Chunky Town Is Melbourne's New Hole-in-the-Wall Serving Up a Cheesy Korean Street Food Snack

A tasty new go-to for the hungry and time poor has arrived on Elizabeth Street. Chunky Town is a hole-in-the-wall serving up a cheesy Korean street food favourite inspired by carnivals and childhood memories.

The 'Chunky' (as it's called) is a little like the Australian dagwood dog, but cheesier. It's made using a crisp batter and hunks of gooey cheese — and comes in seven different flavours. In Korea, it's served at one of the 200 Chung Chun stores around the country (the chain opened its OG store in Seoul's Gangnam district). In Australia, you'll find it at Chunky Town in Melbourne's CBD.

How it works is simple: you pick your Chunky and your cheese filling, sprinkle it with sugar and load it with sauce at the counter. The bestsellers are the original Sausage Chunky with cheddar ($5.50) and the upgraded OG with stretchy mozzarella ($6.50). Other flavours include the Potato Chunky, the Noodle Chunky (which is dipped in crushed noodles), the black Squid Ink Chunky (all $7.50) and a vegetarian version with no sausage and lots of cheese.

We suggest adding a side of crunchy waffle fries to your order for a salty hit, too.

Julia Sansone

To drink, pick up one of the Korean bubble teas. The Thai-style milk tea and mango green tea are our top picks, but there are 21 different flavours to choose from. In the future, it's rumoured that Korean doughnuts (called Chunky Balls) will be added to the menu, too. The doughnuts are drizzled with maple syrup, condensed milk and seeds.

It was Adam Ong, one of the four owners — alongside Adam Wang, Charles Park and Derek Lo — who wanted to bring the Korean treat to the Australian market. And, according to the group, there are big plans to expand across the city and country. So, keep an eye on this space for future openings.

Find Chunky Town at Shop 1B, 26 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. It's open from Monday–Thursday 11am–10pm, Friday–Saturday 11am–11pm and Sunday 11am–9pm.

Images: Julia Sansone