Shanghai Village

Noodles and dumplings, done dirt cheap

this unprepossessing place on little bourke street offers perhaps the cheapest fare you could find in melbourne. The thing is, it's so damn good too!! A plate of steaming dumplings and a large serve of thick wheat noodles stirfried with pork and vegies will set you back a cool $10. I also like to start off with the spring onion pancakes. Tea is free and you can even have a Crownie. For those wishing to splash out, you can have a banquet, and enjoy a number of classic Shanghainese dishes for a paltry sum. There is a mezzanine area emblazoned with a Double Happiness symbol, so you could probably have your wedding reception there too (albeit limited to two tables...)

A tried and true Sunday afternoon hangover lunch, or a Friday evening pre-drinking dinner - or any time you long for those fat wheat noodles and those homestyle dumplings!

For around $6 you can get a plate of "whatever on rice" or "whatever on noodles" or a dozen Peking dumplings, steamed or fried. The choices for each of the above are innumerable - you could eat every meal here for a month and never have the same dish twice. Visit blog