MELBOURNE | If you’ve walked past the newly opened Hanbaobao on Russell Street, especially during the lunchtime rush when there’s lines out to the front, you might be wondering what’s going on? I know I did, until I popped in for What’s On Melbourne to find out more.
Hanbaobao (a Mandarin loanword, hàn bǎo bāo, that literally translates to ‘hamburger’) is Chinese-inspired hamburger joint. The line that I mentioned earlier moves fast – this is a venue that’s unashamedly a fast food joint, albeit with a higher focus on quality than many other fast food joints.
Walk inside and you can’t help but notice that the place looks a bit bare bones. That’s because this location is actually a pop-up. It’s given the owners a chance to gauge customer feedback and tweak Hanbaobao’s offering in anticipation of their Elizabeth Street flagship location, which will open later this year. So, what exactly is that offering?
Chicken burgers are the star of the Hanbaobao menu, their point of difference being the buns, which are hand rolled and steamed for an airy, bao-like texture. Flavours include things like original chicken thigh, the signature fragrant spicy burger and, my favourite, the Sichuan pepper chicken. There’s also a few grilled options if you don’t feel like fried chicken. Everything on the menu is halal.
The burgers are reminiscent of KFC if you’re looking for a comparison with a larger chain, with the bread making a big difference in the right direction. Flavours are well balanced, and the spicy options are hot, but not ridiculously so. Price wise, all of the burgers are under $10 each, with regular offers bringing the price down significantly further.
Beyond burgers, you’ll find fried chicken, nuggets, and wings. I highly recommend the snow cheese fried chicken. It’s become a customer favourite, and sees juicy, crispy coated fried chicken dusted with a generous coating of cheese dust.
There’s also fried pies reminiscent of another larger chain. Flavours including things like durian and cheese, taro, and red bean. There’s also soft serve cones if you want something else sweet. To drink, it’s regular coke, lemon coke, and iced tea.
Hanbaobao
234B Russell Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9818 5666
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Mon – Sun: 11:30am to 11:30pm