also loved both their starters and their mains. All 4 of us agreed we would definitely return here in the future!

H.leong

A favourite of mine! Since the closure of Paper boy, Hawker Boys has been my go-to. Really delicious rice paper rolls and vermicelli bowls. I have since introduced this place to my colleagues and it is a firm favourite. Their desserts are also delicious! Very group friendly and very reasonably priced.

Steven Gu

Hawker boys on Hardware Lane. It is a nice clean modern style Vietnamese street food restaurant with good service and tasty Vietnamese roll.

Jason Griffin

Popped in for dinner with 2 work colleagues and ordered almost all the small dishes to start with then some mains and all I can say is everything was amazing. Food tastes amazing came out piping hot and the balance was perfect. I would recommend this to anyone looking for dinner or lunch in the CBD and best of all it was very cheap.

Sunny Days Melbourne

This funky little restaurant on Hardware Lane is a great place to visit for Vietnamese food. We had the lemongrass pork belly vermicelli bowl and the grilled chicken vermicelli bowl. Both were delicious and filling. The meats were very well seasoned and all the accompaniments were fresh. Service was friendly and efficient. Definitely will be back again soon.

Brian Kim

Food - Vermicelli with crispy tofu and spring rolls - 5/5 Serving size was perfect, and the tofu was crispy the whole time even after being dowsted with fish sauce. The carrots in particular were flavoursome. Service - 5/5 nothing wrong, really nice waitress! Value - 4/5 for $13-18, it is good value for a place in CBD, but when compared to other Vietnamese options, it falls short.

Eat_today_diet_tomorrow

We really enjoyed dining here. We ordered pork spring rolls, banh xeo (Vietnamese crispy pancake) and lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowl. All the dishes were delicious, kind of light and really satisfied our viet food craving.

Amy Flood

A great little spot on hardware lane. I love this food! It’s so tasty and there is so much choice. Not too spicy, not too bland it’s always perfect. I got the vermicelli noodle salad with lemongrass chicken. There was plenty of chicken, plenty of noodles and veggies to go with it. I liked it! Will be back

Dickson Chong

Recommend the beef pho and lemon grass chicken rice, we loveeeee it ! And the price are very reasonable as well, with big portion ! Worth a try

The Dear Luncher

Some places are all style no substance. Other places have plenty of substance, but no style. Thankfully, Hawker Boys have both. It's a pleasant place to eat, whether you opt for an elevated spot indoors, or Hardware Lane to partake in a people of people watching. The Dear Luncher slurped down a rare beef pho 🍜. Very homely broth. Beef levels good, and of the right texture and breadth. A delightful array of condiments/garnishes. One of the better pho's Your Dear Luncher has managed to find in the CBD. 4.5/5.

Decent Feed

Hawker boys is a casual eatery on Hardware Lane boasting a fantastic menu that has a good balance of small to medium to large sharing dishes. The Vietnamese fried rice with tofu was surprisingly good, and had us very satisfied by the end with its generous portion. Even the tofu was crunchy, adding texture to an already flavourful dish. Next up was the wontons in chilli oil which I found enjoyable, although wasn’t anything to be blown away with. We also found these to be a little too expensive for what we were getting. On the flipside, the potato prawn spirals were certainly impressive. Shrimp wrapped with spirals of golden potato, and fried off to perfection, I thoroughly enjoyed these as I dipped them in sweet chilli sauce.

Felix The Cat

Came here during lunch, ordered char siu rice paper rolls, soft shell crab baos, spring rolls, vermicelli salad bowl and rice bowl. The baos where pretty good; soft fluffy bun and good flavours inside. Rice paper rolls and spring rolls were quite nice and worth a try. If you are looking for authentic Vietnamese, this is not the place to go. Vermicelli and rice bowls are better elsewhere. Service was quite nice and accommodating. Overall, a decent meal.

HUNNYBUNNY.CO

Strongly recommend the Lemomgrass Pork Belly Ricebowl . I did ordered a takeaway last Saturday on the phone and they end up packed the Lemongrass Chicken. But the other staff was friendly enough to help me to change.

