Pho, roast meat and Malaysian zi char in Melbourne

Melbourne, as one of Australias most ethnically diverse cities, has no lack of Asian eateries

- Stephanie Zheng

Five days into a two-week jaunt in Australia, I was dying for Asian food.

Before that breaking point, I was in The Grampians, a national park that is a three-hour drive from Melbourne. Between foggy mornings, incredible hikes and coffees plus spectacular views, the missing ingredient was a piping-hot bowl of noodle soup to slurp down.

Do not get me wrong - Australian food, with its fresh produce and clean flavours, is great. But like many Singaporeans, a few days away from home are enough to have me craving a hearty serving of rice or noodles.

Once I got back to Melbourne's city centre, I set out to hunt down the best Asian food within walking distance from my hotel.

I found myself spoilt for choice. Melbourne, as one of Australia's most ethnically diverse cities, has no lack of Asian eateries. Soon, I was walking past a lively Thai eatery, a Korean barbecue place, a modern Japanese sushi bar and a multitude of Chinese restaurants.

A bellboy at The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne pointed my companion and me to Pho Thin Australia (str.sg/k M9w), an offshoot of the famous Hanoi-based chain.