Welcoming Mama Tz as one of Unley Roads newest addition to the hospitality realm. Tia Pham aka Mama Tz and Hai Nguyen are gracing locals with authentic Asian inspired flavours and concepts. Turning a passion into a career, Tia created a menu budding from her love of Vietnamese, Korean and Thai food.
As you walk through the door, you are greeted with an insta worthy neon sign ‘Hello Beautiful!’, followed by friendly faces showing you to your table. “This is what we are really passionate about” says Tia. The flavour combinations and the ingredients used have been trialled over numerous dinner parties with family and friends until Tia had perfected her recipes.

After an enjoyable lunch visit to Mama Tz, we were excited to have a taste of their dinner menu. First up we tried the Quick Seared Tataki Wasabi Beef. This dish takes on a Mama Tz twist as the beef slices were thicker than expected. Served with a wasabi ponzu sauce, it was a great starter.

We then ordered the Korean Kimchi Pancake with Japanese inspired flavours. The combination of smoked bacon, okonomiyaki sauce, kewpie and bonito flakes worked well to give you that umami flavour. This dish was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. No dipping sauce was needed on the side for this pancake.

The Sexy Shakin’ Beef – Bo Luc Lac is Mama Tz’s signature and most popular dish on the dinner menu. As hits the table, your senses are immediately satisfied with the sweet caramelisation from the beef. Using high quality beef, the meat is extremely tender and melts in your mouth. The flavours and aroma are authentic. Doing it Mama Tz style, this dish is served with sunny side up eggs and a lime-salt and pepper sauce on the side.

Next up we had the Salt ‘N’ Pepper Squid. The aroma of garlic and freshly deep fried squid was tantalising to the senses. The batter was crunchy, but not greasy. It was seasoned perfectly, leaving you wanting more.

We wanted to try a vegetarian dish on the menu. As such we ordered the Roast Cauliflower & Pumpkin Red Curry. The cauliflower steak had a lovely char, giving the curry more depth of flavour. Pumpkin seeds and cashews were added to the dish for texture. An outstanding vegetarian dish for all to enjoy.

Mama Tz loves cooking for you. If the kitchen has the ingredients, then no dish is out of bounds. In order to put this to the test, we asked if the kitchen could cook Crispy Beef. Within minutes we had the most delicious Crispy Beef we have had in a while. The beef was crispy, but at the same time so tender and full of flavour. The sauce was sweet, but not over-bearing. A perfectly balanced dish.

Korean LA Galbi Ribs is your typical Korean dish. Chargrilled beef short ribs served with kimchi and lettuce wraps. The beef ribs were served on a hot plate, giving off a sweet aroma from the marinade. Make your own ‘ssam’ by wrapping the beef and kimchi together in a lettuce leaf.

As a side, we ordered Mama Fries. This dish was topped with spiced mayo, fur-flake and bonito flakes. A simple yet tasty addition to any meal.

The Cheesy Corn dish was served in a large cast iron pan. Giving you the ultimate cheese pull, this dish is full of flavour. You can taste the garlic and the creaminess of the sauce in combination with the crunchy sweet corn. A delicious dish to share.

Mama Tz dinner menu showcases their passion for food and flavour combinations they enjoy cooking with. If you love authentic Asian flavours be sure to add Mama Tz on your list of restaurants to go to. Visit them for dinner on Wednesday–Thursday from 5:30pm–9:00pm and Friday–Saturday from 5:30pm–10pm.

Words by Dao Doan from The Dining Chair

WHERE: 66 Unley Rd, Unley