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    Happy Boy

    4.0 (20 reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Happy Boy Photos

    HAPPY BOY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Happy Boy

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    Happy Boy!
    Jad A.

    Every month, or every week, Brisbane is going off with new places to eat, drink & everything in between. One of the new kids on the block is Happy Boy, only about a month old, & already making many boys & girls happy with its authentic regional Chinese flavours. Located in a discreet street in Spring Hill, in a converted warehouse, there's high ceilings, open spaces, exposed brick, communal tables, a bar & comfy couches in one corner. Happy Boy lends itself to relaxed group dining & sharing plates with your family & friends. A really chilled out friendly vibe, with the soundtrack of laughter filling the air. The night menu is simple, with options from Snacks, Vegetables, Seafood, Meat, Noodles & Rice, as well as gluten free options on request. Prices are great with nothing over $30 & the rest averaging $15. We ordered the 1) house fried rice- shredded roast duck & preserved vegetables ($14) 2) chongquing chicken with chillies ($16), & 3) Roast pork belly with tofu ($16). Firstly, the size of the dishes are generous indeed! Thought we'd struggle to finish. But that was before we took a bite. Best fried rice we've had in recent memory. The Chongquing chicken had a punch to it's flavour from the chillies & sichuan peppers, but is so good, you'll be scooping mouthfuls in no time. The roast pork belly is perfection. Deliciously tender & as you chew, you still get the crispy bits of awesomenes! Whilst we didnt drink, the bar has a great wine list that can be matched to your meals. There's also beer, spirits & whiskies. So happy we stopped by even if we had to waddle out of there. Happy Boy makes us happy! Open for lunch & dinner 7 days a week & soon, breakfasts. Wooh!

    The all important remote working must have - power points!
    Lani P.

    There's two sides of Happy Boy. The warehouse space you virtually get to yourself during the morning when they're slinging Supreme Brisbane coffee beans to passers by and laptop jockeys like myself, and then there's the evening buzz from the Chinese restaurant it transforms into at lunch and dinner. During the day it's a decent spot to pop open your laptop and grab a coffee. As I'm writing this I've just seen they're also launching a morning menu of avocado on toast and museli. We returned as a dynamic duo to discover just why so many people had been urging us to check out the newest addition to Spring Hill. A word on location: those who've lived in Brisbane long enough to remember Little Tokyo will know straight up where Happy Boy is. It's on the cusp of the city and certainly still central enough to both the CBD and Fortitude Valley. Happy Days! We arrived early as the day before I'd overheard they were fully booked except for a few very early dinner sittings. Given our 6pm dining slot we were one of two parties in the restaurant and as such were attended to rather promptly. The menu, which you could fairly categorise as Chinese with a Western-twist, we're told is designed to be shared and the portions are quite large. Unfortunately I missed that part and did end up over ordering. Good thing they offer a take-home container to diners like us. That said, it's a menu style such as this and the long tables that would make Happy Boy a great venue for group dining! With that in mind, for a table of two, aim for 1-2 bar snacks and maximum 1-2 mains from the remaining items. Our dinner included: + the prawn potstickers, +Hong Kong Long Spring Rolls (could have left these out), + Fish fragrant eggplant - easily my favourite of the entire meal! + Wok-Taste Diced Beef + Xinjiang Inspired Lamb with Cumin + House Fried Rice with shredded Roast Duck and preserved vegetables There wasn't a chance we were leaving hungry and it all washed down quite well with the wine of the evening, Long Rail Gully Pinot Gris. The wines do change regularly. I'm still perplexed about where the food is prepared as in the main dining area, although there is a large workspace there's no visual evidence of any cooking happening (no sizzle, no fragrance as things are cooked) and the well-dressed staff crossing their arms behind said bench are certainly not cooking. Are meals being delivered to the counter in the dining area from a kitchen to counter waiter lift? As other reviewers have mentioned, it's not too dissimilar from Chinese cuisines you could order in Sunnybank or Fortitude Valley but it is in a central location and fun to try somewhere new.

    Eggplant with Roast Pork Belly

    Eggplant can be a tricky vegetable to work with but Happy Boy nails it and then pairs it with delicious pork belly. The duck fried rice is a perfectly balanced combination of fermented vegetables, egg and shredded roast duck. Great service and location.

    Lunch menu
    Gabi T.

