Plenty of vegan options and omni options. Super lovely staff providing high quality service. Fair price points and a wonderful location.
Amazing food with refined authentic Vietnamese flavours. Such depth to the wagyu beef pho, and the Hanoi style bun was refreshingly unique. Definitely coming back with more friends in tow. Super friendly staff just rounds off the experience.
My friends and I celebrated the first day of the lunar new year in a Vietnamese restaurant located in South Melbourne. I was amazed by the foods at @ricekitchen. The menu is not like other restaurants with only Vietnamese specialties: banh mi and pho. It also has a variety of dishes to eat as a meal or a snack. One of my favorites is pulled jackfruit, apple salad with a rice cracker. 😋
㊙️ The Traveling Foodie
+4
Good meal done great . This place serve real bone broth cooked for over 10 hours. You could taste the warm and dedication put in to making it. Beef were tender and slice perfectly.
The chicken rice was also well made and taste great.
The dishes are creative but not overdone. I can still find and enjoy the original flavours. I'm not a fan of beef pho even when I was in Vietnam. I go to Rice Kitchen for duck noodle salad, young rice popcorn and iced coffee.
Rice kitchen is my personal favourite for clean, authentic and just really yummy food Vietnamese food. Extremely friendly staff and a cosy restaurant with sticky hash browns and bun cha pork patties which will keep me coming back for more 😀😀😀
Very impressed with our visit to Rice Kitchen! Such a warm and pleasant little restaurant to relax in.
We ordered:
- Fried eggplant bao buns
- Chicken spring rolls
- Oxtail curry
- Bun Cha Ha Noi
Everything tasted fresh and flavoursome.
The eggplant bao buns were the highlight! Couldn't fault the crispy eggplant and pillowy, fresh bao buns. The oxtail curry was also tasty and the serving was generous. Would definitely come back to try the other items on the menu (the hashbrowns and pho rolls looked so good!!)
Best Vietnamese in Melbourne. Really fresh and the dishes I have never eaten food like this. Modern Vietnamese get the duck dishes. Very friendly staff
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Arrived with a Groupon - $85 to spend on food and drinks (purchased for $55).
I did not think to check the menu this time so expected dishes to be $20-25 and there would be alcoholic drinks, so it would easy to spend $85. We ordered waay too much food for two people. Service was lovely, and food came out quickly.
Definitely come here with a group of friends to try out the different dishes.
Drinks came first.
Vietnamese iced coffee - flavours were nice but disappointed that it was not freshly made.
House-made Coconut Lemonade - refreshing, unique flavour.
Beef stew with pho - the meat melts in your mouth and carrot was soft. However, the broth was lacking in flavour.
Hanoi Crab and Pork fried rice paper spring rolls - The filling was missing flavour but tasted alright when dipped in the fish sauce.
Bun Cha Pork Bao Buns - Favourite dish. The baos were soft and fluffy and the Cha (pork patty) flavours were balanced with the salad. Probably would have tasted better if I had eaten them when they were warm (my fault, there was so much food).
Grilled Lemongrass Duck with Banh Hoi - the meat was dry but when you wrap it up and dip it in the fish sauce it tasted okay. Didn't enjoy the salad. It had pickled ginger (Japanese style) which isn't Vietnamese-like. It would have been better if it was a Vietnamese salad such as Goi/Nom
By this point I thought everything had arrived but there was still more...
Rice Flake Prawn Popcorn with salad - This was different. The popcorn had a slightly chewy texture. Did not have a strong prawn flavour or many prawns. Again, the salad dressing was too strong and reminded me of Japanese flavours.
Fresh pho rolls with tender Beef with daikon, carrot & Thai basil with fish sauce - By the time we got to this dish, we were sooo full. The meat was dry but when dipped in fish sauce, it helped. I don't like having to rely on fish sauce to give a dish its flavour, and this was the case; as the spring rolls.
The restaurant is trying to be creative with their dishes, which is awesome but some dishes are missing the traditional Vietnamese flavours.
Also, they have reusable takeaway containers which I've never seen before in a restaurant. You pay a deposit and upon returning your container, it is refunded to you. This should be encouraged, especially if you go past the area or to the restaurant regularly. Kudos for trying to reduce your waste!
