Em Caphe at North Ward bringing Vietnamese banh mi and coffee to Townsville

A North Ward eatery is bringing the flavours and colours of Vietnam to Townsville since sharing their love of banh mi’s and iced drinks to the city.

Em Caphe – TASTE. Kim Nquyen with her mother Kim Chi Bui and daughter Alyssa. Picture: Evan Morgan

A side hustle for a Townsville restaurant has proven to be a success, with new eatery Em Ca Phe at North Ward already a popular choice for a delicious banh mi and refreshing iced drinks since opening just five months ago.

Run by the owners of Lotus Saigon, which still operates in the evenings, Em Ca Phe is the morning trade side project of the restaurant which is open five days a week.

Opening Lotus Saigon in 2017 with her parents, owner Kim Nguyen says there was an opportunity to start Em Ca Phe for their morning service and she opened the cafe in August last year.

Em Caphe – TASTE. Alyssa and Kim Nquyen. Picture: Evan Morgan

“We thought it would be a great opportunity to come in and offer banh mi and Vietnamese coffees,” she says.

“What makes the coffee so good is the beans – we use Vietnamese beans and a different method.

“We drip it, it’s not a cold brew, it’s the ‘phin filter’ drip, and then it’s mixed with condensed milk so it’s quite moorish and addictive.”

The “phin filter” is a traditional method of brewing coffee in Vietnam and has a bold and smooth flavour.

Nguyen says the food is proving a hit with locals, with many regulars coming to indulge their cravings.

Em Caphe – TASTE. Salt Coffee, Strawberry Matcha and Ube Coffee. Picture: Evan Morgan

There is also lots of love put in to the items on the menu, with everything made in-house.

“So much work goes into a banh mi, we make everything from the whipped egg mayo to the pate and the grilled sausages,” she says.

“A lot of love gets put into it and it’s nice to see our customers appreciate that and (for us to) just elevate Vietnamese and Asian food in general.”

Em Caphe – TASTE. Lemongrass beef. Picture: Evan Morgan

Three generations are now involved with the family businesses, Lots Saigon and Em Ca Phe, with Ms Nguyen’s daughter Alyssa also working at the cafe.

Items on the menu include the Saigon banh mi, which is made from classic Vietnamese cold cuts, the Nem Nuong bahn mi made from grilled pork sausage, and iced drinks including lychee jasmine green tea and matcha lattes.

Em Caphe – TASTE. Saigon Nem Nuong Banh Mi, Lemon Grass Beef, Nem Nuong Banh Mi and Salt Coffee, Strawberry Matcha and Ube Coffee. Picture: Evan Morgan

The cafe has seen growth through word of mouth and kits posts on social media, tapping into the Instagram market of foodie lovers keen to try the colourful and flavourful options.

“We’ve hit a different demographic, young people who want to try the coffees and iced drinks and matcha and also the banh mi. It’s been really well received,” she says.

Nguyen says they have also been experimenting with trendy drinks that are proving popular in Vietnam, including salt coffee and ube coffee drinks.

Em Ca Phe is located on Gregory St in North Ward and is open from 9am to 2pm from Tuesday to Sunday.

Originally published as Em Caphe at North Ward bringing Vietnamese banh mi and coffee to Townsville