Happy Boy

Happy Boy made me so happy! The food was excellent, the service was friendly and helpful and the ambience was fun! I actually risked taking my baby for the earlier seating and it was great. The fun atmosphere meant she was relaxed and wanted a ‘chat’ too.
There were so many tasty dishes to choose from and as there were four of us, we had ample choices. We went for the fried rice, spring rolls, pork belly and salt and pepper calamari. Every dish was tasty and finger-​licking. I had a lovely glass of Pinot noir which complemented the dishes nicely.
There’s an ATM in the restaurant which is very useful.
Will definitely be back!

A few blogs said Happy Boy served dandan noodles, a type of spicy Sichuan noodles that I absolutely love. Unfortunately I was informed that Happy Boy change the menu every so often and they’d taken dandan noodles off the menu. DEVASTATED. So I ordered some beef chow ho fun. It was full of flavour and generous with the beef servings. However, I have had the same dish in other restaurants of Brisbane for much cheaper so overall I was a little disappointed. But maybe I was just bitter about the dandan noodles. The food is good though, and the space has a lovely ambience.

Picked up dinner here the past few nights. First night because it was close and open. The rest because the food is excellent.
Lamb special is probably my favourite so far. Will try and come back next time in Brisbane

First things first, make a reservation! We were a little late in our planning, and didn’t ring to make a booking until the day before. Luckily they had one table left, but we had to be in by 6pm and out by 8pm. Lesson learnt — Happy Boy is popular so plan your trip!
The menu is based around share dishes. We ordered two entrees, four mains and a rice between the four of us. It was wayyyyy too much food, but they generously offered for us to take the leftovers home. My favourite dish was the brisket — it was cooked to melt-​in-​your-​mouth-​perfection.
The waiters are super helpful, and attentive. They are more than happy to recommend some wine to go with your food, or tell your their favourite dishes. Take their advice — they know their stuff!
Happy Boy is funky Asian dining in the Valley at it’s best. If you have a group dinner coming up this is where you should go!

Yummy food, great wine, limited selection but still nice. Basic set up but it works for them. Loads of staff on so ordering /​service is fine

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

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!

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.

Despite the contemporary interior the menu is that of a very typical Westernised Chinese restaurant e.g. Fried rice, spring rolls etc; The food is not bad — the same quality as what you would find in a good Chinese restaurant in Sunnybank but given the comfortable atmosphere and proximity to the city, I personally would prefer coming here .
Portions are also generous (not as big as Little Singapore though) and affordable. We ordered the pork and prawn wontons (good flavoring but I didn’t like the whole peppercorns that came with it which were hard to pick out) and special fried rice (done well).
Would come here again if I had another Chinese food craving.

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!