First Look: Get Banh Mi Croissants and Banana Lattes at Cham in West Melbourne

Banh mi is served two ways at new West Melbourne cafe Cham.

The croissant banh mi swaps the traditional baguette for a buttery Cobb Lane pastry. It’s layered with cold cuts, house-made pâté and pickled vegetables, and served with a side of Vietnamese saté sauce – a spicy lemongrass chilli oil. Then there’s banh mi chao, also known as a Vietnamese breakfast skillet, which is a deconstructed version with cold cuts, pork meatballs, house-made pâté, a fried egg and pickled vegetables served with a Vietnamese baguette and whipped Laughing Cow cheese on the side.

Neither is traditional, but both reflect of the cafe’s playful blending of Melbourne brunch with Vietnamese flavours, which calls to mind the Japanese-inflected brunches at Cibi and Ima Asa Yoru or Roslyn Thai and Udom House ’s Thai takes on the city’s signature meal.

Another standout dish – chicken pho – showcases head chef and co-owner Tony Nguyen’s thoughtful approach and culinary skill. The not-so-typical take on the traditional noodle soup features a collagen-rich broth made from chicken necks and wings, slowly cooked with aromatics added at precise intervals. It’s strained multiple times, then lightly infused with kombu and a hint of bonito for a subtle smoky note.

Cham also gets playful with drinks. The banana latte has a nutty aroma that comes from toasted rice. Banana and coconut cream add lushness and a sweetness that’s mellowed out by a whisper of coffee. Most coffee beans are sourced from Coffee Supreme, but the egg coffee uses robusta beans from Every Half in Vietnam, served with a custard-like whipped egg froth sweetened with condensed milk.

Tony grew up in Vietnam and moved to Australia at 16. He runs the kitchen while his partner Christa Chan-Nguyen oversees the front-of-house. They met in 2019 while working at the Hot-Listed Stokehouse. Tony also previously held the head chef position at Firebird for two years, was a sous chef at Hot-Lised Supernormal and cooked at Hot-Listed Aru.

Cham aspires to be a cultural hub as well as a cafe. “We highlight local artists in Vietnam through our interiors, and plan to host pop-ups and workshops in the space,” Christa says.

Throughout Cham, the owners’ care for craft and design is obvious. A striking indigo-dyed fabric work by Du Du hangs above the coffee bar. It sits alongside furniture and objects from Vietnamese stores Laita Design store and Choi Objet ; ceramics by Ho Chi Minh City-based Tuhu Ceramics , made in collaboration with Vietnamese museum Bat Trang ; and lighting and display objects by Vietnamese brand Bang. “I love highlighting craftsmanship from Vietnam while also showcasing what’s made locally,” Tony says. “We connect these stories globally by blending traditional techniques with local materials and talent.”

Christa agrees. “Every element contributes to a story, and invites the community to experience it.”

Cham
25/31 Peel Street, West Melbourne
No phone

Hours:
Tue to Sun 8.30am–3pm
@cham_melbourne