Box Hill has had the glow-up of the decade, there’s no doubt about it. Once a market hub, with plenty of family-run restaurants to drop into, the place has been refurbished and polished up to include brand-spanking new buildings, even a high-rise or two. Of course, food still remains the epicentre and Box Hill restaurants are some of Melbourne/Naarm's best.
Restaurants that have been staples for years are still going strong, but there are always new ones to try around every corner. Food from nearly every part of Asia can be found in Box Hill, from Chinese to Vietnamese, Japanese to Korean. Without further ado, here are Urban List's top picks for the best Box Hill restaurants in 2024:
Tien Dat
3 Carrington Road, Box HIll
Image credit: Tian Dat | Volks Media
As the first Vietnamese restaurant in Box Hill, you’re looking at some authentic, quality food at Tien Dat. Opening over 40 years back (and still run by the same family), Tien Dat has been serving up flavours of North Vietnam with a little side of spice from the South. Of course, their speciality is their Pho, which comes in a variety of soup bases and toppings, such as rare sliced beef, pork and prawn, or veggies and tofu.
Bo La Lot, grilled beef in betel leafs, is a class entree, and we’d also have to recommend the DIY rice paper rolls with lemongrass beef. Another must-try is their Bo Luc Lac, wok-tossed beef in brown butter sauce, which alone makes it a serious contender for the best Box Hill restaurant.
David & Camy Dumpling Restaurant
605 Station Street, Box Hill
If you’re looking for bells and whistles, David and Camy’s is not the place for you. If you’re looking for a classic dumpling meal that will satisfy you and a swift dining experience, then look no further. David and Camy’s has been around forever, which explains the slightly worn interior.
However, it has consistently dished up some great dumplings (pan-fried pork is the obvious choice) in its long history. The wonton soup is also a classic.
Kitchen Republik
1 Main Street, Box Hill
Image credit: Kitchen Republik | Facebook
Kitchen Republik has all the variety you could ever need from a restaurant, and then some. This mini food hall has a menu with several different vendors serving up their best dishes, from Taiwanese beef noodle soup to Xiao Long Bao.
You can order just about anything, including Bingsu for dessert if you still have room left. It’s basically a street vendor hub where you never have to leave your table, which is why we think it’s one of the best restaurants in Box Hill.
Zero Mode
850 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
Bottomless brunches, viral Insta-worthy desserts, smoking rainbow cocktails—Zero Mode has it all. This suburban cafe and bar is one of the best restaurants in Box Hill, and has rapidly risen to fame thanks to its cream cakes which literally ooze creamy goodness. Located in the heart of Box Hill, Zero Mode is a cafe and dessert bar by day, and a restaurant and cocktail bar by night.
The menu is full of indulgent and creative delights—we’re talking adorable bear-shaped panna cottas floating in your drinks, poke bowls for days, and tempura cauliflower with yellow curry cream. Speaking of cream though, it’s the cream cakes you have to try. These tasty treats come in tantalising flavours including Ferrero Rocher, Thai milk tea, and strawberry cheesecake.
David’s Master Pot
606 Station Street, Box Hill
Image credit: David's Master Pot | Instagram
If you’re trying to find your next Malatang fix, then David’s Master Pot is a safe bet. Chef David spent 30 honing his craft, inspired by the hard workers on the Yangtze River in Sichuan, who created the first hot pot.
David’s broth has 20 different kinds of Chinese herbs and spices, then adds pork bone broth before boiling it all together for 12 hours to create that perfect Malatang taste. They also have 100+ different additions you can add to your soup, so you’re bound to make a creation tailored specifically to you.
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VegieHut
984 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
For any vegetarians or vegans out there feeling a little left out, this one’s for you. Although Chinese food isn’t particularly famous for being vegetarian-friendly, Vegie Hut breaks that stereotype by dishing up some truly delish food, with mock meat making up the brunt of the protein.
Using ingredients such as gluten, soya beans, mushroom, taro, and konjac, their chefs have mastered meat replacements in this restaurant since 1997. The sizzling beef, spicy mince and green beans, and duck and BBQ pork rice are standouts and all 100% vegetarian,s but there’s no compromise on flavour, we promise.
Katori
850 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
Image credit: Katori | Website
Located in the Whitehorse Towers, Katori is a refined Japanese luxury dining focusing on superior meat cuts, and damn if it doesn’t deliver. Its speciality is Yakiniku, meaning ‘grilled meat’, so expect to have some premium cuts cooked to perfection for you. They only use the highest grade wagyu beef and seafood when cooking, so it’s sure to be a meat-lovers dream.
They use a smokeless charcoal grill machine, specifically ordered from Japan. The specially-made grill allows the food to take on the diverse flavours of charcoal while maintaining a strong ‘grilled’ quality, eliminating the use of smoke, so no danger of you leaving smelling like a campfire.
The Penny Drop
913 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
The Penny Drop once began as a quaint little coffee pop-up shop, but has since transformed into a 100-seater contemporary cafe serving up some truly aesthetic food. True to the Box Hill culture, their modern Australian menu has notes of Asian ingredients throughout their breakfast, lunch and dinner range. Expect to see all your Asian flavour favourites such as wagyu beef bolognese, garlic miso Carbonara, pork belly Benedict, and a five-spice brisket burger.
Dumpling King
572 Station Street, Box Hill
Station Street is where the true bangers of Box Hill are, and Dumpling King is the quintessential Chinese restaurant you know and love. A paragon for a reason, this has every single dish you could think of when you’re craving some classic Chinese food, with everything from sizzling black pepper beef to minced pork Mapo Tofu. Best of all, this is a super vegetarian-friendly restaurant, with an entire section dedicated to tofu ‘chicken’ and vegetarian ‘duck’ dishes. A top entry as one of the best restaurants in Box Hill.
Simon’s Peiking Duck
197B Middleborough Road, Box Hill
Image credit: SImon's Peiking Duck | Facebook
The spelling might look a touch different, but Simon’s Peiking Duck is home to some of the most ultra-affordable Peking duck in Melbourne. Sadly, the man himself, Simon Lay (the godfather of Melbourne Chinese food) passed away six years back. His family are still running the business though, and the duck is as good as ever.
You can get two different 'Peiking duck' banquet deals here, and each set includes a tender whole duck with soft homemade pancakes, crispy duck skin, fresh spring onion, cucumbers and special plum sauce. Banquets come with complimentary duck bone soup with bean curd, plus optional vegetables or noodles. We reckon it’s one of the best restaurants in Box Hill for the duck alone.
Check out more of the best around the 'burbs:
Image credit: Box Hill Central | Supplied
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