Angela Fan

Nice and snug in central CBD with a good selection of Vietnamese style dishes. Had the feed me with some friends to try the menu out, highlights were definitely the soft shell banh Baos, pi pis in xo sauce and Vietnamese fried chicken. Wasn’t a big fan of the steamed barramundi, tastes just like soy sauce and fish

Ignatia

Woah this is such a nice bahn mi. I recommend the Spicy Chicken. Love the double crisp coming from the bread and then the chicken. I think I found my new favourite bahn mi in town.

Hello. Imnikki

Hawker Boys may be Vietnamese lads, but just don't try to compare them to the true blue Vietnamese men that you will find in Footscray or Springvale. What's on offer here is uncomplicated food that has been slightly tweaked to suit all palates. My partner and I shared the Char Siu Tiger Baguette, Char Siu Rice Paper Rolls and Lemongrass Chicken and Pork Spring Rolls Vermicelli Salad Bowl. The banh mi was the best out of the three, thanks to the soft yet crisped baguette, and the balanced flavours created by the char siu, pickled carrot and greens. It was however somewhat lacking in the condiment department, resulting in a less than luscious roll. The rice paper rolls was run-of-the-mill, and the vermicelli salad bowl would have been the same if not for the pork spring rolls. Thin crispy skin, with meaty fillings. The lemongrass chicken was less memorable but I definitely had no complains whatsoever regarding their generosity with the chicken in that bowl. While not a stellar meal, it was reasonably satisfactory and it certainly was very filling.

Mills

Came here to find an inexpensive dinner option with good quality food and we weren’t disappointed! We ordered the “Feed me” option that allows you to choose 2 small dishes and 2 large dishes for $59 (2 people). We ordered the wontons, soft shell crab baos, chicken slaw and the coconut chicken curry. All dishes were delicious however the soft shell crab baos could have been constructed a little better as I ended up somehow eating the crab first and then the bao 🤔 Being on hardware lane the ambience sitting outside is nice on a warm night however inside does have a very cheap feel about it. Service was good and brought out the food fairly quickly.

J Nguyen

Would give this place a 2.7, not very authentic Vietnamese food if you ask me. I’m Vietnamese and have my fair share of Vietnamese food. The pho tastes like they put chicken stock into the bowl with none of the spices and bones to make the pho, taste like pho. I found a hair in my pho and they just replaced it but didn’t offer a discount of any kind which I found quite rude. Also the Rice noodles weren’t great, very slodgy and over cooked which is not how they are supposed to be. The spring rolls are ok, I’ve had better. The vermicelli noodle bowls are also average, the Nuc mam (sauce) is too sweet and needs a bit of lemon to balance it out or something.

Hayden Alsop

Came here with my colleague for lunch and we really enjoyed the place and the food. We had the salad with spring rolls was so tasty. Well, must say everything we ordered was so satisfying. Good engagement from staff.

Ozzy Kunnu

A decent little place situated on one of the most famous by-lanes of Melbourne CBD - Hardware Lane. We chose to sit outside as the weather was quite beautiful. Ordered a wine, a pitcher of a cocktail Xa.Xa Xa, vegan rice paper roll, pho, shiitake mushroom dumplings, vermicelli bowls (vegan and chicken) and baos Clearly, the Baos, Shiitake Mushroom, lemongrass Chicken with Rice, Dumplings and Vermicelli Bowls were the dishes of the day. They were just so flavorful. Rest everything was quite tasty. The only disappointment was Xa Xa Xa. It tasted more of a Lemongrass infused Lemonade instead of tasting of Passion fruit and Aloe Vera. Probably we had higher expectations Pocket-friendly and Customer-friendly, this place lives up to its rating. Plenty of options for Vegans and Vegetarians.

