Co Thu Quan – serving rich crab and tapioca noodle soup bowls

Updated October 8, 2026,first published November 18, 2024

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

You've used all of your gift articles. 3 more will become available on the 1st of every month.

Co Thu Quan faces little competition, even on one of Melbourne’s busiest Vietnamese eating strips. Its specialty dish appears about halfway through the illustrated menu: banh canh cua, a southern Vietnamese soup rarely found in the city. The broth is thick and steamy, the kind that clings to the finger-width tapioca noodles and coats generous pieces of crab, prawns and mushroom.

The dining room is simple and bright, with communal dark wood tables anchoring the space, tissue boxes and chopsticks sitting on top. There’s no preamble. The food comes quickly, and the setup is as practical as any street-level spot in Ho Chi Minh City.

A few decorative shutters and scattered trinkets add a hint of charm. For something sweet at the end, there’s che Thai, a bowl of crushed ice, coconut milk, jelly and fruit, or a gently sweet custard apple smoothie.

Must-order: Banh canh cua.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

For real-deal food from Vietnam’s north.

Lively stews and pounded carbs.

Big bowls and even bigger flavours.