Vietnamese chef Zume Pham brings Scandi cafe Oppen to Windsor restaurant precinct

A Scandi-inspired cafe has opened in Windsor and there’s not a meatball in sight. Here’s a few of the tasty delights you can expect to find.

Lucy Callander

2 min read

February 3, 2019 - 12:00AM

Stonnington Leader

Scandi style cafe Oppen in Windsor specialises in open sandwiches and brunch. Picture: Josie Hayden

Inner South

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The restaurant renaissance is continuing in Windsor with yet another new venue opening in the busy block between High St and Dandenong Rd.

Scandi-themed cafe Oppen has joined the line up, adding classic Swedish flavours to a pocket dominated by Asian favourites.

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The cafe is a debut for husband and wife duo Zume Pham and Amy Vo.

“I’m in the kitchen and Amy looks after the books,” Mr Pham said.

Oppen was inspired by the couple’s recent three week honeymoon in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

“Amy has always loved Scandi design and we both fell in love with the food when we were on our honeymoon,” Mr Pham said.

Scandi style on the menu in Windsor. Picture: Josie Hayden

The Seven Seeds and Circa alumnus decided to build a menu around the “simplicity and elegance” of the open sandwich.

“It’s a healthy way to eat and I like that fact that you can see all the ingredients at once,” Mr Pham said.

Toppings include rare roast beef with cucumber, watercress and spicy béarnaise sauce, or pork liver pâté matched with lingonberry ketchup, hazelnut and marble egg.

Rye bread topped with cured salmon, creme fraiche, daikon, fennel and shisho. Picture: Josie Hayden

In a nod to his Vietnamese heritage Mr Pham also uses Thai basil, daikon and shisho.

“I have also added some modern Australian flavours to suit the Melbourne tastest,” he said.

Beetroot, hummus, macadamia and apple give an Aussie twist to the signature open sandwiches at Oppen. Picture: Josie Hayden

“People might wonder why a Vietnamese chef opened a Scandi cafe,” Mr Pham said.

“There are already so many Vietnamese restaurants in Melbourne and I wanted to try something different.

“I still cook Vietnamese at home.”

While the open sandwich is the cafe’s signature dish, there are also plenty of brunch dishes on the menu.

“Melbourne loves brunch and we wanted to put a modern Australian twist on some classics,” Mr Pham said.

There’s ham hock hash, with sauerkraut, leek, poached eggs and a chipotle hollandaise; Nordic spelt granola, with skyr (Icelandic cultured dairy product similar to yoghurt), sour cherry foam and ymerdrys (crunchy rye bread topping) and buckwheat waffle with saffron pear, cacao sauce and popping licorice.

Oppen waffles come with saffron pear, sour cherry foam and popping licorice. Picture: Josie Hayden

Or you can have a little bit of everything with the Scandi Board, which includes scrambled eggs, rye bread, Danish feta, avocado, cured salmon, preserved vegetables and granola with skyr.

Oppen is at 20/2 Maddock St, Windsor.

But it’s not the only eatery in town championing the sandwich.

NORD CAFE

157 Chapel St, St Kilda

Nord Cafe tastes.

Luke Maguinness and Anna Olsson swapped the corporate life in Sweden to open an eatery serving open sandwiches and sweets.

LARSEN AND CO

315 Hampton St, Hampton

Larsen and Co open sandwiches.

Chef James Adams brings the expertise of 19 years as head chef of Florentine’s Brighton to this modern Australian eatery inspired by Scandinavian influences.

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