Nate

For lunch it was Lemongrass Pork Belly rice bowl... Very nice, however it could have used more chilli... I will be going back to taste more of the delights

Joanne | Melbournecitay

Ordered this through ubereats, so this may not be a fair comparison of the restaurant. The bbq pork tasted quite funny - there was a strong slightly overbearing taste of pork that wasn’t too pleasant. The carrots and cucumbers were fine though. Just wanna give heads up to those who may not be a fan of overbearing pork

Karma Clarke

Fresh Vietnamese, with friendly staff and quick service. The interior is minimalist and clean, but we take away more than we eat in. Love their vermicelli bowls, as they are fresh and generous. Their banh mi is very filling, and they use crispy tiger bread! Prices are a bit more expensive for Vietnamese, but that is to be expected for their prime location on Hardware lane.

Chantelle Hiley

Good engagement from staff when going to pay and loved that they split the bill for the group. The Vietnamese pancake was delicious and crispy. It was quiet inside so probably better atmosphere seated outside in the lane.

Mustard

I was expecting a lot from this Vietnamese eatery, really wanted to like it but fell short on a few aspects. I got myself their Vietnamese drop noodles, soup was your basic broth with slurpy noodles. The char siu served with it just had a dry texture like it was old. We requested for some fresh chillies, these are the bloody red hot ones that we grow at home, dear Lord. Friend got their grilled lemongrass chicken (replacing rice with salad). He's a self confessed lemongrass chicken addict and if he offers you a taste of his meal, that means he hates it. I have a bit of a sample and concur, bland. Not enough lemongrass, chilli helps (some places call it lemongrass chilli chicken) and some browned onions gives it more impact. This was a poor dish. Another friend however enjoyed his pho and rice paper roll, but then again he's no ruling authority on Vietnamese cuisine.

Liuconglong

***3.5*** The Pho is not bad. Soup is tasty. Veges looks carefully cleaned. Waitress are friendly. The soup is not as clear as Phos I had in Vietnam, but is good enough. This is one of the best Pho in CBD that I have explored so far.

Vanessa

** 2.5 stars** My friends and I tried this Vietnamese restaurant located on Hardware Lane a few months back. In my opinion, I found the food average at best. (The dishes didn’t scream flavour) But although the service was somewhat slow, the staff were lovely. The only thing that bothered me was that four out of six of us on the table wanted the “Feed Me (for 2 people)” but the other two weren’t allowed to order seperate things and had to also order the same thing. (It probably makes more sense for them to sit on a seperate table...😂) The interior is bright and modern, with the tables set relatively far apart from each other. Honestly, I’d give 2 stars just for the food but I’m taking into consideration the atmosphere and friendly staff.

Zoe Garkinis

Given it has a 4 rating I was expecting it to be pretty good but it was just average, borderline take away vibe (don’t even have their own bathroom!), tried their ‘yum’ recommended cocktail jug and the whole group didn’t like it. Nothing wrong with any of our food but nothing wow either.

Rina Frans Mintoro

Had the lemongrass pork with spring roll vermicelli salad for dinner. Waitress was really nice to help me find a dish I was looking for. Generous serving, spring roll and pork was nicely flavoured, herbs and veggies were refreshing. Could do better with more dressing though.

Sonia Nair

Body Posi Dietician was in town from Ararat, and so I set myself the mission of finding an intolerance-friendly yet suitably exciting lunch destination for our catch-up – I’d unwittingly taken her to my perennial favourite Kaneda the last two times she was in town and was keen to prove to her that I dined at other establishments in Melbourne.

TriedNBested

Came here with a colleague for lunch. Had the salad with spring rolls. Refreshing and tasty. Love that you can order whole coconuts to sip from. Great lunch break location.

Masterffoooods

Amazing ambience for such a tiny restaurant that's hidden away. The best banh mi in the city with a twist. The Spicy Crumbed Chicken is honestly my go to item of choice. The first bite is heaven, beautifully cooked chicken nicely crumbed giving you that crunch that you want. The heat from the chilli gives it another dimension of flavour that you can't say no to. If one of their side items is this amazing. I can't imagine how amazing the dinner would be. Definelty need to come back for dinner!!

Jason Puy

Have been to Hawker Boys on many occasions. Love there soft shell crab banh mi with a coconut drink to go. Went for dinner with mates and i would highly recommend there vietnamese shaken beef. Great service, friendly staff and delicious dishes! Would come again!

