Let's get the obvious out of the way first, and state that this is a shining gem set on Boundary Street. It is not often that from the get go, somewhere is as well-defined and confident as EatMii. Highly recommended, and just as good as any of its brethren.
A while back I was looking at what there was in West End, mostly with interest with what had happened in my relative absence from it. From the gander there, quite a number of new places have opened up - ultimately taking place of old institutions, alas lest we forget but the phoenix always rises - and among them was Vietnamese breakfast. One or two of these is enough to get you hooked and be looking for the next fix wherever it may be. From a previous week I was showing my house mate/dining buddy a few options of where to go to, with Sunday being the general day now for the breakfast dates. There are so many, and quite a few more in West End to try, but something to him about Vietnamese has really gotten to him over the past couple of years. So it was with no surprise he went to line up here soon afterwards.
Taking the place of the old Turkish favourite Tempo, EatMii combines the east with Vietnam into the modern Western palate for an Australian audience, and there honestly couldn't be a better way to do with other than Vietnamese cooking. It is a gem that is waiting to be discovered, and in its infancy as of writing, the concept and execution is already apparent and underway. You are not going to regret stopping into here.
When a place is given so little space, what they do with it can make a whole lot of difference in everything. The designers at EatMii have known this, and the choices make it really apparent. There is not that much width, but quite a bit of length, and making it all open plan stops it from feeling cramped. The kitchen is right in view, and all the sounds of a busy kitchen can be heard making the atmosphere fantastic. As for the decor, I am presuming this is a lot like a general eatery in the Saigon area - it is simple and low-key, with many small tables aligned. Outside on the pavement are some more tables, allowing even more clientele to taste the delights.
This has got to have one of the most impeccable examples of customer service that I have ever seen. There is the enthusiasm, there is the professionalism, there is the general know-how for making any potential client feel welcome and even want to return. From the moment that you enter the door, you are spotted by a willing member of the waitstaff. The nice, young lady that we had was all smiles, very enthusiastic, and was then showing us to the table before a moments notice. The key difference here was that none of it seemed rehearsed or like she was going through the motions; this was genuinely friendly and well-mannered service that was shining a light on the place before any orders were placed.
From there, the food arrives in due time. It is no place that would be for someone who is in a rush, but more for being generally relaxed. Because of this, the slight touches to bringing the items to the able is able to be delivered. Everyone here is a good, hard worker, delivery is diligent and consistent, plus they are open for a talk every now and again.
For the food that they have, if there is someone in the crew who is finicky and wants one of the breakfast basics, they have a full menu for that. It is called the "Same, Same"; heading onto the "...but Different" section of the menu, what we get is several kinds of Vietnamese street foods. That is the bahn mi, the bun, the goi cuon. Several sorts of snacks that are familiar, but usually really tasty and robust. It gets even better with some of the more robust meals that are available, from some stews and a whole lot of meat.
Getting onto the drinks, it is more of the usual stuff from a breakfast place. There are the teas and coffees (including .... oh yeah, let's just get to that one later), juices and sodas. Beers and wines are available later on in the day, and a couple of other specialties are here and there. All up, they got a solid base for a breakfast/brunch menu.
The coffee that they use comes from Abrissco. This is one I am not that familiar with, although it does ring a bell from somewhere. Wherever it is, however, does not stand out to me, therefore it must not have done that much. Well, I presume it is dependent upon the person behind the machine since the coffee here is quite good. And with that all said ...
This is a Vietnamese place, I am a simple man. When I am at such an eatery I check if they have the drip coffee; if they did not have it that sentence would not have been written. And for this time, I got to watch the show. Three simple components are all that you need, the first being a good lot of strongly brewed coffee (which slowly descends into the cup), the second one being a thick lot of sweet condensed milk, and the third one (if ordered iced) is a good lot of ice in a cup. Combine them and it is a taste sensation that is possibly the best kind of coffee ever - equal parts sweet and strong, it is unusual and that is exactly why I keep on ordering it.
My dining buddy is a simple man himself. For many, Vietnamese might equal getting a pho but to him, Vietnamese means a bahn mi - and I don't blame him in any way. As per usual, the bahn mi that he ordered was the simple pork variety. I got a taste of it, and it was delicious. This is one of the best ones yet, filled with plenty of the usual vegetables, a good hit of fresh chilli mixed through the salad, and tender pork, all on a crusty and buttery bun - does that even need to be explained why it is so good?
As for me, the Xiu Mai was the go. That is a simple dish, where slow cooked pork meatballs are simmered in a home-made tomato sauce. On the side is several bits of baguette to dip into the sauce. It was a solid dish, and the number of meatballs in the stew was generous. These were big buggers as well, and so tender and flavoursome; they must have put some herbs and seasonings in the meat before they were cooked. The sauce was also good. It was rich, had several kinds of vegetables and such in the spruce it up to make sure it was more robust, and the bread was just fantastic to dip in it. Not too much is needed to describe this either, just that it was also very good.
Early days are upon us yet, however it is with great confidence that EatMii is bound to be having quite the lifespan in this part of the world. West End is practically one of the best areas in town for Vietnamese to thrive, and it thrives well in general, and with the right mixture of influences and a good price, if it is not here in two years from this review, I shall eat my hat.
TL;DR: Fusion influence takes know-how from the owners' homeland of Vietnam and translates it to the modern Australian palate in a way that is bound to appeal to all. Add onto that great service, and a wonderful aesthetic and we are off to a good start.
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