Neighbourhood Series Episode 3 – Vainer Optical & Saigon Street Eats
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Welcome to Neighbourhood Series by food.and.grace, where she eats, explores, and discovers everything Carlisle Street has to offer.
Episode 3 of the Carlisle Street Neighbourhood Series introduces two very different local businesses in Balaclava, Melbourne. Grace visits Vainer Optical, a long-established family-run optometry practice offering everything from eye tests to prescription glasses, before stopping by Saigon Street Eats for a taste of Vietnamese street food.
Vainer Optical – Independent, Family-Run Optometry
Vainer Optical is an independent, family-run optometry practice that has served the Carlisle Street community for more than 35 years. As Grace discovers in the episode, the practice has more than 3,000 lenses in stock and an in-house optical lab, allowing most prescription glasses to be made within an hour. Many repairs can also be completed on the same day.
Alongside its optometry services, Vainer stocks a range of fashion eyewear and sunglasses, making it one of the many specialist businesses within Carlisle Street’s Health & Beauty category.
Saigon Street Eats – Vietnamese Street Food
Saigon Street Eats was a family-run Vietnamese eatery on Carlisle Street when Grace visited for the Neighbourhood Series. Known for dishes such as pho and bánh mì, the restaurant brought the flavours of Vietnamese street food to the neighbourhood.
Since filming, Saigon Street Eats has relocated to Chapel Street in St Kilda, but the episode offers a look back at its former Carlisle Street location.
If you’re looking for somewhere to eat while visiting the precinct, explore more restaurants in Balaclava and St Kilda.
Keep your eyes peeled for next week’s episode on our Instagram.
Explore More of Carlisle Street
Carlisle Street is home to a diverse mix of independent retailers, professional services, restaurants and specialty businesses, with plenty to discover beyond the places featured in each episode.
Follow food.and.grace as she introduces more local traders and shares their stories in the Carlisle Street Neighbourhood Series.
Previous episode: Episode 2 – Marigold & Charlong
Next episode: Episode 4 – Jode’s Mediterranean Eatery & Flirty Flowers