Cham, a calm and inviting cafe in Melbourne, has received the T2 Tea Cafe of the Year award as part of this year's The Age Good Food Guide Awards. The couple behind it, Tony Nguyen and Christa Chan-Nguyen, both trained chefs, have created a space that draws on their Vietnamese heritage and Australian breakfast traditions.
Christa manages the front of house while Tony, who previously worked at Aru, Supernormal and Firebird, prepares dishes that recall his upbringing. The interior features white-washed walls, well-spaced tables and an installation of indigo-dyed fabric that ripples like waves when a breeze passes through. Furniture, lamps and ceramics are imported from Vietnam, combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.
The menu includes banh mi chao, a skillet of house-made pork meatballs, chicken liver pate and egg in a tangy tomato sauce, served with a crusty baguette. At lunch, broken rice is enriched with chicken fat and topped with sliced confit duck. The chicken pho is simmered for around 13 hours, resulting in a nearly viscous broth.
Drinks are equally considered. Iced jasmine matcha, a jasmine tea and pineapple foam combination, and Vietnamese coffee using beans from specialty roaster Every Half are standouts.
The award recognises a cafe that the reviewer describes as a Venn diagram of nerdiness and warmth, precision and enjoyment, Vietnam and Australia, encapsulating the best of Melbourne cafe culture.