Box Hill & Surrounds: Guidebook

Adam
Box Hill & Surrounds: Guidebook

Food Scene

Best Dumplings (Go for the Pan Fried Pork!) and Chilli Sauce combo. Cheap Eats - used to be even cheaper, but expect to pay around $12 for 15 Dumplings!
Lu Yang Dumpling House
617 Station St
Best Dumplings (Go for the Pan Fried Pork!) and Chilli Sauce combo. Cheap Eats - used to be even cheaper, but expect to pay around $12 for 15 Dumplings!
Best Vietnamese Grilled combos in the area. Try the Grilled Chicken Pho or the Grilled Shaking Beef. Unbelievable authentic Street Food smoky flavour. Cheap Eats!
PHO 888 Box Hill
552 Station St
Best Vietnamese Grilled combos in the area. Try the Grilled Chicken Pho or the Grilled Shaking Beef. Unbelievable authentic Street Food smoky flavour. Cheap Eats!
Taiwanese establishment whose fitout attempts to look like a collection of various street stalls. Try any of the fried Crumbed Chicken varieties or the Beef Wrap. Finish up with something weird but wonderful from Dessert Story! Cheap Eats
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Kitchen Republik
1 Main St
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Taiwanese establishment whose fitout attempts to look like a collection of various street stalls. Try any of the fried Crumbed Chicken varieties or the Beef Wrap. Finish up with something weird but wonderful from Dessert Story! Cheap Eats
No words to describe how good the Roast Duck and Plum Sauce combo is here. Just go. You won't regret it. Then you'll keep coming back and queueing up like the rest of us. Cheap Eats
Roast Duck Inn
31 Carrington Rd
No words to describe how good the Roast Duck and Plum Sauce combo is here. Just go. You won't regret it. Then you'll keep coming back and queueing up like the rest of us. Cheap Eats
Admittedly not the greatest chinese in the area... but they are usually open the latest and the variety of menu makes it a bit of a crowd pleaser. So if you have a large indecisive group and/or all else has shut shop, China Bar is usually a safe bet... Cheap Eats
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China Bar
607 Station St
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Admittedly not the greatest chinese in the area... but they are usually open the latest and the variety of menu makes it a bit of a crowd pleaser. So if you have a large indecisive group and/or all else has shut shop, China Bar is usually a safe bet... Cheap Eats
This is kind of like the Axil of Box Hill/Mont Albert. Huge ex warehouse, now repurposed into a fantastic cafe. Great for breakfasts and/or meetings - cool, modernist vibes.
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Mister and Miss
713 Whitehorse Rd
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This is kind of like the Axil of Box Hill/Mont Albert. Huge ex warehouse, now repurposed into a fantastic cafe. Great for breakfasts and/or meetings - cool, modernist vibes.
I have no idea how they get chicken this big... but don't ask. Just order and eat - the original fried chicken is amazing. Sweet potato fries are great to pair with. This one's definitely best left for cheat day ;)
Hot Star Large Fried Chicken
1 Main Street
I have no idea how they get chicken this big... but don't ask. Just order and eat - the original fried chicken is amazing. Sweet potato fries are great to pair with. This one's definitely best left for cheat day ;)
Tien Dat has been a staple for Viet in Box Hill for years. A bit more upmarket than Pho 888, especially after their reno - so if you wanted Viet a bit nicer, this is the one to go for.
