St Cloud Is Now Serving Up Fresh Vietnamese Fare in Hawthorn

The team behind Feast of Merit are bringing a touch of Vietnamese to Burwood Road in Hawthorn. Opening Friday, December 11 in what was once a multi-level furniture store, St Cloud is the brainchild of Shaun Anderson, James Klapanis and head chef Franky Pham. Together, they'll be serving tasty cuisine made with fresh local ingredients, along with coffee, cold-pressed juices and cocktails with a Vietnamese twist.

Located on Burwood Road just around the corner from Auburn Station, St Cloud will be split into multiple levels. The ground floor will capture the atmosphere of a bustling, hawker-style street market, while the second floor will feature more laid back surrounds — including a rooftop garden that will be available for private functions

The menu will be dominated by modern, healthy interpretations of traditional Vietnamese food, with plenty of vegan and gluten-free choices available. Lunch options include classic favourites like pho, rice paper rolls and banh mi baguettes, as well as salads and curries. The dinner menu is more extensive, with standout dishes such as braised spicy eggplant with tofu and mushrooms, caramel pork belly with egg, pickled chilli, black pepper and crackling, and whole baby fish with sweet ginger nuoc mam, watercress and herb salad.

The St Cloud drinks list features a typical mix of wines, beers and ciders alongside a number of creative cocktails. The Viet Express is made with house spiced rum, drip coffee, coconut milk and candied black sesame, while the Son Tra Colada mixes golden rum, pineapple syrup and coconut cream. Even the mojito is made with ginger and Vietnamese mint. Those after a non-alcoholic option can grab cold pressed juices courtesy of Greene St Juice Co., coffee by St Ali, or hot chocolate with salted caramel by Mork.

St Cloud opens Friday, December 11 at 644 Burwood Road, Hawthorn. They'll be open 11.30am until late Tuesday-Friday and 10am until late Saturday-Sunday.