The 7 best vegie dishes at Melbourne's Night Noodle Markets

1. ETC's pineapple fried rice (V) (GF)
ETC stands for Eat The Chicken, but this stall is offering more than poultry. Fried rice is often a last-option order for many vegetarians but ETC is trying to switch the stereotype by doing something a bit more interesting – pineapple-scented fried rice. It's spiced and wok-fried jasmine rice with shiitake mushrooms, fresh pineapple, cashew nuts and currants, served in a pineapple boat.

2. Nem N' Nem's bún thịt nướng (V) (GF)
Melbourne's Hanoi-inspired food truck is dishing up a classic vegetarian and gluten-free staple this year, bún thịt nướng otherwise known as cold Vietnamese vermicelli salad. Theirs is the typical model, vermicelli noodles, fresh vegetables, spring rolls (crush them up and mix them into the bowl) as well as a good serving of satay tofu.

3. Wonderbao's buns (V)
No East Asian style food market experience is complete without bao. These Chinese-style steamed buns are seen all over Taiwan and mainland China.The Night Noodle Markets have a few options but we suggest Wonderbao's fluffy soft bao stuffed with panko-crusted fried eggplant.

4. Bibimbap (GF) (V)
Exactly as their name indicates – this is the stall to visit for excellent bibimbap, the Korean rice bowl, topped with vegetables and chilli sauce that's popping up all over Melbourne.

5. Two Fat Indians' smashed samosa (V)
East Melbourne's decade-old North Indian veterans are back this year with a creative invention – the smashed samosa. It's a samosa roughly crushed and topped with curried chickpeas, fresh coriander, crunchy fried noodles, chutney, fresh tomato and onion, and lime juice. Wildly textural, fun to eat and just as delicious as it sounds.

6. Bambu's Asian nacho cup (V)
These hawker-inspired South Melburnians are bringing a creation they call the Asian nacho cup – a crisp chip-like base made from chickpeas topped with potatoes, shelled edamame beans, shredded cabbage and spiced tomato. Texturally it's nacho-like, but completely unique in taste.

7. Bosozoku's loaded fries (V) (GF)
Loaded fries aren't exclusive to the trashy fast food world. Bosozoku's (Chapel Street's new Japanese burger and sake joint) version, dubbed katsu fries, consist of one layer of shoestring fries tossed in seaweed salt, and one layer of katsu curry sauce, spring onions and fried shallots. All together crunchy, salty and umami-rich.

The Melbourne Night Noodle Markets are on nightly at Birrarung Marr until November 26. View the full list of stallholders and menus here.