If you’re the kind of person that believes that sometimes the best – and most authentic – feed isn’t always on the main thoroughfare but in alleyways and unassuming spaces, you need to know about Ming Ming’s Express in Surfers Paradise. Nestled in plain sight on Orchid Avenue (across from Cali Beach), the neighbourhood noshery specialises in northern Vietnamese fare and if the constant stream of happy faces in and out is anything to go by, you’re in for a treat. The venue is the handiwork of Tony Do and Minh Trang Tran, who also own a sister venue Ming Ming’s Kitchen in Wilston Village in Brisbane. Hailing from Hanoi, northern Vietnam, Tony and Minh have grown up surrounded by the rich culinary traditions of Vietnamese cooking. Tony’s uncle Esmond Wong, is also the owner of Laksa King Restaurants in Melbourne, so you could so far as to say that hospitality is in their blood. As its name suggests, the Surfers Paradise venue is geared towards a grab-and-go express style of service and offers a condensed selection of Vietnamese favourites such as Wing Wing’s Mings with teriyaki or garlic fish sauce, salad bowls brimming with vibrant colours and rice-paper rolls. The banh mi layered with your choice of pork belly, lemongrass beef, grilled chicken or tofu alongside the restaurant’s own house-made pate and pickled veg is also a crowd favourite. For serious starvations, the Vietnamese pho (including a northern-style dry pho), vermicelli and rice dishes are guaranteed to fill the void.