Sambat Chea

Went with a group of mates for dinner, loved the food and service. You have gotta try the vietnamese shaken beef OMG THE FLAVORING!!! Will be back again soon!!!

Varun Chandwani

Good place for office lunch, went there with my colleagues. Service time was reasonable and food was good. Tried chicken spicy bun. Was good Ambiance is nice and place is easily located :)

Jade

had dinner here a few nights ago, luckily i made a booking - it did seem quite popular around 6. Easily located with its neon sign in hardware ln :) ordered 3 rice bowl dishes, pictured is Crispy tofu ($15.70) The good: - wow staff are very friendly, from getting seated instantly to making sure my diet requirements were satisfied (and even beyond) Do not feel hesitant about asking/specifying nutritional requirements, waitresses are lovely!!! - interior is very neat and reasonably big Not so good: - $15.70 for a relatively simple rice dish is on expensive side but ah well...it’s Melbs, can’t complain Overall, cute and nice experience - i’m coming back to try other menu options and because staff are so friendly!!!

JC

Great little place for a quick casual dinner with lots of dishes for groups to share (opted to go down this path as dishes were a bit pricey otherwise). Really enjoyed the vermicelli with spring rolls which were perfectly crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. Staff super friendly and welcoming!

Fatcat

This place is nice, bright, and good for long chats with friends. We just ordered sharing plates; my favourite was definitely the soft shell crab bao. The curry is good too. Not a bad place for viet food.

Little Bit Of Everything

Hawker Boys bring in both Vietnamese and Chinese tastes with a modern twist to it. Simple menu with great flavours. Excellent customer service, the girls helped us with choosing our dishes from the menu. We ordered the Chicken and Prawn Wonton in chili oil, Soft Shell Crab Steamed Bao’s, Barramundi Parcels and Hanoi Chicken curry. Everything we ordered was delicious and they were very generous with their portions.

Travel Food Journal

Soft Shell Crab ‘Bun Me’ - Love the flakiness and the subtle sweetness of the bread itself. Not to mention, their soft shell crab is just simply scrumptious topped with toppings and dressings that swirls in your mouth leaving you with a pleasurable memory!

Urban Muncher

Rating 4.5/5 Service ★★★★★ Food ★★★★ Ambience ★★★★ Conveniently located in the CBD, Hawker Boys serves delicious vietnamese food with amazing service. The restaurant has a great and vibrant ambience. Definitely highly recommended!

Clarissa Whitehead

This small vietnamese restaurant tucked away on Hardware Lane is a small treasure! Not too busy on a weeknight, open and bright, the food at Hawker Boys is unexpectedly delicious! The bao was refeshing and not too heavy, the rice paper rolls were quite large and packed full of scrumptious filling! My friend and I ordered from the share menu and were suprised when we couldn't finsih just four share plates... you definitely get your money's worth here! A+ :D

Hailey

Absolutely loved this place. The restaurant itself which is at the top of Hardware Lane is modern and clean. The food was delicious and fresh, I had the tofu rice paper rolls and tofu bao. They aced the tofu. The thing we loved the most was the service. Our waiter was Monica, she was so lovely and friendly without being pushy. We asked about vegan options and she informed us about them without hesitation. The food was excellent but she is the reason we'll be back many more times.

Skliu16

Have been here a couple times now and have been met with friendly and prompt service! Enjoyed the traditional vermicelli noodle salads which was both tasty and refreshing! For anyone looking for southeast asian foood this place is a must :)

Heidi

Had a quick Friday lunch at Hawker Boys not long ago. The restaurant itself is really modern with a cool fit out. The food is fine, but lacks a little punch. Whilst the salads were good the dressing lacked a little and the meat wasn't particularly appetizing.

Honest Reviews

Very nice atmosphere and presentation of the food. The rice paper rolls were delicious. Friendly service too. Will be back to try some other food in their summer menu.

Jania Warner

Had an amazing night here at Hawker Boys. Food is wholesome, fresh, big serves and reasonably priced. Service excellent - even for those with food allergies and preferences (gluten free, nut allergies, vegan - no problem!) Recommend this place +++.

