Ancom Mount Lawley review: April Ooi visits Beaufort Street cafe for Vietnamese classics banh xeo, banh khot

My last trip to Vietnam started so safe: a bowl of pho when I touched down, banh mi while getting a pedicure, and litres of iced coffee. But as the days progressed, I got more adventurous. I sat on plastic stools and sunk into crab noodles, picked at sea snails, and ordered 10 banh khot on delivery app Grab for myself like it was nothing. Since my trip, I’ve been craving all sorts of different Vietnamese dishes — which led me to Ancom in Mt Lawley, which does not play around when it comes to variety. The menu struck me straightaway. You don’t often see banh xeo (stuffed crispy rice pancakes) or banh khot (savoury mini rice pancakes) offered in Perth. It has helpful pictures illustrating most of the specialties, which is good because even after visiting Vietnam I had no clue what some of the dishes were, based off the name alone. To start we had pork and prawn banh khot (12 pieces for $22) and grilled prawns (two pieces for $13). The banh khot was served with a generous platter of herbs, lettuce leaves and a dipping bowl of nuoc cham. I had two pancakes but they were a little heavy, so I couldn’t finish without spoiling my main. The prawns were butterflied and came with an electric-green dipping sauce. It was somehow both creamy and sour, and tasted amazing with the fleshy prawns. My friend ordered the shaking beef with fried rice ($27.50) which I initially passed off as a dish offered to cater for fussier eaters. Surprisingly, it was probably my favourite thing on the table. The big chunks of beef were tender and caramelised with a deep smoky crust. The fried rice was smoky too — the menu’s suggestion to swap steamed rice for fried was spot on. I said I would try something that wasn’t pho, but when I saw the special Hanoi-style chicken pho ($21), I couldn’t resist. The big bowl arrived with skin-on tender chicken and soft rice noodles. It also came with a fresh smashed chilli sauce. I would normally dip my meat in sriracha, but this was a welcome difference. Even on a Sunday night the restaurant was heaving, and it’s easy to see why. With plenty of different dishes that take you straight to the streets of Vietnam, Ancom has something to satisfy every craving. Ancom 564 Beaufort Street, Mt Lawley OPEN Tuesday to Sunday, 11am-10pm CONTACT 6285 5486, ancom.au BOOKINGS Yes THE VERDICT Fresh and colourful restaurant with rarer Vietnamese dishes to try. 15/20