Having just turned two years old this February, Café Banh Mi is unlike its Vietnamese restaurant peers. Basing their menu on Vietnam-inspired dishes, it took two years of creating and tweaking of recipes to produce a fusion of Vietnam , French and local signature dishes, each with a distinct flavour of its own.

• The Vibe
  Nestled amongst the green palm trees in sleepy China Square Central, Café Banh Mi beckons with serenity. Light brown teak chairs under red canvas canopies work in harmony when set against fresh green feature wall panels. With a glass roof high above, it almost appears as an alfresco dining area, only with air-conditioning. Simplicity is key with regards to the interior, perhaps in a bid to highlight Café Banh Mi's contemporary cooking.

• The Food
  It was a pleasant surprise to discover plenty of sweetness in the dishes served, since most Vietnamese cuisine will strike as sour initially. For starters, there are the Café Summer Rolls ($6.00). Golden-brown and crispy, it is a light and tasty dish which many will love for its perfectly fried exterior. For a colder dish, there are the more classic Viet Spring Rolls ($5.50) with fresh lettuce, carrots and noodles handrolled in rice paper, equally tantalizing to the taste-buds.

  Honey pork seems to be a popular favourite in the menu range, with Bun Noodles ($8) accompanying these long strips of finely grilled pork. Springy glass-like noodles soaked in home-created Nuok Cham sauce become a fanfare of sour, sweet and spicy tastes from ingredients made up of chilli, fish and vinegar. Also found in the Honey Pork Banh Mi sandwich ($5.90), the tender strips of lean pork are chewy and tasty, leaving a delightful sweet taste that fills up the empty void after swallowing its meat. When tucked into a seven-inch baguette, the banh mi is not like your typical Subway sandwich, but a revitalizing combination of pickled and fresh vegetables that finely balance the scales between sour and sweet.

  For a good Asian staple, the café's specialty dish – Basil fusion ($8.80) features aromatic basil infused rice topped with a choice of beef, chicken or pork. The rice, green from being fried with basil, tickles the taste-buds with its sweet and tangy flavour, each separate grain coated with basil that leaves a heavenly sweet after-taste at the back of one's throat. Paired with delicate strips of lean beef finely grilled to retain its juices, its sauce is both spicy and sweet, a definite must-try for all rice lovers and sweet-toothed junkies.

  Traditional Viet Drip Coffee ($3.75) available both hot and iced add a relishing touch to the end of a satisfying meal. Traditional grounded coffee beans from Vietnam mixed with water and condensed milk result in a concoction of sweet cream, milk and aromatic caffeine. Fragrant and aromatic coffee smell hits the nose even before the cup touches the lips, and its reward lies in its smooth and creamy coffee gliding past the individual taste-buds. One cup never fails to perk up the afternoon, and beat the heat outside when served iced.

• The Service
  In such a small and cosy cafe, each customer is given a hundred percent attention, though not instantaneously. Take delight in engaging conversations with Banh Mi's staff, when they are not busy in the kitchen. Restaurant manager, Sharon, will be more than delighted to satisfy customers' inquisitive taste-buds and burning questions.

SD Food Advisor's take on Café Banh Mi:
Café Banh Mi certainly appeals to the local contemporary population with their unique Vietnamese-fusion cuisine. Inspired with a touch of Vietnam , this café keeps diners coming back for more since it is impossible to try everything in one setting. Furthermore, its quiet and tranquil atmosphere revitalizes and relaxes the mind and body, the perfect hide-out from the hustle and bustle of busy Shenton Way.