Eating in Footscray: A cheap eats guide for VU students

Where: Nhu Lan Bakery, 116 Hopkins Street

Nhu Lan Bakery has been serving up incredible banh mi for over 25 years. The baguettes are baked fresh daily, stuffed with house-made pâté, butter, cold cuts, pickled carrot, fresh cucumber, coriander and rounds of chilli. Other toppings include roast pork with crackling, lemongrass pork and deep-fried tofu – so there’s something for everyone here.

Nhu Lan is within easy walking distance between both Footscray VU campuses, so it’s the perfect place for a grab-and-go lunch, or a hearty breakfast if you’ve got a long day ahead of you. Don’t be intimidated if you run into a queue that snakes out of the store – the line moves deceptively quick. 

What to order: Roast pork with crackling, all the condiments and veggies.

Price: Under $10 for a roll – an absolute bargain.

Opening hours: Open all days, 5am–6pm.

Where: Pho Hung Vuong Saigon, 128 Hopkins Street

There’s not much that a good bowl of pho can’t fix. Pho Hung Vuong Saigon is considered one of the true OG pho joints in Footscray, attracting hordes of locals looking for a quick and delicious bowl of noodle soup. 

The broth is rich and deep, and the serving sizes are generous – even the small is genuinely filling. There are plenty of options too: top off your pho with grilled chicken, sliced beef and sausage, or go for a Bún bò Huế to spice things up. Plus, the service is fast enough to fit around your lunch break, so you don’t have to sprint back to campus with a belly full of soup. 

What to order: Sliced beef and brisket, with a healthy serving of bean sprouts, a few Thai basil leaves and a little squeeze of fresh lemon.

Price: Around $15 for a small bowl.

Opening hours: Open all days except Wednesday, 9am–8:30pm.

Where: All VU campuses

Don’t forget about the food options on your campus! Each VU campus has their own hot spot for good, affordable food – whether that’s a cafe, canteen or bar (or vending machine). We’re a big fan of the potato cakes and fried dim sims at VU Footscray Park’s Noodle House.

Check the link above for what’s available and when at your home base.

Where: Don Don – 59 Byron Street

Don Don – as per its name – revolves around classic Japanese soul food: donburi. These usually consist of a bowl of fluffy white rice topped with your choice of protein: typically  beef, chicken, pork or tofu, paired with a sake or curry sauce on top.

The bowls are hearty but never feel overcrowded – Don Don excels at combining simple ingredients and transforming them into warm bowls of perfection. It’s also just a few minutes on foot from the VU Footscray Park campus, making it a natural stop after a morning workshop. Plus, meals are ready in a flash – we’re talking under five minutes – so it’s a perfect stop for lunch after a morning workshop.

If you’re visiting, the pork katsu curry is a must. The crispy golden cutlet pairs perfectly with the rich curry sauce, while the rice brings everything together in each bite.

What to order: Pork. Katsu. Curry.

Price: Around $12 for a bowl.

Opening hours: Open all days, 11am–7:30pm.

Where: Slice Shop – 101A Nicholson Street

Inspired by iconic New York pizza slices, Slice Shop serves up thin, foldable slices of pie that just hits right. 

Your favourite staples are all here – pepperoni, margherita, capricciosa, mexicana – but Slice Shop also features a rotating, seasonal menu. We’re a big fan of their latest creation, potato bake, with its crisp sourdough base and rosemary bechamel sauce.

While there are a couple of stools for sitting in-store, most people just grab their slice(s), fold them and devour them on the street. Perfect post-class, post-study, post-anything. 

What to order: Anything from their seasonal menu, or the mushroom with truffle oil. 

Price: $5 for a giant slice. Steal!

Opening hours: 

• Open all days except Monday. 

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, 4:30–9pm.

• Friday, Saturday, 4:30–10pm.

Where: VU Footscray Nicholson Campus, 238A Nicholson Street

VenU is VU’s student-run restaurant, where apprentice chefs prepare seasonal dishes and hospitality students deliver the front-of-house service – all in an industry-standard facility designed to simulate a real working environment.

The restaurant was awarded Best Food Service Training Initiative at the 2024 Australian Tourism Training Awards – so the food is genuinely good, not just a training exercise. Drop in for a coffee on a weekday morning or a bistro lunch from Wednesday to Friday.

VenU also hosts special events like all-you-can-eat buffets and paint and sip nights – so check their website frequently for updates.

What to order: The soft fish tacos from the bistro lunch menu.

Price: $15.

Opening hours:

• Morning coffee: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

• Cafe lunch: Tuesday, 12–1pm.

• Bistro lunch: Wednesday–Friday, 12–1:15pm.

• Bistro dinner: Wednesday, 5:45–8pm.

Where: T. Cavallaro & Sons – 98 Hopkins Street

Every cheap eats guide needs a dessert entry, and it’s hard to beat T.Cavallaro & Sons. As one of the longest-running businesses in Footscray, this Hopkins Street mainstay first opened its doors in 1956 – with family recipes dating back even further to 19th-century Sicily. 

There are a huge range of sweet treats on offer, but we recommend trying their classic ricotta cannoli – shells are made fresh daily, with patisserie cream piped to order.

Grab a coffee while you’re there, and you’ve got the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. 

What to order: Ricotta cannoli

Price: $5.

Opening hours: 

• Open all days except Monday.

• Tuesday to Friday: 8:30am–4pm. 

• Saturday: 8am–3pm.

• Sunday: 8:30am–12pm.

Where: Konjo Cafe & Restaurant – 89 Irving Street

Just clocked off from uni with your mates? Konjo is the move. This all-day cafe serves traditional Ethiopian fare from breakfast through to dinner, along with Ethiopian organic rainforest coffee that’s infused with frankincense and myrrh.

The menu is built for sharing. All mains are served with injera – a flat, slightly sour pancake-like bread that is a staple of Ethiopian cuisine and also serves as your cutlery. 

If you can’t decide between dishes, go for the vegetarian platter. This covers five different stews – yellow split peas, red lentils, green lentils, cabbage and beetroot – all slow-cooked with a berbere mix and other spices.

What to order: The vegetarian platter – an extraordinary amount of food for the price.

Price: $22.50 per person (platter size based on how many people are ordering)

Opening hours: 

• Open all days except Monday. 

• Tuesday to Saturday: 9am–8pm.

• Sunday: 9:30am–3pm.

Where: VU Footscray Park Campus, 70/104 Ballarat Road

Student budgets are real, and sometimes times can be tough. If that’s where you are right now, VU has your back.

VU has partnered with SecondBite, a local not-for-profit organisation, to provide current students with free, healthy frozen meals to take home.

You can grab a frozen meal pack at VU Footscray Park from the ground floor of building M, next to VUHQ – just look for our friendly student volunteers. 

You can collect your meal packs on Monday and Tuesday, 1–3:30pm, and Thursday, 2–4:30pm.

Where: Footscray Market, 18 Irving Street

If you’ve got a little more time to spare, have a saunter through Footscray Market on your way home. 

Aside from the numerous eateries, coffee shops and takeaway joints, you’ve also got easy access to some of the freshest produce in Melbourne at affordable prices – usually lower than big supermarkets. You can easily stretch your grocery budget here for the week (or more), especially if you’re a fan of meal prepping. 

Opening hours: 

• Open Tuesday–Saturday.

• Tuesday to Wednesday: 7am–4pm. 

• Wednesday to Saturday: 7am–5pm.

That’s just a small slice of Footscray’s incredible food offerings. And as a VU student (sorry again Werribee folks), you’re already in the right spot – now you just have to decide where to start!