Anyeonjae

OMG!!!!! Today, I ate the most delicious food in Melbourne!!! This food keeps coming to mind.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Char siu bbq pork, Wonton noodle soup+add bbq pork char siu, Rice paper roll classic prawns

Abs

CBD workers and shoppers this place is perfect to stop for a quick and delicious feed. Skip the Emporium food court and enjoy food that is fresh and consistently great. The menu also has good vegetarian options- I’m addicted to the Vermicelli noodle salad with spring rolls and fried tofu. Definitely check it out!

Mini Food Explorer

A nice little restaurant, was extremely quiet on the Friday we went so we were a little concerned! Food was flavoursome and well sized. Staff was lovely, simple quick dinner :) soft shell crab baos was delicious!!

Jade&Gav

Delicious food with amazing service. The street has a great vibe full of restaurants. The Wontons and Spring rolls were a hit! Highly recommended!

Angie Watts

Loved it, really nice. Great place to eat, loved the look of restaurant and enjoyed the food and so did my little girl. Lovely staff. Will visit again.

Got_2_lunch

Not too shabby! Fit out is very modern and sleek. Food has a lot of my lunch time Vietnamese favorites but lacked maybe a little flavor. A quick pickle on the carrots and a more sweet/sour noc mam would have elevated things. House iced tea was sweet and delicious. Will be back to try some other offerings during summer.

Neath Kong

Back at looking for places to eat again after a hectic month of work! I sneaked out during my assignment schedule to get the tiger roll from Hawker boys, OMG I can’t get enough of the tiger roll itself, I loved it! The flavours of the meats were acceptable but that crunchy rolls were exquisite. 🤝

Melissa Manlapid

vfc was delicious and crispy, just the way we like it. dumplings in chilli oil was good too, no need for soy sauce. Banh mi on the other hand, was quite unique because of the tiger bun. although, personally we prefer the traditional vietnamese bun.

The Gastronaut

The Vietnamese Buggette never fails to impress regardless of where you get it from. But this place has a distinct flavor to them. Tried the lemongrass chicken and it is definitely something worth going back for.

Rebecca.dawson23

Average ! Started out great and went downhill pretty quickly. Small portions and they run out of items often. Sadly I Will not be going back!

Tige

Quick stop for a late lunchtime feed and we were impressed. The wontons were generously filled and were moorish with a big chili hit. The chicken bao was tasty but as it said, very spicy. We also had some ginger prawn dumplings which were nice. Staff very friendly and polite and the service was great.

Hangry Horace

Food was pretty good. Spring rolls and the shiitake dumplings were my favourites. We also ordered the vermicelli noodles with lemongrass chicken. It was okay but it needed some textural elements and acidity. Service was friendly and efficient.

StepiiGM

Great banhmi, it was spicy and the chicken was crispy. I found the bread roll was pretty unique, looks a bit carmelized on top - I know it may not make any sense, probably I was just imagining this 😅. Rice dish was average. But yea, overall our meals were good. Friendly service too and nice atmosphere.

Gem

Delicious food, just slightly overpriced. The staff were friendly and attentive, the art on the walls was pretty cool. Seating outside would be nice in summer.

Good Food, Good Mood

Hawker Boys has been open for almost two years now and I am in love with the new additions to the menu! We ordered the feedmee option; chicken wings, Vietnamese chicken salad, spicy wontons, soft shell crab baos... with fried dessert x vodka coconuts for dessert. What a spread! Hospitality is always humble and food comes out fresh and quickly.

LittleM

It was relatively quiet when we came here for dinner. We ordered the chicken vermicelli noodle salad and the prawn rice paper rolls. The noodle salad was fresh and meat was well seasoned. The rice rolls was good too. We tried the mojito slushie which was pretty refreshing. For desserts, we got the oreo matcha fried icecream; they looks pretty but taste-wise was just so-so.

FOOD TRIP

Hawker Boys is a trendy restaurant that specialises in Vietnamese Street Food. The interior is vibrant and cheerful and the service is done with a smile. Food here is homey, delicious and perfect for sharing. Their “Feed Me” option to choose 4 dishes from the “to share” menu is great for 2 people and at only $55, its very reasonably priced. Their desserts vary from week to week, but definitely worth trying out!