Small, intimate, cozy restaurant serving modern Vietnamese dishes. The dishes are of excellent quality although one or two dishes can be improved. The soba is refreshing whereas the hash brown is very unique with Glutinous rice in it. The sauce condiments that come with most dishes are top notch. Pho can be improved though as it is quite plainn
A lovely small restaurant that served great Vietnamese food at a perfect location too, right in front of the tram stop and next to the South Melbourne market.
Went here and had their $32 4-course winter brunch and the portion was generous (definitely could share this between the 2).
So we got the wagyu set menu:
- Wagyu beef stew
- Rice flake prawn popcorn
- Onsen egg
- Che desserts
Also got the Dragon fruit ginger fizz and Soursop coco punch which were both nice and refreshing.
Totally a good value for money and tasty. Definitely recommend this place if you are nearby!
I don’t want to sound exaggerated, but all the foods at Rice Kitchen are very tasty!! I love the grilled chicken with any dish. I love the vegan pho as well, I think I have vegan pho most if the time.
A very recommended place if you like Asian and Vietnamese especially. :)
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We loved tasting our way through the Bun cha Hanoi and Vegan set menus.
Nothing encapsulates Hanoi street food better than Bun cha. Char-grilled pork in fish sauce broth, pickles, vermicelli and plenty of fresh herbs. Rice Kitchen’s amazing Hanoi crab and pork spring rolls were the perfect accompaniment as was their must-try Hai Phong style pork floss and liver pate baguette stick.
The Vegan set menu was similarly delicious. Crispy on the outside, moist and tasty on the inside, with a refreshing taste of the sea, there is so much to love when it comes to Rice Kitchen’s plant-based fish cakes. Served with woven banh hoi noodle, fresh herbs, salad, pickles and ginger soy sauce this was one flavoursome dish. We loved that this set menu included stunning pulled jackfruit and apple salad with black sesame cracker and the vegetarian fried rice paper spring roll.
Each set menu also features one of CHE Desserts’ newest creations. The Flanatastic was a rich and creamy French influenced dessert. The silky smooth flan, baked from premium eggs and fresh milk, simply melted in our mouths. We loved the generous toppings of refreshing jellies, crunchy water chestnut gems, and pearls.
I have to say, this has to be my most favourite Vietnamese food restaurant in Melbourne! I’ve been to Vietnam, and this was definitely the perfect Melbourne version. The eggplant bao buns were delicious, the rice paper rolls were a favourite and I could devour all of these! The bun Choi Hanoi was delicious, with the noodles, yassss!!!! Got to drink a really good Vietnamese coffee and refreshing side drinks! I’d go back and get the chicken soba salad! Would highly recommend coming!
What a gem of a place! This restaurant was recommended to us by a Vietnamese lady in Hoi An on our recent trip so we decided to give it a try. The flavors and smells transported us back to Vietnam and the Bun Cha especially was very authentic and special. The winter brunch set was very filling and is definitely a must try. They serve vegan options as well. The staff were very polite and uplifted the overall culinary experience by talking about the origins of each dish. It was a morning well-spent 😊
Good Vietnamese Food - love the beef pho, pandan green tea and sticky hash brown/mushroom salad. Sago plus tropical fruit was delicious. Will be back again.
Simply amazing - the decor, the staffs and the food. We unknowingly went in 15 minutes prior to their closing during the day. They could have turned us away but the staff was accomodating enough to open up an extra 15 minutes. We are fast eaters so it was no issue. Really loved the pork belly pho and the pork bao buns. Very fresh and flavoursome. Loved the chilli paste as well. Tried the vietnamese coffee - nothing against the restaurant - but they are sweet as hell. One sip and am done. No more vietnamese coffee for the foreseeable future.
Will definitely be back to try their other dishes.
Brilliant surprise for people like me who think of Vietnami cuisine comprises of only pho and rice paper rolls. We went on a busy Thursday night and had so much food 🥰
We had pulled jackfruit on rice cracker( my fav.dish here), hash browns reimagined, spicy edamame, rice paper rolls (not your regular stuff), and sago pudding with tropical fruits. Everything was a revelation and I loved the food. Will be back soon!
A contemporary, yet authentic Vietnamese dining experience is on offer here. All the ingredients were fresh and of good quality. The protein was nicely cooked and the flavours well balanced. The serving size was tiny however. The smallest bowl of pho I have had to date for $16!