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Tien Dat Restaurant
3 Carrington Rd
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Tien Dat has been a staple for Viet in Box Hill for years. A bit more upmarket than Pho 888, especially after their reno - so if you wanted Viet a bit nicer, this is the one to go for.
Basic Pho - just does the Viet basics right. Nothing fancy, nothing wrong. (However, for more charcoal/street food style Viet, check out my entry for Pho 888)
Pho Huong Viet
976 Whitehorse Road
Basic Pho - just does the Viet basics right. Nothing fancy, nothing wrong. (However, for more charcoal/street food style Viet, check out my entry for Pho 888)
Korean Fried Chicken - when in the mood! :)
NeNe Chicken Box Hill
1 Main Street
Korean Fried Chicken - when in the mood! :)
Great Coffee right near Box Hill hospital - good one to stop at if driving through Box Hill on the way elsewhere
Nelson
12 Nelson Road
Great Coffee right near Box Hill hospital - good one to stop at if driving through Box Hill on the way elsewhere
Great cafe to either work from with laptop, or meet someone else at for coffee or business. Right under the ATO building so often get office types in here as well.
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The Penny Drop
913 Whitehorse Rd
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Great cafe to either work from with laptop, or meet someone else at for coffee or business. Right under the ATO building so often get office types in here as well.
Full disclosure: I haven’t eaten here but I have it on good authority from a Vegan guest that VegieHut is the best Vegan/Vegetarian in the area. Has both classic vegan/vegetarian dishes as well as amazing asian 'mock meat' dishes.
VegieHut Vegetarian Restaurant
984 Whitehorse Rd
Full disclosure: I haven’t eaten here but I have it on good authority from a Vegan guest that VegieHut is the best Vegan/Vegetarian in the area. Has both classic vegan/vegetarian dishes as well as amazing asian 'mock meat' dishes.
Was told by a vegan that this is possibly the second best alternative (to VeggieHut) for Vegan/Vegetarian. Also has asian 'mock meat' dishes for something a little different.
Vegie Bowl Springvale
894 Princes Hwy
Was told by a vegan that this is possibly the second best alternative (to VeggieHut) for Vegan/Vegetarian. Also has asian 'mock meat' dishes for something a little different.
Relatively new-ish to Box hill, you can smell the incredible bbq aromas well before you get to the front door. If you like Asian street food, bbq anything here is incredible! My favourite is the beef skewers but you pretty much can’t go wrong with any of the others. I’ve got a small appetite compared to my mates and so 6 skewers (for me) would be the bare minimum to order.
Rising
Relatively new-ish to Box hill, you can smell the incredible bbq aromas well before you get to the front door. If you like Asian street food, bbq anything here is incredible! My favourite is the beef skewers but you pretty much can’t go wrong with any of the others. I’ve got a small appetite compared to my mates and so 6 skewers (for me) would be the bare minimum to order.
Asian/Western fusion cafe & restaurant. Also one of the few cafe’s that open past 3pm, so a good one to know if you need a late afternoon caffeine hit or need to book a late afternoon coffee meeting.
Zero Mode
Asian/Western fusion cafe & restaurant. Also one of the few cafe’s that open past 3pm, so a good one to know if you need a late afternoon caffeine hit or need to book a late afternoon coffee meeting.