    I'd heard excellent things about Happy Boy, the hip, new and supposedly authentic Chinese restaurant/bar that is in the same building where Little Toyko was, so was pleased (and surprised) when my Dad suggested it as a lunch destination for a recent family lunch. Located towards the Valley end of Spring Hill on Mein St, Happy Boy is almost hidden amongst several residential buildings and is in what appears to be a converted garage with a roller door for an entrance. We rocked up early at 11:30 for a Saturday lunch and it was completely empty save for one guy waiting for his takeaway coffee. Personally I didn't mind but I did wonder how busy it gets during lunchtime as it isn't in a busy area. I've heard dinner is much busier so if you are looking for something quiet, Saturday lunch is a good time. The interior is a large warehouse-style space with a large long table in the middle and several smaller tables along the left wall. Don't expect to see the kitchen though as it's upstairs and food is apparently delivered via an internal dumb waiter. Happy Boy is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and has separate menus for each. The lunch menu is a smaller version of the dinner menu with individual-style meals (i..e smaller versions, some served with steamed rice) rather than the shared-style that feature on the dinner menu. Prices (most ranging between $12-$15) are cheap for lunch but fairly standard for Chinese food. I'd read several reviews and they all said that the Fish Fragrant Eggplant ($13) was a must-order dish so that was my choice. We also ordered the Chinese BBQ Roast Duck ($14) with the House Fried Rice inc Roast Duck & Preserved Veg (+$4), Wok-Fried Prawns with Ginger and Shallots ($15), Beef Chow Ho Fun ($13) and Stir Fried Fresh Seasonal Vegetables ($8). We weren't given a drinks menu so I'm not exactly sure what they have but the wine list is written up on a chalkboard above the bar and two cocktail options - Happy Boy (Whiskey & Green Tea) and Happy Girl (Gin & Lychee Green Tea). Somehow a question about the Happy Girl was taken as an order but was very much enjoyed by my Mum who can't stop raving about lychee flavoured green tea now. I also ordered a standard green tea which was refreshing on a hot day but did come sweetened, which I didn't expect. The first dish to arrive was the Fish Fragrant Eggplant and was a decent sized serve of several large chunks of soft fried eggplant coated in soy, fish sauce and chilli oil. It was served on a large plant with an ample amount of rice. The eggplant had a melt-in-your-mouth soft texture and incredibly flavourful with the chilli giving a nice but not over-the-top spicy hit. Although not uncommon in regular Chinese restaurants, I was surprised that it arrived by itself and it was a while before the next dish arrived. We had said that we were sharing, and were given small bowls to do so, but if this is common and we weren't then it would be strange for one person's meal to arrive so far in advance of everyone else's. About ten minutes later the rest of the meals arrived altogether and it was clear that serves at Happy Boy are not small! The Wok-Fried prawns were succulent and coated in a delicious thick ginger and shallot sauce with perfectly cooked fresh broccoli, onion and carrot. I loved it but the rest of my family were a little underwhelmed. The Beef Chow Ho Fun (stir fried flat rice noodles with beef and vegetables) was tasty and not overly oily but probably my least favourite. The BBQ Roast Duck dish was again large with lots of tender pieces with crispy skin and served with broccoli, duck dipping sauce, plum sauce and the fried rice. The Fried Rice had chunks of duck, tangy preserved vegetables and shredded egg omelette and was seriously tasty fried rice. My Mum said it was the most authentic Fried Rice she'd seen served in a Chinese restaurant in Brisbane, although as the least Chinese person I know I'm not sure how valid that statement is :) The Stir Fried Season Vegetables were a mix of snow peas, broccoli, carrot and mushrooms - simple but absolutely delicious and I really loved the selection of vegetables. We were absolutely stuffed and we didn't even get through all of it, with a substantial amount of rice left after we were done. We easily could have just ordered four dishes and it would have been more than enough. Considering our meals including drinks came to just over $20 each, I'd call this one cheap meal and seriously good value for the size and quality of the food! I'm not an expert on authentic Chinese food but I've had my fair share and would say this was up there with some of the best I've had in Brisbane. The menu shouldn't scare anyone away but it's good to see that's it's not all Lemon Chicken and Sweet & Sour Pork that is common of the Westernised menus found in the majority of non-Sunnybank Chinese restaurants. I'm definitely keen to go back with a group for dinner sometime and am intrigued by simple breakfast menu!

