Vegan
Western
Beer/Wine
Asian
Vietnamese
Gluten-free

Licensed cafe and restaurant serving vegan food, hot and cold drinks, and desserts. Dishes include stir fries, rice dishes, noodles, burgers, soups, salads, bao and dumplings, as well as sweets, including several flavours of gelato. Beer, wine and cocktails available. Business operates on solar power. Open Tue-Sat 5:30pm-9:30pm, Sat-Sun 11:30am-3:30pm, Sun 5:30pm-9:00pm. Kitchen stops 30 mins before closing. Closed all Public Holidays.


128 Reviews

First Review by chantea

Llobby

Points +253

Vegan
11 Aug 2024

Always a good vibe

I’ve been eating here since it opened as Loving Hut and it’s always had a great atmosphere, staff are always friendly, service good, food comes out quickly, plus there’s always interesting and varied food choices and specials. And yes, it is definitely expensive. However it’s a vegan restaurant that’s stood the test of time that is always a good time, so I’m happy to support Brother Bon.

Pros: Tasty dishes, Great atmosphere , Food comes out fast

Cons: Can be expensive

Rachael17393

Points +191

Vegan
05 Jul 2024

Best Laska

Food was amazing! Highly recommend a visit.

Cons: Service, Price

Jay13

Points +214

Vegan
21 Jun 2024

Best in Melbourne!!

If I could give this place 6* I would! The food is so damn good. And the portions are very generous too!

So much flavour, and there are plenty of gf options too. I visit here at least twice every time I visit Melbourne.

Updated from previous review on 2022-04-30

Pros: Gf options, Bun Bo Hue, Portion sizes

Cons: Book ahead, can get busy, Not much else

whichezra

Points +347

Vegan
05 Jun 2024

Not cheap, but good

It's taken me forever to get around to coming here and I'm glad I finally made it. I got the pho and my friend and I shared the green papaya salad and they were both great. The papaya salad was so fresh and delicious, it's not easy to find a good vegan papaya salad so I'm glad I've discovered this. The pho was pretty enormous and had a great fragrant flavour, the herbs and bean shoots on the side were also super fresh. Somehow our two soups, two drinks and one salad came to over $100 so it isn't the cheapest meal you're going to get, but I couldn't fault the food or service at all.

whichezra

05 Jun 2024

Yeah I'm absolutely happy to pay for good working conditions, and I think the food is worth the price

Kittybiscuit

09 Jun 2024

You both inspired me to go here for lunch today. It’s worth it!

YohanⓋ

Points +6789

Vegan
02 Jun 2024

One of my all time favourites!

I’ve been coming here for many years, and have never been disappointed! The new mushroom baos are off the charts! The service is always great and the restaurant is very clean.

The prices are a bit too expensive for what you get. The value for money isn’t great these days imo.

Updated from previous review on 2019-11-28

Pros: Great variety of fully vegan food, Nice staff, Delicious food

Jackfruitie

Points +238

Vegan
12 May 2024

Super tasty - but a bit pricey

Very nice food - however, for what you get - it definitely did feel slightly more on the expensive side. Still well worth a visit. I’d particularly recommend the bang bang cauliflower.

Pros: Tasty food

Cons: Slightly pricey

blovessummer

Points +362

Vegan
07 May 2024

One of our favourites

It’s on the expensive side but the food here is always amazing, the atmosphere and staff are great and it’s just an overall lovely experience.

jessicalovescows

Points +626

Vegan
05 May 2024

Yummm

Sooo delish! I'd heard so many good things and it exceeded my expectations. The vegan egg - omg. I'd eat here every day if I could. 😂

Sarilein

Points +25709

Vegan
04 May 2024

Not as good as others

Update
Food was delicious again - the pho is really intense
Unfortunately it was the 2nd out of two times that food came 10min apart which is really annoying especially without saying anything
Also expensive for what you get
So either one finished eating or you have cold food that’s why only 4 stars


This restaurant was on my list for quite a while. Extra plus: fully vegan and nice family history behind the actual restaurant

Great interior, larger than expected and service superb.
Menu is huge - which made me question the quality first but quickly got convinced otherwise
Food was superb
Bao bun with crispy chicken was decent as were the steamed rice cakes. Banh Cuon is one of my fav viet dishes and I had it multiple times in Vietnam. If you have tried this place you know what’s it like in Vietnam. Love it when places create authentic dishes!
It comes with a higher price as well though. Reading other reviews I think it’s kinda sad to make prices go up for 10$ in one year each dish, but it is what it is

Food was stunning. Certainly serving a whole lot of different cuisines from Chinese to Thai to viet to Mongolian - but the viet dish I had plus the bao: amazing (maybe I’ll ask for sauce on the side though next time) overall a great meal and will be back because I need to try more dishes

Updated from previous review on 2024-04-20

Pros: Service!, Bao chicken and banh Cuon , Atmosphere

Cons: Expensive , Food does not come same time

Caitlee

Points +412

Vegan
30 Apr 2024

Amazing for vegans with allergens!

