Happy Days Vietnamese & Chinese Meals

I’ll make this quick because I’m starving…
— Food took forever and we were the only ones there.
— Rice paper rolls came with the mains and were supposed to have had pork inside. Where, however? Who knows.
— I had the vermicelli with beef and it was so salty, I couldn’t eat it. The ‘sauce’ was oil and vinegar salad dressing instead of the usual fish sauce and chilli.
— Husband had the pork chops with rice and, once again, too salty to eat.
— No EFTPOS. Cash only.
— Never going back.

Happy Days has made me monumentally unhappy in the past. Not only are the meals overpriced for what they are, they’re also incredibly underwhelming. I ordered the wonton soup one night as a last resort after most other restaurants in West End were booked out.
It was your basic wonton dumplings and noodles, but the soup base was way too salty. I’d asked for extra vegetables in my meal, and this constituted a defrosted selection of cauliflower, brocolli, carrot, and cabbage. Not exactly the best Chinese I’ve had in the world.
And the dining area itself is pretty sterile; I suspect this is to make cleaning much easier at the end of the night, but there are barely any decorations or objects of interest besides the television. It feels a bit like eating in a newly painted room or an emergency ward.

I love places like Happy Days, cheap looking’s sign, stupid name, garbage chairs and tables, BUT the food is awesome. This is just a no-​fuss el-​cheapo chinese and vietnamese takeaway place with a couple of tables and chairs.
What first attracted me to this place was the smell; it has that strong fried rice and spring rolls smells that just draws you in. Most of the meals are under $ 10 but if you really want to eat cheaply, you can get something from the hot box for around $ 5. The people standing behind the counter are always very happy to serve you (wouldn’t you be if you worked at a place named «happy days»).
Don’t go here if you are expecting 5 star ambiance and table service, this place is not aiming to be one of those places. It is just a no-​fuss takeaway place that offer tasty Chinese and Vietnamese food.

Ehhhh, Mrs C, what’s for dinner? If it ain’t Happy Days then sit on it!
OK, so Fonzie would never be that rude to Mrs Cunningham, but you can appreciate the sentiment…
Don’t be fooled by the corny name and cheap looking signage, this place actually does some pretty good food. Their rice-​paper rolls are some of the best in the suburb and if you don’t mind a bit of stodge, the hotbox options are very good value. It’s under $ 6 for a small takeaway container, which includes two different dishes (think all the standards — Mongolian beef, sweet & sour this and that, chicken and cashew etc) on noodles.

If you are in the West End area and looking for a cheap but delicious fare, then Happy Days Chinese Takeaway is the place to try. From the outset, the place does not do much to attract customers inside and the openness of the front of the restaurant limits any ambience this place is trying to achieve. Eating here, makes you feel a little too exposed. That doesn’t phase me too much though.
The food here, well that’s anther matter. It is far more tastier than I had originally anticipated. We ordered the Mongolian Lamb, Crispy Chicken and Chilli King Prawns, all delightful to eat. The servings are not too big, however, it is worth it as most dishes were under $ 10. Score!
The lady who works behind the counter is also very nice. She recommended the Garlic King Prawns and we happily took her suggestion.
Although the ambience could do with a bit of work to attract more people in, the food here is cheap, delicious and worth the money paid for it. Good little Vietnamese Chinese takeaway in the heart of West End.