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    Was recommended to place but overall wasn't' beautiful'...food only ok but service not very considering prices and location.

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    11 years ago

    I really enjoyed my meal here. Very delicious and a good ambiance in a tucked away corner of the city!

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    Review Highlights - Happy Boy

    Somehow a question about the Happy Girl was taken as an order but was very much enjoyed by my Mum who can't stop raving about lychee flavoured green tea now.

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    Super Bowl Chinese Restaurant

    Super Bowl Chinese Restaurant

    3.3(20 reviews)
    0.5 kmFortitude Valley
    $$

    It was already pretty late at night, so we chose the first restaurant that looked like it had…read morecustomers, which just happened to be Super Bowl. I had the roast duck with noodles, which I actually enjoyed, other than the fact that it was a bit salty. The duck, though there wasn't that much meat, the skin was surprisingly crispy. I really enjoyed the duck, despite the soup base being salty. The noodles were just ok, but I did like that the noodles came with a generous portion of bok choi. I also tried the fried tofu, which was freshly fried, though it is more of an appetizer than a main meal. When we were there, two birthdays were being celebrated, so they played this cheesy soundtrack of children singing "Happy Birthday," - which, if you want to embarrass your birthday friend, this is it! It became a little obnoxious, but the friendly service made up for it.

    If you're looking for a cheap and cheerful place to eat before heading out in the Valley, this is…read morewhere you should be heading. Superbowl is without a doubt one of the friendliest, least pretentious and most casual restaurants in Fortitude Valley, plus, the food is great! Some of my favourite options on the menu are the curry puffs, salt and pepper eggplant, shredded peking beef, and tom yum chicken hot pot. If you or a friend are celebrating a birthday, whisper in your attendant's ear as you arrive for the full Superbowl experience. In the many times I've eaten there, my experience at Superbowl has been overwhelmingly positive. If noisy restaurants or slightly intoxicated patrons offend you, best steer clear, but if you have a group of friends and a few bottles of wine in tow, it's the perfect place to visit.

    Photos
    Super Bowl Chinese Restaurant - Interior and bar area

    Interior and bar area

    Super Bowl Chinese Restaurant - Fried Tofu

    Fried Tofu

    Super Bowl Chinese Restaurant - Seafood Char Kway Teow lunch special for $11.80

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    Seafood Char Kway Teow lunch special for $11.80

    China Inn

    China Inn

    4.0(2 reviews)
    3.4 kmSouth Brisbane
    $$

    My folks wanted to try this place they read about in a mag. I confess I didn't even know it…read moreexisted. It appears quite new and will be a love affair for fans of New Shanghai who live locally. The restaurant is quite small which is probably why I missed it even though I travel past every day. It's within easy walking distance of the Coles carpark which should solve any non local's parking issues. The menu is quite compact but feasible and there are lunch specials at a smaller size. The dumplings section is basically the hardcore traditional favourites. Not as much choice as NS but should appease the regular dumpling eater. A variety of to-share dishes in the other section of the menu. We settled down to chive pancake, xiao long bao, pan stickers, griddled pork buns and a noodle dish. Seating is limited, I guess the tables could be moved, but you'd be looking at maybe 4-8 being comfortable. It is right open to Boundary Road, so it will be noisy with multiple buses and heavy car traffic. However, I say this would make a good casual dinner between family or friends. Service was fast and attentive. The interior design is quite schmick, the crockery is divine, but the Coke fridge a little jarring. :) They've gone to effort to make it look good, and the food is good enough. I hope it survives as some times one just needs a few dumplings, and a Chinese dumpling is not a Japanese gyoza (which West End has one of also). So please do me a favour and get into this place and keep it going, so I don't have to line up at NS or go over to Sunnybank for my fix.

    The food is amazing - they actually taste fresh! In particular the roasted duck and Xiao Long Bao…read moreare really good! The waiters and waitresses are so polite with smiles on their faces all the time, providing close attention to needs (might not be a thing for everyone though)! The decoration is nice and the surrounding is quiet - a good place to have some cheap Chinese yumcha/dimsum with family and friends!

    Photos
    China Inn - Various dumplings

    Various dumplings

    China Inn - Noodles

    Noodles

    China Inn - Table setting

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    Table setting

    Happy Boy - chinese - Updated May 2026

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