So worth it, especially if you are GF or require foods with low fodmaps. Always really pleased and massssssive menu that could satisfy anyone’s needs!

MadeleineSchoech

Points +72

Vegan
27 Mar 2024

Delicious, fast, friendly service

Everything we ordered was sensational, the food came quickly and the service was lovely. We had a great time and already thinking about what we will order when we come back

Pros: Delicious food, Fast, Good service

Cons: Expensive

MadeleineSchoech

27 Mar 2024

We had the big mak baos, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, sweet and sour pork with coconut rice, and hazelnut roti for dessert 🤤

hcdelamusique

Points +45

Vegan
22 Mar 2024

Delicious but small portions and exxy

Excellent service, epic menu and I love that it's solely vegan.

Pros: Delicious food , Epic variety of dishes

Cons: Small portions , Expensive

Neth

Points +1107

Vegan
02 Mar 2024

Simply the best

A wide range of different dishes, all taste pretty good. My go to for bringing non vegans as there's something for everyone. They also have a good range of ice cream and Iced teas now. My favourites would have to be crispy Noodles with duck or Japanese curry with duck. Not always drawn to their burgers/souvlakis but they are still really good. Nice staff and good atmosphere too.

Pros: Good staff, Lots of dishes, Mock meat and tofu

Cons: Priced higher

Ryadasu

Points +13

Vegetarian
04 Jan 2024

Some of the best vegan food in Melbourne

Absolutely amazed with the meal I had at Brother Bon, everything was super delicious and they have such a great range of meals!

Seatown_vegan

Points +9005

Vegan
25 Dec 2023

Plenty cuisines to choose from

This restaurant is serving up multiple different Asian cuisines. I had a hard time choosing what I wanted. I ultimately decided to go with the steamed rice paper rolls and Laksa. The rice paper rolls came out with way more accompaniments than I was expecting from seeing a pic on here, which was welcomed. I enjoyed mixing it all together and pigging out. The laksa was amazing. So flavorful and the broth was thick. Also enjoyed the mock meats that were in there.

YohanⓋ

25 Dec 2023

Seatown_vegan

25 Dec 2023

LC70PZJ70

Points +746

Vegan
10 Dec 2023

Tasty!

Great food and a great atmosphere. They went above for a birthday on our table. We would return.

Pros: Selection, Great flavour

Cons: Some dishes are expensive for what they are

Kotty

Points +242

Vegan
05 Dec 2023

Bon appetit

Delicious fried rice, hit the spot 👌🏼 Just a bit pricey

RudiDarran

Points +569

Vegan
01 Dec 2023

So good

A great place in Northcote worth the visit. Menu is huge and has so many completely vegan options!

Pros: Completely vegan , Katsu Chicken Sando in fluffy bread, Gelato

Cons: A bit rushed to get out of the restaurant at close

OskG

Points +284

Vegan
10 Nov 2023

Love love love

Our family loves brother Bon. Great food, service, vibe, space etc.
we almost come weekly!!

Pros: Bao buns and edamame , Service , All vegan and good variety

alexandradewinter

Points +64

Vegan
10 Nov 2023

Always so good

They have great food, the ambience is nice, and the staff are lovely.

EmiEats

Points +1154

Vegan
02 Nov 2023

Decent!

The dining experience at Brother Bon was fantastic. Very friendly customer service and the food was tasty. I came for the Japanese curry with veg duck (staff recommended) and it delivered. The mocktail was yummy and the choc mud cake was just right (not too sweet). We didn’t know we had to prebook a table so we were placed on the bench table (walk-ins).

Pros: Good food portions , Delicious food, Close to train station

Cons: Can be pricey, Have to prebook table, Can be full at dinner time

JackRock-ThatVeganDad

Points +262

Vegan
27 Sep 2023

Great menu for a variety of tastes!

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Brother Bon with my family, and it was a hit with everyone. Our visit took place during a Sunday lunch, and right from the start, we were greeted warmly by the attentive and friendly staff. As a parent of two young children, I found it particularly delightful to discover a vegan restaurant that caters specifically to kids with its dedicated vegan kids' menu. To top it off, the restaurant provided our little ones with colouring pencils to keep them happily engaged throughout the meal.

