Best Asian Food in Carlton 2026: The $14 Laksa and Beyond

Carlton gets labelled as Melbourne’s Italian quarter. Fair enough — Lygon Street has earned that reputation over decades of wood-fired pizza and espresso. But walk two blocks past the trattorias and you’ll find something that most visitors completely miss: one of the most concentrated pockets of serious Asian cooking in the inner north.

I’ve spent the last three weeks eating my way through Carlton’s Asian restaurants — every noodle house, dumpling counter, Thai kitchen, and Vietnamese canteen I could find. Fifteen places. Some were outstanding. A few were average. One made me actually text my group chat mid-meal. Here’s what made the cut.

The $14 Laksa That Started It All

That $14 laksa? It’s the Curry Laksa at Saigon Pho Carlton, 106 Lygon Street, Carlton.

Yes, I know — Vietnamese restaurant, Malaysian dish. That’s the kind of thing that happens in Carlton. The kitchen doesn’t care about neat categorisations. What they care about is getting the broth right, and they absolutely do. It’s thick coconut cream with a slow-building sambal heat, loaded with tofu puffs, bean shoots, and your choice of chicken, prawns, or both (go both — it’s an extra $3 and absolutely worth it).

At $14 for a regular bowl, it is one of the best value-for-money meals on the entire street. The rice vermicelli soaks up the broth perfectly. The fried shallots on top go soft in the best possible way. It’s the kind of dish that makes you wonder why you ever paid $22 for something nearly identical elsewhere.

The verdict: At $14, this laksa is the single best-value Asian meal I found in Carlton across all 15 venues tested.

The Full Carlton Asian Hit List

1. Hakata Gensuke Tonkotsu Ramen

126 Lygon Street, Carlton | Mains $16-$22

Their Carlton outpost on Lygon Street serves the same 24-hour pork bone broth that made the original famous. The Signature Tonkotsu ($17) arrives milky-white and almost obscenely rich. You can adjust the noodle firmness from soft to extra hard, and the staff will walk you through it. The black garlic tonkotsu ($19) is the move for more depth.

Go for: The broth. Always the broth.

2. Lemongrass Thai Restaurant

176 Lygon Street, Carlton | Mains $18-$28 | Established 1989

The oldest Thai restaurant on Lygon Street. Lemongrass brought Thai Royal Cuisine to Melbourne when most Australians thought pad thai was the entire canon. The Massaman Curry ($22) uses a house-made paste that’s noticeably more complex than the competition. The Prawn in Garlic Pepper ($26) is deceptively simple and perfectly executed.

Go for: The Massaman Curry and the sense that you’re eating somewhere with actual history.

3. Hi Chong Qing

26 Orr Street, Carlton | Mains $12-$16

This is the one I texted my group chat about. Tucked into a UniLodge building between RMIT and Lygon Street, Hi Chong Qing is a tiny noodle shop specialising in Chongqing-style xiao mian — fiery, numbing dry noodles from southwestern China. The Signature Chongqing Noodles ($12) come in a pool of chilli oil with preserved vegetables and minced pork. A GoodFood Top 20 Cheap Eats pick, and they earned it.

Go for: The heat, the value, and the Dan Dan noodles ($13) as your second pick.

4. Saigon Secret

651 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North | Mains $18-$28

A few blocks north, Saigon Secret is the more polished sibling of the Vietnamese scene. Award-winning, with a menu that pushes beyond the usual pho-and-roll formula. The Pho Sate ($22) adds a satay twist that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. Good for a date or a longer meal with friends.

Go for: When you want Vietnamese food but also want to sit down properly.

5. Thai City Restaurant

124 Lygon Street, Carlton | Mains $15-$22

The unpretentious counterpoint to Lemongrass. The Duck Curry ($22) is the signature, and locals have been ordering it since before the restaurant had a website. Run by a team that knows their regulars by name. Prices are student-friendly.

Go for: The Duck Curry, the price point, and the feeling of eating at someone’s home kitchen.

6. Dumpling House

Lygon Street, Carlton | Mains $12-$18

Exactly what the name promises — steamed and pan-fried dumplings done properly. The pork and chive dumplings ($12 for 12) are the default order. The pan-fried pork buns ($10) get a golden crust on the bottom and a juicy, soupy interior. Two serves of dumplings and a pot of jasmine tea: $28 lunch.

Go for: Dumplings. Specifically the pork and chive and the pan-fried pork buns.

The Carlton Asian Food Cheat Sheet

FAQ

Is Carlton’s Asian food scene better than the CBD’s?

For value, yes. You’ll eat better for less on Lygon Street’s Asian strip than at most CBD equivalents. The CBD has more variety and bigger names (Chin Chin, Supernormal), but Carlton’s Asian restaurants punch above their weight on quality-to-price ratio.

What’s the best cheap Asian meal in Carlton?

Hi Chong Qing’s Signature Chongqing Noodles at $12. Followed closely by Saigon Pho’s laksa at $14. Both are genuinely excellent meals for under $15.

The Verdict

Carlton’s Asian food scene doesn’t try to be trendy. What it offers is genuine, regional cooking at prices that remind you Melbourne’s inner-city dining doesn’t have to cost a week’s pay. The $14 laksa at Saigon Pho is the headline, but the real story is the depth: Chongqing noodles for $12, ramen with a 24-hour broth for $17, Thai Royal Cuisine running since 1989, dumplings that cost less than a Cinema Nova ticket.

Start with the laksa. But don’t stop there.

For the full Carlton food picture, see our best Italian in Carlton, cheap eats under $20, and best restaurants.

Explore More of Carlton

• Carlton History
• Carlton Things To Do This Weekend
• Carlton Cheap Eats
• Carlton Rent Guide
• Carlton Date Night Guide
• Carlton Carlton For Retirees
• Carlton New Openings
• Carlton Things To Do

Nearby Suburbs Worth Checking

• Fitzroy Suburb Guide
• Collingwood Suburb Guide
• Northcote Suburb Guide
• Brunswick Suburb Guide