We had lunch here a few times with family and friends. The servers here are just wonderful and have great memories it seems. We have Oxtails Curry, spring roll, Vietnamese coffee v.v The food was absolutely delicious, from preparation to presentation, very pleasing. Must try!
What a great addition to the charm of South Melbourne! I ordered the lemongrass soba noodles and I absolutely loved it. I could have this everyday. It was light, fresh and of course - TASTY! Service was great, ladies at the front were warm and their smiles elevated our first time visit. Will definitely be back.
A very cute little cafe / shop on Clarendon St. It has a touch of authenticity of Vietnamese in all their dishes. We ordered a few dishes between the two of us, and we're pretty full after that! Generous servings, delicious meat, and excellent customer service! Would definitely go again!
What a great find this was! Fresh, vibrant food with a perfect blend of traditional flavours with a modern twist. The duck salad was the bomb - we almost fought over the salad - and the barramundi was also great. The portion sizes aren't huge which suited us as we could try more things. Will definitely be back!!
Small cosy little restaurant. Had the sticky hash brown with chicken and also the rice bowl with bun Cha patties. We missed out on the pho rolls as they were sold out. The sticky hash browns were the highlight for me. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Really enjoyable meal. Lots of healthy options. Not authentic Vietnamese flavours but a modern sort of take on it.
A buzzing place with a great vibe, good service and quality food. My only criticism would be that their portion sizes were not particularly generous!
No better way to end the week than a Vietnamese feast at Rice Kitchen🤤! I’ve always been a critique for Vietnamese food and the words I can think of to describe Rice Kitchen is; explosive flavors🔥, fresh ingredients and a whole lot of love❤️! The 2 must have dishes has to be the fried chicken and popcorn prawns 🍤😍!
Really amazing fresh food. The lamb ribs a standout out dish wit soft tender melt in mouth tasty ribs. The pho rolls really soft & fresh as well. Had the beef. No msg bad feel after as well
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I've had a Vietnamese food craving for ages, and Rice Kitchen definitely satisfied it, with their delicious, nourishing dishes. This place is still relatively new, their menu, service, food is all very impressive and they definitely deserve a bigger crowd!
Food:
We wanted a bit of variety as the menu was just so diverse, so between the 2 of us, we ordered 4 delectable dishes. First up were the Hanoi Spring Rolls; full of a unique and flavoursome crab and pork filling, fried to perfection. I always like to sample vegetarian alternatives and I can never go past a Bao Bun, so the Tempura Eggplant vegan baos were my pick. The bao itself was steamed nicely, soft, white, chewy, however I would have preferred a thicker, or more distinct Tempura coating and a tad more flavour with the eggplant within. Nonetheless, pickled sweet daikon and carrot never fails to please me. Then came once of the most anticipated dishes, Sticky Hash Browns with Chicken. Now these Hash Browns are not your ordinary hash brown, they are a standout as their key ingredients include that of Taro, Glutinous Rice, Mung bean and Coconut, an absolute star of a combination. We adored the chewy inner layer with the first bite of crispy, crunchy goodness. Our last pick was the Lemongrass Duck Soba Noodle Salad, packed with nourishing ingredients. The flavours and ingredients were all so fresh, the duck with a hint of a smoky scent and the ginger soy dressing a winner! Forgot to mention the delicious drinks, the must-have perfectly sweet Vietnamese Coffee and Coconut Lemonade, absolute favourite drink, infused with lovely sweet pickled lemons and coconut water.
Ambience:
It was very quiet when we headed in, as we chose to head in at opening due to later commitments. Situated in more of South Melbourne's business hub, on Australia Day, meant that most people would be out and about celebrating at home, or the pub/bar. The interior of the restaurant is lovely, with hanging plants that add a minimal, calming aesthetic. Would have loved if a few more customers were in to enjoy Rice Kitchen and add some warmth to the atmosphere, but of course due to the newness and the particular date it is understandable.
Service:
The food all arrived quite promptly, and on that day the kitchen was also busy preparing catering items. The waiters were all very lovely and accommodating too.
How is this store not busy at dinner!? I wouldn't be surprise if the shop becomes the next sought after restaurant for Melbourne foodies in a few months time. The eatery is fairly new in the area taking over the former Pho establishment.
From initial entry and until we left, we had felt welcomed and valued. The friendly waitress was prompt with taking our orders, bringing out the food, and attentive to our needs and feedback.