We indulged in a variety of delectable dishes during our visit. The crispy 'chicken' pieces we ordered had a delightful crunch and a satisfying texture, while the vegetable dumplings burst with flavourful goodness. For our main courses, our kids relished the generously portioned schnitzel and chips, which proved to be a definite crowd-pleaser. On the other hand, the Bun Bowl Salad, a more traditional Vietnamese dish, offered simplicity yet an explosion of flavours that left us thoroughly satisfied. We couldn't resist trying the Bon's Chicken Burger, complete with vegan bacon, cheese, and a crispy chicken fillet. The food, in general, was not only tasty but also brimming with delightful flavours.

The restaurant itself boasts ample space, high chairs, and convenient change tables, making it a welcoming environment for families. However, it's worth noting that the prices at Brother Bon may be a tad higher in comparison to other vegan restaurants in the vicinity. To give you an idea, our bill for two main courses, two kids' meals, two sides, two ice creams, and a few beverages totalled approximately $150. Despite this, I would still recommend Brother Bon due to its exceptionally flavourful dishes and the family-friendly ambiance it offers. It was indeed a wonderful experience dining with the family!

Pros: Family Friendly, Expansive menu to suit a variety of preferences, Good Flavours

Cons: A tad pricier to other vegan restaurants

Mikacreative

Points +30

Vegan
13 Sep 2023

Good foods and drinks

All the meal we had were really tasty.
The staff were very friendly and helpful😊

Pros: Food, Service

lisaelvis

Points +159

Vegan
09 Sep 2023

Feast!

We had such a terrific meal & delicious dessert! Wish I lived closer. I’d be there every day!!!

Pros: Food, Layout of restaurant , Dessert

Cons: None!

chatreuse

Points +4832

Vegan
30 Jul 2023

Delicious but SO pricey!

I've always thought Brother Bon was pretty pricey, but now I can't believe just HOW pricey it's gotten.
The food is delicious, but I find myself not wanting to go too often due to the price.
We popped in for a late lunch and ordered the Bam Bam cauliflower. I've had this before and really loved the creamy spicy sauce. I still very much enjoyed it, but it seems like they deep fried it before the oil was hot enough, the batter was a little bouncy and still retained a bit too much oil.
My partner chose the netted spring rolls, I didn't think I would enjoy it but it was nice and crispy, although the nuoc mam was quite spicy.
The chilli scramble was SO good, very creamy, but it tasted mainly of the butter they used,
could have used with some black salt. The feta was delicious on it's own, but was overpowered otherwise. The bread was perfectly toasted with a beautiful crust. The sausage was a really good texture, and the chilli oil they drizzled around was really delicious.

Pros: Delicious food, Huge variety

Cons: PRICEY

RuthSharon

Points +1340

Vegan
04 Jul 2023

My mouth is very happy

We had the chicken dumplings, the wontons, crispy chicken bao buns and some gelato (pandan coconut and Thai tea). I can’t believe I haven’t had the chance to try brother Bon before because my tastebuds are on fire (in a good way). The menu describes the food perfectly, the spicy food was spicy, the crispy chicken was crispy and the flavours were incredible.

Pros: Gelato is made there. Awesome, Delicious food

PotatoesTho

Points +13680

Vegan
30 Jun 2023

It's been a while

June 2023
First visit in over three years and interestingly the menu hasn't changed too much but the prices (like everywhere else) have risen considerably. Noticed the addition of a cocktail menu and gelato menu which looked interesting.

Vegetable dumplings - (described as large on the menu, but they're pretty small). They were okay.
Udon carbonara - quite good but very rich. Got to give them credit for nailing the smoky, creamy sauce.
Char kway teow with tempeh - very good

March 2020
Rice paper rolls - good
Japanese Curry - pricey for the quality and size. Deep fried tofu made this dish heavier and more oily than ideal.
Vegetable dumplings - not bad, but not noteworthy
Satay skewers - very well presented but the flavour didn't deliver unfortunately.
Vietnamese iced coffee - very good

All of the above dishes were a few dollars more than they probably should have been, all things considered.

Feb 2020
Revamped space and refreshed menu! The mushroom bao were quite tasty and the diy presentation was an interesting point of difference. I found the Aussie burger a touch oily for my liking although the fillings were varied and the bun better than most. The satay udon with tempeh was quite good. Will definitely be back to try other options.

....

Updated from previous review on 2020-03-08

Pros: Plenty of variety, Friendly staff

Cons: Pricier than expected




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