Maid Mice is a rather unique name for a cafe and refers to the two owners who were born in the year of the rat under Chinese astrology. Stereotypically, people who have this star sign have a voracious appetite for food and life. Maid Mice is a celebration of the rustic meals in a Vietnamese-Australian household with a modern twist. One of the owners has travelled extensively and included in their menu, some of her favourites, which includes carpaccio, glass noodles, Asian slaw and claypot dishes, to name a few.

The space is divided into two sections with a dining area at the front, and a more casual relaxed area, which includes a bar, at the rear. The furnishings are nicely spaced, and I’ve been told the establishment can cater for 100 people.

For dinner, I ordered the Grilled Chicken. The chicken was well marinated, tender and succulent and the lovely chargrilled flavours and crispy skin were a highlight.

The chicken was combined with Asian Slaw which consists of carrot, cabbage, herbs, apple and a nouc cham dressing. Just like a traditional Vietnamese salad, there was a wonderful crunchy texture with an assortment of flavours. The nouc cham was very well balanced and moulded all of the salad ingredients quite nicely. The dish was very refreshing and you don’t feel too bloated afterwards.

Vietnamese street food seems to be all the rage these days and I can totally understand why. They use a lot of fresh ingredients and the food is generally healthy. While some places claim to offer Vietnamese food, not all of them are truly authentic. Maid Mice takes Vietnamese street food to the next level by offering traditional authentic homestyle dishes with a modern twist. With dishes ranging from $12.50-$16, it’s not a huge price to pay for dishes that are well presented, tasty and of a decent serving size and quality.

WHERE: 50 Unley Rd, Unley