Le Vietnam Cafe

DJ Lee’s parents predicted the future when they named him. Temporarily, anyway. Once he was spinning tunes all over the globe, but he’s since returned home to focus on delivering a snapshot of Vietnam to Perth with Le Vietnam.

Customers line the cafe’s bench seating for Vietnamese filter coffee and rolls, which are crunchy on the outside and beautifully soft on the inside. Lightly toasted, the bread is crafted to DJ Lee’s secret recipe (it’s reminiscent of a baguette) and spread with house-made eggy butter.

The Original contains creamy pate (also made onsite) with seasoned pork belly, Vietnamese ham, pickled carrots, cucumber and coriander. The adventurous (or traditional) ask for fresh chilli and a splash of fish sauce.

On every banh mi the ingredients are evenly stacked so each mouthful bursts with a zing of freshness and umami. Mix it up a little with the lobster and prawn or Coca-Cola Chicken. (Coke is often used as a substitute for honey in Vietnam.)

All breaded out? Try the meatballs in tomato and onion salsa (xiu mai) or the pork buns.