Danica

Love the atmosphere, and the presentation of the food!! My beef pho was pretty bland and was disappointed. The bread of the pork banh mi was soft it was not the usual crispy bread. The prawn rice paper rolls were delicious!!!!

Lisayxxx

Excellent service and delicious food. We had the 4 dish per couple option so ended up with a great choice of dishes to enjoy as there were 4 of us. Every dish was a delight. A Faultless first visit.

Alice In Wonderland X Icebear

This place is Vietnamese food the way mama makes at home. Simple and tasty. TRY: *any of the vermicelli salad bowls - they're all so fresh and leave you feeling light but full so it's a good for a quick lunch/light dinner *the pork springrolls - you won't find mystery gristle in their spring rolls, they're rolled up expertly like cigars and that crunch when you take your first bite will make you want more! *the Saigon pho - grew up with this one so I prefer it over the Hanoi style pho but in saying that, the Hanoi one is also really good - just with less bells and whistles in comparison *anything with Tofu. The vegetarian in your life will love it DON'T: *Try any of the banh mi unless you are okay with them being made with no pate and in a tiger roll instead of a French baguette. Otherwise go for your life! They're lovely and huge!

Sharon Mudge

A little gem in Hardware Lane. Vietnamese Street Food. Highly recommend the shared plate for 2 persons. A choice of 4 dishes from the shared menu. Soft shell crab buns & wontons dressed in chilli oil a stand out. Nice ambience. Groovy decor. Friendly service. Select alcohol menu. Will be back

MandyToorak

In this state of affairs (cold weather, the falling economy, stress and mental health, job security falling ... oh I did not mean to remind you of these problems, sorry, as zomato is a chill space)... well, anyway... what I wanted to get to is that a cheap, warm and delicious meal is just what you need right now. Last week, while in the city, I found myself hungry but not willing to dole out the cash for what would have been mediocre food. It was late Saturday afternoon and most decent places were closing up, readying for the Sat night dinner boom. Walked past here and knew it was right for me. Eaten here before, was great. This time round I had the pork Bahn mi . I'd recommend this. As for the service? Couldn't be better.

Benjamin Woods

Love coming here on my lunch breaks and enjoying the space upstairs. Mi myself and my spicy crumbed chicken banh mi cooked to perfection. Highly reccommend the vermicelli sallad as well.

Matt

I like this place. A clean fresh interior without the usual Pho cliches and awful lighting that plagues most cheap Vietnamese outlets. It's situated on Lonsdale down that attractive brick laneway with the sloping awnings. While the kids wanted to sit indoors I forced them outside for some fresh air. Unfortunate someone was vapping in the adjacent restaurant but that won't be for long - September 1 will sort them out! Tables are a little rickety but it doesn't spoil anything - maybe adds a little authenticity 😜 Best thing is the menu is tight. A nice one pager with items that you know can come out fast. Smart thinking when you can imagine this area would be loaded with lunch time office workers. We choose the combo Pho and three different Bahn Mi's. Service was zippy and with smiles. The Pho was tasty. I really liked my Pork roll. Not too overloaded and the bread they use is the Tiger style. Much more attractive than the standard bread other places serve. It also doesn't crumble into a million pieces so great for those in suits. The BBQ sauce really lifts this above the other two I tried, the chicken and soft sheep crab in my opinion. They all tasted excellent however. I'd definitely recommend this family run outfit above all the other cheap Vietnamese places I've been to so far. It's a pity it's so far from where I live and work. Great job guys - keep it up!!

Bkelly

One of those laneway gems in Melbourne. Fast quick service even when it's really busy. I always order a side of spring rolls they're awesome.

Jean

Relatively fast service! Interior was fairly spacious and neat. The food bowls may seem slightly insufficient at first, but trust me, it will fill your stomach and satisfy your appetite! Had the lemongrass chicken 'salad' (don't worry it has noodles!), would definitely recommend that dish.

