Rice Paper Scissors: Cuisine, Ownership & Authenticity

There’s something about a restaurant name that makes you stop and think — Rice Paper Scissors sounds more like a game than a dinner reservation. But behind that playful name sits a Southeast Asian eatery that’s earned a loyal following across two Melbourne locations. This guide unpacks what makes this place tick: its cuisine, who’s behind it, and how authentic that hawker-bar pitch really is.

Cuisine: South East Asian ·
Number of Locations: 2 (CBD and Fitzroy) ·
Instagram Followers: 42,000 ·
Menu Style: Share-style

Five key facts, one pattern: the restaurant leans heavily on its Southeast Asian identity, while leaving ownership details and exact opening date in the background.

What cuisine is rice paper scissors?

Cuisine Style

• The restaurant describes itself as offering a “punchy, share-style menu influenced by traditional South East Asian flavours” (Rice Paper Scissors official website).
• What’s On Melbourne (the city’s official tourism site) calls it “modelled on the hawker dining bars of South East Asia” (What’s On Melbourne).
• Tripadvisor categorizes the venue as Asian, Thai, Fusion, and Vietnamese (Tripadvisor).

Flavor Profile

• Best Restaurants Australia describes the food as “Asian, Malaysian, and Vietnamese” with a rule that “eating with your hands is a must” (Best Restaurants Australia).
• A 2016 blog post from The Petite Peony mentions dishes including Sticky Pork Belly, BBQ Lamb Ribs, Crispy Barramundi, and Balinese duck with sambal paste (The Petite Peony blog).
• Drinks like Vietnamese Espresso Martini and Lemongrass Tom Collins reinforce the Southeast Asian theme.

Influences

• The brand explicitly draws from “traditional South East Asian flavours” (Rice Paper Scissors official website).
• What’s On Melbourne notes the shared-eating concept is central to its identity (What’s On Melbourne).

The pattern: the restaurant’s cuisine is described in varied terms across sources, indicating its hybrid nature.

Who owns Rice Paper Scissors Melbourne?

Owner Background

• Ownership details are not provided in available sources. The official site says the restaurant was “opened in 2013 by two mates” but does not name them (Rice Paper Scissors official website).
• No news articles or industry profiles identify the founders or current operators.

Restaurant Group

• The restaurant operates two locations under the same brand, but there is no mention of a broader hospitality group or corporate structure.
• Both the CBD and Fitzroy venues run independently within the same brand identity.

The implication: for a restaurant with 42,000 Instagram followers and two thriving locations, the anonymity of its owners is unusual. It suggests a deliberately low-profile approach or simply that the brand outshines its founders.

How authentic is Rice Paper Scissors’ cuisine?

Ingredients

• A 2017 blog post from Love at First Bite AU states the venue “aims to serve the freshest ingredients and sources organically and ethically where possible” (Love at First Bite AU blog). This claim is self-reported and unverified.
• No official menu lists disclose local vs. imported sourcing.

Techniques

• The kitchen reportedly uses traditional Southeast Asian techniques such as sambal pastes and grilled meats (Balinese duck with sambal paste) (The Petite Peony blog).
• The “hands-on” eating rule echoes authentic street-hawker customs (Best Restaurants Australia).

Customer Reviews

• Tripadvisor users call it a “lively and energetic hotspot” with “punchy, share-style” food (Tripadvisor).
• Reviewers on Best Restaurants Australia note the “hawker bar” atmosphere but do not comment on authenticity depth.

“offers a punchy, share-style menu influenced by traditional South East Asian flavours.”

— Rice Paper Scissors official website

“modelled on the hawker bars of South East Asia and has a rule that eating with your hands is a must.”

— Best Restaurants Australia

“aims to serve the freshest ingredients and sources organically and ethically where possible.”

— Love at First Bite AU blog (2017)

Rice Paper Scissors plays a clever game: it borrows the energy of Southeast Asian hawker culture while dressing it for a Melbourne audience that values both flavour and fun. For diners wanting a no‑fuss, boldly flavoured group meal in the CBD or Fitzroy, the choice is clear: book a table and bring your hands. For those hunting a deeply traditional, unadapted bowl of laksa or pho, the better bet lies further east in the city’s authentic suburbs.

Frequently asked questions