We live in a golden snacking age. Small plates dot menus at wine bars and fancy restaurants, but this list is about no-holds-barred snacking destinations. Sweet, savoury, hand-held or otherwise, if it brightens the time between meals in Melbourne, you’ll find it here.
Banh mi (from $9), Bun Bun Bakery If a long queue signals good food, the line outside this modest shop is promising. It also allows time to gaze at the well-crusted hunks of pork in the cabinet, and wonder if it’s those or the lemongrass chicken calling you. In fact, it’s the woman behind the counter: you’re next.
Thankfully, there are no bad choices to make. Shop 1, 288 Springvale Road, Springvale, instagram.com/ bunbunbakery_springvale Beef burger with the lot ( $19) , Andrew’s Hamburgers The Aussie burger is as synonymous with summer as sand in your bathers.
Packed to the max, the Andrew’s version is legendary. Is it the caramelised onion smooshed into charred beef? The toasted sesame roll? The dad-like commitment to making them the same way for 85 years? It’s the lot. 144 Bridport Street, Albert Park, andrewshamburgers.
com Butter vada pav ( $7.50) , Gopi Ka Chatka This modest Indian street-food franchise puts bread rolls on the map. The fist-sized snack is grilled, buttered and filled with spiced potato patties.
Dunk it in tamarind chutney, then a green chilli sauce for the kind of flavour fireworks you won’t find at other sandwich joints. 421 Clayton Road, Clayton South, gopikachatka.com.
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