Jerry Mai to Open New High-End Traditional Vietnamese Restaurant Annam

She's worked in hatted restaurants and, in recent years, chef Jerry Mai has hit Melbourne to open Pho Nom, a Vietnamese restaurant with two Melbourne CBD locations bragging the freshest rice paper rolls this side of the Mekong Delta.

Now she's set to return to her hatted roots with a new (and slightly more upmarket) venture, Annam. Mai has teamed up with Rani Doyle, of The National Hotel in Richmond, whom she's known for many years — and together they're aiming to revolutionise your understanding of Vietnamese cuisine.

Annam will be all about traditional Vietnamese dishes, and slightly more high-end than the hawker style fare of Pho Nom. In fact, the name Annam is what Vietnam was known as prior to 1945. But don't confuse traditional Vietnamese food with homogenous Vietnamese food. Vietnam has a long history of subjugation. They've been occupied by the Chinese, French and Japanese, with their traditional cuisine picking up influences from every historic episode, as well as from their neighbours Laos and Cambodia.

Mai's menu will draw on Vietnam's culinary fusion as well as her own background in curries and stir fries. The addition of a chargrill will mean you can expect lots of smoky, experimental protein too.

But by far, one of Mai's most intriguing ideas borrows directly from Japanese cuisine. It's based on the Japanese idea of counter-served omasake (chef's selection) but with freshly made rice paper rolls.

Mai is working closely with locals to guarantee the freshest rotating produce daily. "You'll get all the beautiful produce in the window: wonderful Hiramasa kingfish, spanner crab, tuna toro. Imagine the [freshest seafood] torched or slathered in miso, in a rice paper roll, made to order."

"We're sourcing the produce like a [Japanese] chef does when they do nigiri, with that same love and respect but in a rice paper roll. I'm a strong believer in paddock to plate. We deal directly with farmers."

For the drinks menu, they're looking at complementary but not strictly Vietnamese drops. "We're looking at wines that will suit the food, cocktails made with tropical fruits, and also at local and imported beers," Mai says.

The architectural concept has been developed by Emlyn Olaver, with the venue currently in the demolition stage and construction due to start soon. Transporting patrons to sensual Vietnam is the aim of the fit out — and indeed the whole restaurant.

"Relive sitting in the street, on a little stool somewhere in Vietnam," Mai says. "The heat and the smoke coming from the grill, and the noise coming from the kitchen and hopefully we can transport you back to a holiday in south-east Asia somewhere."

Annam, 56 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD, is set to open in mid-August.

Image: James Morgan.