Hanoi Hannah Vol. II expands Vietnamese menu at bigger Elsternwick eatery

Double the size with a bigger menu to match. That's Hanoi Hannah Vol.II as Elsternwick's hit Vietnamese street-food restaurant opens on Thursday in bigger premises.

Frustrated by the size of both the dining room and kitchen in the 55-seat space opposite the Classic Cinema, the Hanoi Hannah team has spent the past few months renovating former schnitzel and grill house Maxy's International, a few doors down Glen Huntly Road.

The new 100-seater will have an outdoor dining area and a bar shaking up a rum-charged cocktail list.

Executive chef Anthony Choi (ex Cumulus Inc., the Newmarket Hotel) has expanded the menu beyond the restricted list of soups and rice-paper rolls imposed by the previous kitchen.

Alongside Vietnamese curries, salads and pho cuon (lemongrass beef with rice noodle sheets), he's introduced larger dishes such as steamed fish and dry-aged roast duck. And at lunch, banh mi make way for hot pita pockets crammed with smashed eggplant or spicy brisket.

Once the paint dries in Elsternwick, the Commune Group, which also owns Tokyo Tina, Neptune Food & Wine and Impala, will begin building its Hanoi Hannah's fire-fuelled flagship in Windsor, gunning for an October opening.

Open Sun-Thu noon-11pm, Fri-Sat noon-late.

306 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick, 03 9939 3528, hanoihannah.com.au