Soi 38 Melbourne

Royal Lane's bare-concrete Thai hawker canteen. khao soi, papaya salad and Isan-style grills, queue included.

A loud, bare-concrete, warehouse-style hawker space with tuk-tuk decor built to evoke Bangkok street food, self-order QR codes at each table, and a fast-turnover energy reviewers compare directly to eating in Thailand.

QR-code self-ordering at the table, fresh raw seafood dishes like kingfish ceviche, Thai milk tea and longan slushies, and a rotating $10 lunch special menu.

Sharply contested: a Thai reviewer names it their favourite spot for authentic flavour, but other reviewers report inconsistent seasoning between visits and at least one calling it not authentically Thai at all.

Contentious. several long-time reviewers independently flag shrinking portion sizes alongside rising prices ($17-$40 a dish), while others still call it cheap, good-value CBD eating.

Summary drafted with AI from public reviews.