One of Vietnam’s most popular pastimes – sitting around on plastic stools drinking cheap beer – is coming to Melbourne and we think they’re going to love it.

Jerry Mai, the chef and owner behind Phở Nom and Annam, is planning to bring the tradition of “bia hoi” or Vietnamese beer halls to Glen Waverley this August.

In Vietnam, locals often end the day by heading to the nearest bia hoi, where they can enjoy fresh beer straight from the keg, often still on the back of the motorcycle it arrived on.

While Mai’s beer hall will be a bit more polished than some of the ones back home, it hopes to channel the same laid-back, community feel.

Beers will naturally be a focus, with the new venue pouring out local microbrews like Dandenong’s Kaiju and Frankston’s Mr Banks, which will sit alongside Vietnamese favourites like 333, Bia Hanoi and Saigon Special.

While you won’t get a pour for 25c, as is often the case in Vietnam, you will be able to get a pot for $4 during happy hour, which will run every day of the week from 5pm – 7pm.

With your other hand, you’ll be able to snack on crispy pork skin, dried squid and salted peanuts, or pick up a chargrilled skewer.

If you prefer to cook your own, there will be four Vietnamese BBQ tables on site, where mates can sit around with a tinnie and grill their own wagyu and shellfish, which will be served alongside fresh herbs, rice noodles and various sauces. If that doesn’t fill you up, the steamboats almost certainly will. The traditional Vietnamese broth is served with beef balls, noodles and brisket, and is designed to share between 2-4 people.

The alfresco venue will mean that drinkers can knock back beers in the sun,  either from the U-shaped bar or from a lantern-lit outdoor dining room.