Vietnam House: A true authentic taste without leaving Canberra

Posted on 11 February, 2021

With overseas travel still looking like a far-off reality, if you’ve got a hankering for international cuisine, you’ve got no choice but to search a little closer to home.

And if Vietnamese is what you’re craving, it doesn’t come much more authentic than Vietnam House at Westfield Woden.

The longstanding eatery has been a favourite with locals for more than a decade, and in late 2020, it was given new life with brand new owner Mai Tran taking over.

Mai and her family first moved to Canberra just over 10 years ago, relocating from the south of Vietnam. They moved in June, and Mai says the Canberra winter was quite a shock to the system, but they quickly fell in love with the capital and have been here ever since.

Over the years, Mai has worked hard, often working multiple jobs at once, so her and her husband could first buy a house for the family, and then with the view to fulfil her lifelong dream: to own her own restaurant.

For many years, Mai has worked at a number of other restaurants around Canberra, learning the industry and gaining experience and skills, and in October 2020 she finally realised her dream when she bought Vietnam House.

And she knows a thing or two about keeping the masses happy at the table—Mai has seven daughters, who she says she always keeps well fed.

Three of her daughters also work in the restaurant with her, fitting it around their studies, while the other four often come in to help out or just to enjoy a meal.

Since taking over, Mai and her team have been keeping the long-standing regulars happy as well as attracting new customers with their refined menu of dishes.

The restaurant itself, which is nestled within the Woden Dining precinct on Corinna Street at Westfield Woden, has been given a bit of a freshen up, including a brand new cabinet out the front where you can grab a quick Banh Mi takeaway for lunch. They’re available in pork, barbecue pork or grilled chicken, and at only $7 have proven popular with locals for lunch.

The rest of the menu includes all of the Vietnamese favourites. Start with entrees like spring rolls, rice paper rolls, soups, buttered chicken wings or marinated roast quail. Then tuck into vermicelli salads, stir-fries, salads, rice dishes or phở.

And if you’re a particular phở fan, Vietnam House has options with more premium cuts of meat that you’re less likely to find elsewhere, like beef ribs, oxtail, and even wagyu beef, and they only use fresh noodles—never dry.

Fresh sugar cane juice is the star of the drinks menu, alongside freshly squeezed orange juice and Vietnamese iced coffee.

And having raised such a big family, Mai knows how expensive it can be to eat out, so even though she’s tweaked the flavours and added more premium ingredients to the menu, she’s kept the prices low.

Because at the end of the day, she says she’s most satisfied when people come and enjoy her cooking, and leave feeling full and happy.