Whether you’re ticking off your to-do list and looking for a quick bite, meeting a friend for lunch on your break or sitting down for a meal with the family, keep this list handy for your next visit to Emporium Melbourne. Stay fuelled as you shop with street food-inspired snacks, multi-course meals and sweet treats. Consider this your ultimate guide for where (and what) to eat.

Thailander

Authentic, homemade Thai is the name of the game at Thailander. Fresh ingredients and flavour-packed dishes star on a menu that is packed with wok-fried noodles, currys and street food snacks. Our pick? The basil and chilli jam pork belly roti wrap.

Shanghai Taste

Pan fried pork buns, steaming xiaolongbao, crispy beef and mapo tofu. These are just some of the crowd favourites at Shanghai Taste. With a focus on authentic Chinese flavours, this restaurant is a go-to for handmade noodles and dumplings. We love the braised beef noodle soup on a cold winter's day.

Haidilao Hot Pot

Located on level 3, just next to the walkway across to David Jones, Haidilao Hot Pot is the perfect place for groups and late-night diners (it’s open until 1am each day). The menu spotlights traditional Chinese hot pot with meat, seafood and vegetarian options available, as well as a variety of broth bases. The atmosphere is always lively – expect unexpected performances, dancing noodles and robots roaming around.

Royal Stacks

Royal Stacks brings American-style burgers to Melbourne with its signature beef patty-filled buns. Locally sourced produce is important – the brand uses pasture-fed Aussie beef and freshly baked bread. You can also get fried chicken, as well as vegetarian and vegan alternatives. Don’t miss the shakes: the TimTam thickshake is the ultimate mid-afternoon sweet treat.

Guljak Toppokki and Chicken

Come to Guljak for Korean fried chicken and topokki (spicy rice cakes). The brand’s special sauce is made with traditional chilli paste – you can choose how hot you want it depending on what your taste buds can handle. But the famed boneless chicken pieces can also be ordered topped with fried garlic, a creamy lemon sauce or served plain. Make sure you get a side of spicy kimchi fried rice.

Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung doesn’t need much introduction – it was once called the tastiest dumplings in the world by Chinese-American chef Ken Hom. For the uninitiated, the renowned chain started as a humble stall in Taipei in 1974. Watch dumplings being hand rolled, filled and folded as your order. You can also choose classic mains like sweet & sour pineapple pork, Kung Pao chicken or spicy Sichuan Dan Dan noodles. Leave room for dessert: the Golden Lava mochi balls come highly recommended by the team.

Thai Social

Street food snacks from Thai Social, like grilled king prawns, fried chicken wings and homemade meatballs, are perfect when you’re in a rush. Spicy salads are a good option if you’re looking for something tasty and light. But we can never go past a classic stir fry noodle (a spicy Pad Kee Mao is our favourite to order).