Inside buzzing Vietnamese cafe voted the best in Brisbane

From brilliant banh-mi to phenomenal pho, this suburban cafe is delivering the finest tastes of Vietnam without having to board a plane

Two bowls of pho – each roughly the size of my head – hit the adjacent table. One looks to be loaded with chicken, the other appears to be the combination featuring sliced beef, meatballs, brisket and tripe, along with the typical inclusions of rice noodles, bean sprouts and herbs.

As I nosily watch on as the two women eat their soup, which has been brewed for two days and is MSG-free, it is like watching Mary Poppins unpack her carpetbag. No matter how many spoonfuls they take, the broth is seemingly bottomless.

The bright interior at Cafe O-Mai in Annerley. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

After about 30 minutes they sit defeated, letting out a sigh normally only heard after the pants-splitting, button-bulging feasts of Christmas Day.

But it’s this value-for-money, top quality pho that has helped Annerley’s Cafe O-Mai be voted the Best Vietnamese in the city by Courier-Mail readers in our Best of Brisbane series.

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However, the bright, colourful cafe is about more than just pho. It’s a lively, buzzy foodie den, where a floor-to-ceiling mural of a beautiful Vietnamese woman brings colour and personality to the rustic space inside an old timber shop. Mismatched tables and chairs keep things eclectic and casual, while efficiency-focused staff ensure orders are taken and delivered swiftly.

The pork crackling banh mi at Cafe O-Mai comes on a baguette made in-house. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Because of COVID, no physical menus are provided, instead patrons are asked to view the menu online or take a photo of the hard copy at the door and peruse it at their table. It’s a little annoying but it is better than polluting the planet with single-use, paper menus.

And what’s on offer at breakfast is diverse.

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Alongside the pho sits pork dim sims and spring rolls, signature classics such as claypots, banh xeo, and beef brisket stew, more Western options such as brioche French toast and corn and zucchini fritters, plus their famous banh mi using baguettes they bake in-house daily. Vegan and vegetarians are well taken care of with even a plant-based pho available, but the hardcore carnivore would do well to order the crackling pork banh mi ($11).

Pork meatballs come in a tomato broth with a baguette on the side. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

The crispy-skinned, fluffy-centred bread roll is smeared with a thick layer of pate before being stuffed with coriander, sliced chillies, carrot, cucumber and diced pieces of fatty pork belly with the crunchy crackling on top. A generous drizzle of house-made hoisin ties the lot together creating a banh mi better than many I’ve eaten in Vietnam.

The plain baguettes are also served alongside the pork meatballs ($15). Bigger than golf balls, the spheres of pig mince hide a boiled quail egg at their core and are fantastic as they soak up all the tomato-stained broth they’re suspended in.

A Vietnamese iced coffee using Toby’s Estate beans is the perfect pairing, or choose from the likes of juices cold pressed on-site, milkshakes and homemade iced tea. Come 10am a trio of cocktails, and a handful of affordable wines and beers also come into play.

Cafe O-Mai is fast, friendly, affordable and flavour-focused and it’s easy to see why it’s a fan favourite.

CAFE O-MAI

15 Cracknell Rd, Annerley
3255 9778
cafeomai.com.au
Open Tue-Fri 6.30am-3pm, Sat-Sun 7am-2pm

VERDICT – Out of 5

Food 4

Service 3.5

Ambience 3

Value 4.5