As for the food, we can't fault on anything that we tried. The food was delicious, well presented, and refreshing to see original flavours creatively delivered like the grill chicken bao and Ha Noi spring rolls (Vietnamese customers will know what I mean). In addition, the salad and veggies that accompanied each dish was fresh and balanced the fried items.
3 pax voucher dinner (4th backed out last moment) Saturday night. Staff were very accomodating despite booking mix up, my fault totally.
Food was fanta-bulous! Bun cha pork bao bun, Grilled chicken bao bun, Grilled oyster sauce ox tail (ranked 2nd), Lemongrass duck, Lemongrass lamb ribs (our favourite!), Banana leaf barramundi, Fish sauce chicken ribs (3rd), and wagyu beef pho.
The dishes presented exactly like the pictures in the menu. We had a feast and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Took home unfinished food, too much for us.
Wait staff was friendly too, chatted with us, enquired about the food, you could see they took pride in their work.
All in, merits a return visit! And recommendation to friends!
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Last Wednesday my family and I decided to head into Rice Kitchen South Melbourne to sample some of the foods they have on offer at their new establishment.
This place is the “bees knees” and “cats pajamas” for Vietnamese food. It’s where the 25th century meets Vietnamese food, this is the kind of place you would find Buck Rogers hanging out eat fresh spring-rolls in zero G.
If you’re looking for a two bit bowl of pho served in a old crusty chipped bowl then head down to Springvale, otherwise come to Rice Kitchen and taste the delights of Vietnamese food made with love.
On this fine Melbourne day I chose the grilled chicken served with sticky rice hash-browns. There was nothing I could complain about the dish, the timelines of ordering to receiving my meal was good, the presentation was superb and the taste delicious. The chicken was grilled to near perfection and the taste was great, it must have been sitting in the marinade since the 25th century as the meat was soft, juicy and oozed with flavor. The four triangle pieces of sticky rice hash-browns where cooked well and tasted just as delicious, especially when dipped in this secret soy sauce combination. And finally the little side salad topped the whole dish off well.
The portion of the meal I felt was perfect, now I am big dude and I can almost fit the titanic in “ma belly”. But I walked away feeling satisfied and content.
So if you are down in South Melbourne and keen to see what food delights our future generations will be eating in the 25th Century then head down to Rice Kitchen and let your taste buds party like its 2399.
Best bowl of Pho in Melbourne literally! Very close to Hanoi style Pho. Broth is rich and no MSG!
Also the Pho Roll was delicious and fresh. I guess it’s healthier than Sushi roll. Love the Vegan Pho Roll.
Good service as well.
This place is great! Love the food! Love the friendly service! Everything I ordered was on point and delicious. All the food had the traditional Vietnamese flavours with a modern touch. Would definitely come back for more.
If you are bored with the normal Vietnamese cuisines, you should try this place! You'll be surprised :)
The Coconut lemonade was super refreshing too
This place doesn't look like much but is actually great. They have a more interesting menu than your average Vietnamese restaueant with tons of vegan options including a mock meat curry (although it wasn't available when I visited). So instead, I got the pulled jackfruit on a large rice cracker (they gave us 3), the gluten free taro and tofu spring rolls, tempura eggplant bao, and glutinous rice and taro "hash brown" served with tofu and mushroom salad. The hash was so good, slightly sticky and chewy from the rice and we'll flavoured. The spring rolls were also great, as was the sauce they came with. Jackfruit salad was light on the jackfruit but fleshed out with freshly shredded apple and veg. A bit expensive at $17, but a quality dish. The only slight disappointment was the bao, which could have used more sauce or some other condiment. But place a bit of the jackfruit salad in them and they're great. For fresh and healthy Vietnamese, I definitely recommend this spot.
Lovely atmosphere and staff. The spring rolls should definitely come with big lettuce leaves so that I can eat them without burning my fingers. The pho and vermicelli salad are nice and healthy. Overall I enjoy Rice Kitchen.
Had a great dinner and the service was good. Our favourite was the lamb ribs and prawn popcorns. The pulled jackfruits salad and giant cracker was nice. Will be back for more.
Definitely underrated at 3.5 stars, it’s a great little place with high quality and flavoursome food. Bun bao was so soft and delicious, duck rice wraps were a good surprise and awesome. Pho is nice and healthy compared to some other places which are too oily. Good service. Would def recommend!