Johnny :):)

The old hawker boys, back at it for another innings. The old larrikins serve up another winner. Tried and tested, true as blue, a great meal and a great deal. Fin.

A Chronicle Of Gastronomy

Opening in March last year, Hawker Boys dug its roots into Hardware Lane, serving Vietnamese street food with glimpses of Chinese in the mix. It’s been started by partners Peter and Monica, who work in the kitchen alongside Peter’s mother, together imparting a homemade touch into their dishes.

欣玲刘

Walk pass here almost everyday. Great cosy looking vietnamese restaurant for quick bites. Very friendly and cheerful customer service! Highly recommended to all.

Melbourne Explorer

Great little Vietnamese spot on Melbourne's busy Hardware Lane. Good menu options for either sitting in or takeaway lunch of dinner. A must try.

Rev&Kach

Mains: Beef Pho, Grilled Pork Belly on rice. Dessert: Vanilla fried ice cream with syrup. Lemon iced tea Setting: Modern design with a cool feature wall. Even has a centre island with power points to charge electronic devices. Very chill atmosphere! Service: Best service I've had in a while! Everyone working is very friendly and down to earth. Very accomodating to any requests I made. No complaints here! Food: Pho tastes just like what I would have at home so can't complain. Plenty of beef and broth was so good there wasn't a single drop left in the bowl. Pork belly with their spicy sirahcha sauce is to die for, don't think I've ever gone to Hawker Boys without ordering it. Only complaint is that I could eat more than the already generous portions. Price: Very well priced for what you get and given it's location in central Melbourne CBD, I wouldn't expect it to be any cheaper. I've visited on countless occasions so definitely recommend! 4.5/5 - reason being I'm yet to give out a 5/5.

Kathleen Doherty

Can't decide? Go the VSP, a brilliant adaptation of a Vietnamese lunch box. Everything you want from Vietnamese food, all together! A rice paper roll, two fried spring rolls, and a bahn mi - all of your choice. All that for $15! The bahn mi was a particular stand out - who would have thought tiger bread would work so amazing. The super crunchy outside with the soft inside is exactly what you'd expect to get from a food stall in the streets of Vietnam.

Lnn

My go to place for Vietnamese vermicelli salad! Their lemongrass pork and chicken is amazing! The staff are super friendly and love the décor inside!

Sam

Crispy fried tofu 'bun me' is excellent and their rice paper rolls are amazing. I order from here at least once a fortnight and sometimes a lot more.

Amy

This place has gone downhill so quickly. Only a few months ago, it was a hidden gem; delicious food, really friendly and personal service and food didn’t take too long either. About a month ago I noticed that they had unfortunately started using delivery services like Deliveroo. This has resulted in the staff being really stressed, the wait time blowing out (I waited 25 minutes for a take away bahn mi), not to mention the ethical implications of using such delivery services which will hopefully be regulated soon as they are completely exploitative. I love the food – especially the tofu bahn mi – but will sadly not be returning.

Benjamin Harris

Casual dining, great for a relaxed dinner and great prices too. Wonton soup was simple but delicious, nothing fancy, but exactly what I asked for.

DumplingDoll

Stumbled across this place for a work lunch, service is friendly and the food is tasty. Though the menu is quite straight forward and standard, it was still a nice venue for lunch, not too busy, just casual. The food was fresh, though I wasn't overly hungry, I did thoroughly enjoy their tofu summer rolls, more than the prawn and the fried spring rolls were meaty and delicious

Experiencejoysoflife

I tried Hawker Boys for the first time through Uber eats. The veggie spring roll vermicelli bowl and the tofu bun was fantastic! Great portions, well priced and quick delivery. I have ordered atleast 3 times since and popped into the store for a lunch time fix. The decor is beautiful, the food was quick and the staff were lovely. I think this may be a new fav place of mine.

