Best Asian Food in Collingwood — Where to Eat in 2026
Collingwood and its Smith Street strip have always leaned into Asian food without making a fuss about it. Vietnamese bakeries sit next to Japanese ramen spots, Korean barbecue places fill converted warehouses on side streets, and Thai restaurants on Johnston Street have been feeding the suburb for longer than most of the apartment buildings have existed. The food is good because the competition is relentless — nothing lazy survives on this stretch.
Here are the spots that earn repeat visits.
1. Shop Ramen — The Smith Street Staple
Shop Ramen has been pulling a crowd on Smith Street since it opened, and the formula hasn’t changed because it doesn’t need to. The peanut ramen is the dish everyone orders first — a rich, slightly sweet broth with proper depth that tastes like it took all day. The space is small, the tables are tight, and you’ll probably queue on a Friday night. The soft-serve dessert is a quiet standout that most first-timers miss.
Address: 329 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 Hours: Daily 11:30am–9:30pm Price: $$ What to order: Peanut ramen and the house soft-serve
2. Rice Paper Scissors — Southeast Asian Share Plates
Technically on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, but the Collingwood border runs down the middle of Smith Street and this place sits within a two-minute walk of it. Rice Paper Scissors does Southeast Asian share plates — betel leaf wraps, raw kingfish, pork belly bao — in a moody, dimly lit room that works equally well for a group dinner or a date. No bookings for small groups, so arrive early or expect a wait.
Address: 307 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Hours: Daily 12pm–10pm Price: $$ What to order: Betel leaf wraps and the crispy pork belly bao
3. Easey’s and the Johnston Street Vietnamese Strip
Johnston Street heading east toward Hoddle Street has long been Collingwood’s Vietnamese corridor. The bakeries here do proper banh mi — crusty rolls, pate, pickled carrot, chilli — for under $10. Pho shops serve 12-hour broth with brisket and tendon that rivals anything on Victoria Street in Richmond. The strip is less polished than Smith Street, which is why the food tends to be cheaper and more honest. Specific standouts rotate — shops open and close — but the strip as a whole stays consistent.
Key street: Johnston Street between Smith Street and Hoddle Street Price: $
4. Transformer — Vegetable-Forward with Asian Influence
Transformer on Rose Street (just over the Fitzroy border) runs a plant-focused menu with strong Asian influences. The chef’s tasting menu pulls from Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian techniques — think fermented chilli, miso glazes, and pickled vegetables treated as main events rather than sides. The space is a converted warehouse with high ceilings and an open kitchen. It’s pricier than the ramen joints, but the cooking is genuinely ambitious.
Address: 99 Rose Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Hours: Tue–Sun 5pm–10pm Price: $$$ What to order: The chef’s tasting menu for the full range
5. Le Bon Ton — BBQ Meets Asian Fusion After Dark
Le Bon Ton on Gipps Street is primarily a barbecue and bourbon bar, but the late-night Asian-fusion small plates have built their own following. After 9pm, the kitchen shifts toward bao buns, fried chicken with gochujang glaze, and slaw dressed with sesame and rice vinegar. The room is dark, loud, and full of people who came for the bourbon and stayed for the food. Gipps Street is also where you’ll find Stomping Ground Brewery, so you can make an evening of the block.
Address: 51 Gipps Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 Hours: Daily 4pm–1am (hours vary) Price: $$ What to order: Late-night bao buns and a bourbon from the back bar
6. Moon Dog World (Abbotsford Border)
Moon Dog World sits just over the Collingwood-Abbotsford border, but locals claim it. The brewery’s food program rotates through Asian-inspired specials — Korean fried chicken, prawn toast, dumplings — alongside their craft beer range. The venue itself is enormous: a converted warehouse with a rooftop, a ball pit, and the kind of controlled chaos that makes sense after two pints. The food is pub-level rather than restaurant-level, but the portions are generous and the beer pairings work.
Address: 32 Hellier Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067 Hours: Wed–Sun 12pm–10pm (check for updates) Price: $$ What to order: Korean fried chicken with a pale ale
FAQ
Where’s the best cheap Asian food in Collingwood? Johnston Street’s Vietnamese bakeries and pho shops. Banh mi for under $10, pho for $15. The strip between Smith Street and Hoddle Street has the highest concentration.
Is Collingwood or Richmond better for Asian food? Richmond’s Victoria Street is bigger and more established for Vietnamese specifically. Collingwood offers more variety — Japanese, Korean, Thai, and fusion — spread across Smith Street and Johnston Street.
Can I do a food crawl on foot? Easily. Smith Street to Johnston Street to Gipps Street covers most of the options in a 20-minute walk. Start with ramen at Shop Ramen, walk south to Gipps Street for Le Bon Ton, then cut east along Johnston Street for Vietnamese.
Our Verdict
Collingwood’s Asian food scene works because it doesn’t try to be one thing. The Smith Street strip handles the sit-down restaurants and ramen bars, Johnston Street keeps the Vietnamese fundamentals alive, and the warehouse conversions on Gipps Street add fusion and late-night options. You won’t find the single-cuisine density of Richmond’s Victoria Street here, but you’ll find more range within a shorter walk. For a full view of the food scene, check out our best restaurants in Collingwood and best cafes guides. If you’re exploring beyond the suburb, the Fitzroy restaurant guide covers the other side of Smith Street.
Know a spot we missed? Email [email protected].
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