Parks & Nature

Best kept secret for all Eastern Suburbs locals... the Koonung Creek Trail sits behind the Freeway Walls (who knew?) but is the most surprisingly beautiful parkland that stretches for kms in both directions - towards and away from the city. Great for a day trip, for runners, cyclists and walking the dog!
Koonung Creek Trail
Koonung Creek Trail
Best kept secret for all Eastern Suburbs locals... the Koonung Creek Trail sits behind the Freeway Walls (who knew?) but is the most surprisingly beautiful parkland that stretches for kms in both directions - towards and away from the city. Great for a day trip, for runners, cyclists and walking the dog!

Essentials

Probably the one to go to for groceries - particularly if you’re using the train. 10-15 min walk away.
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Woolworths Box Hill
Station Street
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Probably the one to go to for groceries - particularly if you’re using the train. 10-15 min walk away.
At the time of writing this is the closest Aldi but there is a new one under construction at the Blackburn north shopping centre, so once that one is finished, that will be the Aldi of choice. Pretty much need a car to get to either one though.
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ALDI Box Hill South
395 Station St
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At the time of writing this is the closest Aldi but there is a new one under construction at the Blackburn north shopping centre, so once that one is finished, that will be the Aldi of choice. Pretty much need a car to get to either one though.
Has just been upgraded and moved from the Centro building in box hill to the main box hill central’s new west wing. This is the Cole’s to go to of your using the train and/or are walking (10-15 min walk)
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Coles Box Hill
1 Clisby Ct
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Has just been upgraded and moved from the Centro building in box hill to the main box hill central’s new west wing. This is the Cole’s to go to of your using the train and/or are walking (10-15 min walk)
24hr gym - about a 10 min walk from my place (or you can take a 5 min bus) so a good one if you don’t have a car. I haven't used it myself, but including it here based on good authority from a guest. The gym is good value ($17 per week at the time of writing), no lock in contracts however is small. It pretty much has one of all the essentials you need - so the key here would be to finding a time to go when its quiet.
Jetts Fitness Box Hill
913 Whitehorse Rd
24hr gym - about a 10 min walk from my place (or you can take a 5 min bus) so a good one if you don’t have a car. I haven't used it myself, but including it here based on good authority from a guest. The gym is good value ($17 per week at the time of writing), no lock in contracts however is small. It pretty much has one of all the essentials you need - so the key here would be to finding a time to go when its quiet.
A brand new coles and the one I go to - mainly because parking is better here (less busy and it’s free)! There’s also a Woolworths here as well… this is the Coles to go to if you have a car.
Coles Blackburn North
A brand new coles and the one I go to - mainly because parking is better here (less busy and it’s free)! There’s also a Woolworths here as well… this is the Coles to go to if you have a car.
In the same Blackburn north shopping centre as Coles - this is the woolworths I go to. I prefer going here because it’s easier with the car (less busy and free parking)
Woolworths Blackburn North
66-104 Springfield Rd
In the same Blackburn north shopping centre as Coles - this is the woolworths I go to. I prefer going here because it’s easier with the car (less busy and free parking)

Getting Around

Right inside Box Hill Central Shopping Centre. Parking is underneath the Shopping Centre - access the parking via Station Street on the second level right down the bottom. Be warned - all spots fill up by 6:45am so get in early.
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Box Hill Station
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Right inside Box Hill Central Shopping Centre. Parking is underneath the Shopping Centre - access the parking via Station Street on the second level right down the bottom. Be warned - all spots fill up by 6:45am so get in early.

Shopping

Pretty much has everything...
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Westfield Doncaster
619 Doncaster Rd
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Pretty much has everything...
Great for Stationery!
Officeworks Doncaster
602-630 Doncaster Rd
Great for Stationery!
This is now my preferred Shopping Center - basically because it has most of the shops I would go to, and parking is much easier than Doncaster Westfield
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Eastland Shopping Centre
175 Maroondah Hwy
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This is now my preferred Shopping Center - basically because it has most of the shops I would go to, and parking is much easier than Doncaster Westfield

Arts & Culture

Closest movie theatres - can get here by bus.
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Village Cinemas Doncaster
619 Doncaster Rd
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Closest movie theatres - can get here by bus.
Hoyts Eastland is now my go-to local cinema - even the regular tickets have reclining leather seats :) you can get there by car using either tollways or back roads.
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HOYTS
La Trobe Street
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Hoyts Eastland is now my go-to local cinema - even the regular tickets have reclining leather seats :) you can get there by car using either tollways or back roads.
For the right Hollywood blockbuster, there's no other option. IMAX is the biggest screen with the biggest sound. Taking up your entire field of view and feeling every note - this is experiencing movies, not just watching them
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IMAX Melbourne Museum
Rathdowne Street
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For the right Hollywood blockbuster, there's no other option. IMAX is the biggest screen with the biggest sound. Taking up your entire field of view and feeling every note - this is experiencing movies, not just watching them
The main Art Gallery in Melbourne - often has international level exhibits. The place to go to for inspiration, creativity and dreaming
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Valstybinė Viktorijos galerija
180 St Kilda Rd
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The main Art Gallery in Melbourne - often has international level exhibits. The place to go to for inspiration, creativity and dreaming
Relatively local Modern Art Gallery - for the right exhibit, definitely worth visiting. A great cafe attached as well - perfect for an afternoon out
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Heide Museum of Modern Art
7 Templestowe Rd
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Relatively local Modern Art Gallery - for the right exhibit, definitely worth visiting. A great cafe attached as well - perfect for an afternoon out