Thanh Nguyen
Migrant-kid food, four-dollar banh mi first
Based in Melbourne, Australia.
Melbourne food writer tracking the migrant kitchens and laneway coffee counters that actually feed the city, Footscray pho to Collingwood roasters.
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St Kilda, Melbourne: cake shops, penguins and the old seaside swagger
Melbourne’s bayside contradiction still works because it refuses to tidy itself up: Luna Park rattles, the penguins come in at dusk, and Acland Street keeps feeding everyone cake.
Southbank, Melbourne: riverfront gloss, galleries and skyline drinks
Across the Yarra from Flinders Street, Southbank trades laneway grit for river views, gallery halls, rooftop bars and the kind of polished Melbourne that knows exactly how to pose.
South Yarra, Melbourne: gloss, gardens and the long walk between them
A polished inner suburb where the Tan feeds the cafés, Chapel Street feeds the nights, and the Botanic Gardens keep everyone honest.
Richmond, Melbourne: where Little Saigon meets the MCG
A walkable inner suburb of banh mi queues, live-music pubs and match-day scarves, Richmond is Melbourne at its most useful and least polished.
Fitzroy, Melbourne: where the city’s rebel heart still beats
Melbourne’s first suburb is still the one that feels most alive at street level, where murals, bars, galleries and late-night food all crowd the same few blocks.
Collingwood, Melbourne: breweries, murals and train-carriage burgers on Smith Street
A walk through Melbourne’s rough-edged inner-north suburb, where warehouse bones, Keith Haring, rooftop burgers and serious beer all jostle for space.
Melbourne CBD: laneways, trams and the city’s edible centre
A walkable grid of espresso bars, arcades, hidden cocktail rooms and old-school institutions, Melbourne’s CBD is still the city’s most efficient way to eat, drink and understand itself.
Carlton, Melbourne: espresso heritage, gardens and Little Italy
A walk through Carlton’s old espresso counters, leafy terraces and museum lawns, where Melbourne’s Italian heart still beats beside campus life and UNESCO grandeur.
Brunswick, Melbourne: Sydney Road’s lived-in inner north
A walk through Brunswick, where Melbourne’s migrant bakeries, pub bands, vintage racks and tram clatter still make the suburb feel gloriously unpolished.
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