Anna Mathews

I haven't actually used my zomato account in years but I loved this place so much it compelled me to write a review. My boyfriend and I were incredibly hungry the other day and wandering along Hardware Lane. I really don't like how the upper end has people out the front badgering you to come to their restaurant... So we gave Hawker Boys a try. The staff were absolutely wonderful. I don't remember the last time I was served by such genuinely lovely people. I'm not used to it and it's still stuck in my mind. As for the food - I had a vermicelli rice bowl with lemongrass chicken, and my boyfriend had a wonton bowl with broth. Both were standard prices, only far far better than I think any fast Vietnamese I've ever had in the city. So much real homemade tasting flavour, it reminded me of my mum's cooking. I would come back here over a chain shop (and pay the same price!) any day. It was just that good and I really think these guys deserve some praise. I got the impression Hawker Boys is new so I had to leave this review to show some support. My boyfriend and will definitely going back. I really can't recommend it enough. A great find!

The Fo0die

Note that I haven't dined at the actual restaurant but have had the food delivered via UberEats. The vermicelli bowl with pork spring rolls, pickled carrots, shredded lettuce, cucumber with fried shallots and sweet and salty fish sauce ($11) came with 3 roughly 10cm long spring rolls and a light serving of vermicelli. Because I had this delivered, the salty fish sauce was already placed into the bowl for me. The vermicelli bowl itself was good (hard to get this wrong) and spring rolls was good but not amazing. I also ordered the classic prawn rice paper rolls ($7 for two rolls) which had fried shallots to give it the great flavoursome crunchy texture but also meant it was a little messy to eat as the shallots wanted to pop out of the roll. One roll with the vermicelli bowl would have been enough to fill me but as there was two, I ate the 2nd and although full, I wasn't stuffed to the point where it felt uncomfortable. I always love a good Vietnamese iced coffee ($4) but unfortunately I was not a fan of the coffee bean they used (much preferred the ones I have had at other Vietnamese restaurants or even one that I make myself at home with moccona instant coffee and condensed milk). Follow me on Instagram for more photos: @fo0die

DuckieLovesToEat

I have been craving for some Vietnamese loving and this bad boy has been filling in my instafeed making me salivate over my phone. Definitely not a good sight. Imagine my joy when a friend of mine asked me for lunch and to pick a place. Sure enough I dragged him to check this place out. I was glad we came here during late lunch because this means it is virtually empty. The staff were very warm and friendly. My friend ordered the lemongrass chicken bahn mi and I had the BBQ pork on rice. Wow! The flavours! I will definitely come back here if I find my place around the area to try more of this deliciousness!

Kimmy_desu

Had the lemongrass chicken on rice and a side of wonton soup. It was fresh and delicious and the meat was well-seasoned. Everything is cooked to order. They didn't include nuoc nam sauce with our rice dishes but adding some sriracha to it can enhance the flavour if you prefer some spiciness. The portion size here is pretty standard and one bowl can definitely fill you up. Wonton soup was a bit small though but very fragrant and aromatic, apparently it's cooked by the owners' mother the night before and totally MSG free (hence you won't taste that dodgy saltiness you usually get at other Asian places). If you order a rice or vermicelli bowl you can get a combo of one side (either spring rolls or wonton soup) and a can of drink for an extra $6. Service was friendly and welcoming. Recommended :)

Tom

Ordered from ubereats. Its great for a $11 delivered right to your door within 20 minutes. The lemongrass pork was delicious but i just wish they put a little bit more meat. Still. I'll be ordering more

Munching Melbourne

Wontons, spring rolls, banh mi, 48 hours marinated Cha Sui... Hawker Boys does it all and with great success. They serve authentic (MSG FREE!!) Viet/Chinese hawker style food made together with their Mum! They wrap their own wontons & spring rolls, marinate their own protein and even grow...

Trading Plates

The Street Eats scene in Melbourne is definitely one that won’t be dimming anytime soon. There is something about being casually transported to a busy market stall in Vietnam, a muggy Gyros shop in Greece, or a fishing boat in Thailand that makes us go back for more. With new hotspots popping up all the time for all kinds of cuisines, new kids on the block, Hawker Boys needed a home that would stand out to the Melbourne masses. Combining tastes of the Vietnamese and Chinese heritage of its owners, Hawker Boys serve up their homegrown flavour with a modern twist.

Review Hawker Boys - Melbourne