Why This Mother & Daughter Still Serves Authentic Vietnamese Food After 14 Years

In Brisbane, Australia, Cafe Omai is a Vietnamese family-run cafe known for authentic Vietnamese food, traditional recipes, and one of the city’s most loved local Vietnamese restaurants. This documentary follows Maggie Nguyen and her mother Kim Nguyen, who built Cafe Omai over 14 years into a Vietnamese cafe in Brisbane serving authentic Vietnamese dishes including pho, banh mi, banh xeo, canh chua, Vietnamese caramelised fish (ca kho), and Vietnamese coffee made using traditional phin filter coffee. Originally starting as a small 40-seat Vietnamese restaurant, Cafe Omai has grown into a multi-shop Vietnamese food business in Brisbane while staying focused on traditional Vietnamese home cooking and family recipes passed down through generations. Their story begins with Kim Nguyen’s upbringing in Vung Tau, Vietnam, and her journey as a refugee who arrived in Australia in 1982. From rebuilding life in Australia to creating a Vietnamese family restaurant, this is a story of survival, migration, and food culture. At its heart, Cafe Omai represents authentic Vietnamese cuisine in Australia beyond pho and banh mi—showcasing regional dishes, peasant food traditions, and communal eating culture that is often underrepresented in Western Vietnamese restaurants. This is also a story about Vietnamese immigrant success in Australia, family-run restaurants, and the challenges of building a long-term hospitality business while maintaining authenticity. We are grateful to Maggie and Kim for sharing their Vietnamese family story, their recipes, and their journey building one of Brisbane’s most loved Vietnamese cafes. StoryBites is a volunteer-led documentary collective creating food documentaries in Australia and New Zealand, focusing on Vietnamese restaurants, immigrant stories, family-owned cafes, and the people behind authentic local food culture. Subscribe to StoryBites:    / @storybites  . Follow us on IG:   / storybites._   Learn more about us: https://storybites.co.nz/ Follow Cafe O-Mai:   / cafeomai