First Look: Rice Rolls Are an Art at Ngon Banh Cuon in the CBD

The hero dish at Ngon Banh Cuon is right there in the name. Banh cuon is a Northern Vietnamese dish of thin, elastic and lightly translucent steamed rice rolls made from a rice batter and cooked over a cloth stretched taut above a pot of boiling water. The technique is a special skill and a fine art: the delicate rice sheets are gently lifted with a damp bamboo stick and wrapped while still warm – a process that requires precision and practice.

At Ngon, banh cuon comes plain or with fillings including chicken, pork, veggies, and youtiao (Chinese doughnuts), and is accompanied by nuoc cham and sides such as sweet potato chips and sticky rice cakes with pork.

Co-owners and siblings Khoa La and Anh La aren’t new to banh cuon. Originally from Hai Phong in Northern Vietnam, they migrated to Australia with their family in 2012. They’ve worked in local restaurants and, before opening Ngon in May 2025, ran Xuan Anh Banh Cuon at the Footscray Market. The kitchen team at Ngon includes several family members who have professional and home-cooking experience, particularly in Vietnamese kitchens both here and in Vietnam.

The entire menu leans towards Northern cuisine. “Compared to Southern or Central styles, Northern food focuses on simplicity and freshness,” says front-of-house manager Anne Nguyen. You’ll find bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli noodles and herbs) and banh da do, a noodle soup made with red rice noodles. Expect broths that are clean and umami-rich, rather than spicy or sweet, typical of the north’s more restrained and balanced approach to flavour. “It’s nostalgic, but comforting – like the food we grew up with in Hai Phong.”

Nearly everything is made in-house, from pork-and-prawn nem ran (spring rolls) to handmade fish and squid cakes, which are fried to order.

“We’re not trained chefs,” Nguyen says. “But everything on the menu has come from years of experience – passed down, tested and refined.”

Drinks blend Vietnamese favourites with creative updates. Traditional ca phe sua da (iced coffee with condensed milk) is brewed using a phin filter (a Vietnamese drip coffee tool) and can be made vegan with a black coffee base. On the lighter end, soy milk, coconut juice and hand-whisked matcha are customer favourites.

All matcha drinks use ceremonial-grade powder from Hello Matcha and feature seasonal twists using house-made syrups and jams. “We make everything in the same kitchen,” says Nguyen. “Our strawberry jam is slow-cooked with vanilla; our Earl Grey syrup is brewed from loose-leaf tea and brown sugar. It’s all designed to feel thoughtful, not rushed.”

Ngon Banh Cuon sits on Lonsdale Street, in the former Mook Ji Bar site, with a small fit-out that balances simplicity and warmth. The open kitchen invites diners to watch the steaming process in action, while the seating, spacious but unfussy, channels the feel of a traditional family-run Vietnamese restaurant. “We wanted it to feel like home,” Nguyen says. “Not just for us, but for our customers.”

Ngon Banh Cuon
404-406 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
0452 439 399

Hours:
Daily 10am–9pm

@ngonmelbourne