In a ghost mall off Footscray’s main drag, this diminutive diner is run by an elderly couple with bucketloads of pride. Don’t be deterred if Minh, who works the tables, initially seems gruff. This is his domain, and his input on what to order – and how to eat it – is priceless.

The turmeric and rice flour pancake banh xeo mien trung comes with three palm-size prawn-studded pieces to a plate. Take one, wrap it in lettuce with mustard leaf and mint, then dredge it in nuoc cham.

Banh beo, the steamed rice cakes, come with a cacophony of shallots, pork floss and pork rind (plus more of that omnipresent nuoc cham). And bun thit is packed with bouncy vermicelli, crunchy greens and tender grilled pork.

The only view may be a decommissioned escalator but the pancakes alone put this place on the map.

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