A decent bowl of pho - not the best I've had in Melbourne, but still very tasty. The noodles were a little wider than I'm used to & were quite slippery and difficult to eat. But the bowl was huge and very filling
N.B. Be careful of the chilli paste - it packs a punch! Maybe stick to the fresh chilli instead
Eat_today_diet_tomorrow
+5
We were delighted to have lunch at Rice Kitchen. We got to try the fresh pho rolls, bun cha hanoi, wagyu beef pho, coconut pancake and of course vietnamese coffee.
Right off the bat we would tell that the ingredients used were fresh and unprocessed. The beef in the pho was tender and juicy, just how wagyu should be. The bun cha hanoi was also absolutely delicious.
We also had coconut pancake for dessert, they serve this asian style coconut pancake with sesame and coconut ice cream. It was really yummy !
The staff was really friendly and welcomed us with a massive smile.
Their menu was so inviting that I tried a little bit of everything, all was fresh, healthy, and importantly yummy, felt like home cooked food. My favourites were the noodle rolls and duck soba salad! Pho was also better than any Pho I have had in Melbourne. Overall, food was great, service was quick and friendly, also love the restaurant decor.
The food is yummy. I love rice paper rolls. And also Vietnam's bite-sized crunchy spring rolls, the crispy shell with a soft veggie and meat filling dunked in a fish sauce gets the gastronomic juices flowing before a main course.
Small restaurant but lovely, friendly and good service. Highly recommend to people who love Vietnamese cuisine food! Don’t forget to try Pho with fresh rice noodles, a sprinkling of herbs and chicken or beef.
Absolutely come back next time!
I came to Rice Kitchen by chance after visiting South Melbourne market. I tried Pho roll, duck noodle salad and vegie bun. All were promptly delivered to table after 15 mins, very quick service. I love their noodle salad the most, Pho roll is a must-try as you probably never eat Pho that way before. Overall, menu is very healthy, green and fresh.
The food here is really nice; especially the pho rolls and salads.
The service isn't so great. I've sent back pho three times because I ordered beef, and received chicken instead, and also asked for no onion, and received onion. The final time it came out I could tell they'd just fished it out because there was still some onion in there.
Other than that, the food is awesome. The Pho is some of the best I've had in Melbourne.
Small, intimate, cozy restaurant serving modern Vietnamese dishes. The dishes are of excellent quality although one or two dishes can be improved. The soba is refreshing whereas the hash brown is very unique with Glutinous rice in it. The sauce condiments that come with most dishes are top notch. Pho can be improved though as it is quite plain.
Food - 9
Service - 10
Vibe - 9
Price - $$$
Great restaurant to try in a nice suburb. In the weekend, they have grilled pork with noodles which is really great. Other wise The crab rice paper spring rolls are the best.
Great menu with healthy options, classics such as hanoi spring rolls, their rice paper roll selection and wagyu pho were excellent, however mains were a little on the salty side, still room for improvement, will be back.
We love this place, the food is delicious! so tasty, you can tell the dishes are made with love. 💛
Very good prices too! which makes it even more perfect 👌🏻
Absolutely love this restaurant. Great food! Great service! My favourite is Wagu Beef Pho with natural sweetness from the beef bone. It reminds me about pho in Hanoi.
Along the busy sidewalks of Clarendon Street, it is easy to be lured into many of the flashy establishments at night. Thankfully tonight I was lured in by the simplicity of Rice Kitchen.
A clean and bare restaurant awaits, with a lean and health-concious menu that is light, refreshing, and packed with flavour.
I ordered the Lemongrass Duck which was served on neat mound of buckwheat soba, finished off with a healthy handful of edemame. The sauce was salty and just the perfect mix to round of the chilli that I threw into the bowl.
Definitely coming back. Skip the flashy places. Come to this clean, quiet, comforting bit of paradise.
Ellen Macpherson-Webster
+4
I went with a couple of friends for dinner last night and it was DELICIOUS. It looks unassuming, but don’t be fooled. I had the freshest, tastiest rice paper rolls and a fantastic spicy beef salad (be warned though, it lived up to its name). Great choices for vegans and veggies. I do wish they had a few more items on their menu (for example the sharing plates looked amazing but they weren’t available as smaller dishes).
Will be back again for a bowl of Pho when I’m around South Melbourne again.
My new favourite Viet restaurant for brunch. My favourite was the Fresh Pho Rolls, it’s delightful.
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