From the age of zero to about seven or eight, I had no concept of first cousins once removed, second cousins, great aunts or uncles. To me, everyone that was part of my family no matter how far was my “cousin” and the elder females “auntie” and elder males “uncle.” When I finally clued onto the fact that there were all sorts of levels of aunts, uncles and cousins, I felt silly. Of course there were. But in Asian culture, every older female friend of your mum and dad’s is your aunty.
Great Aunty 3 on Enmore Road in Enmore serves up Vietnamese Food-street food to be specific. It’s borne a tale that sounding more and more familiar lately. Owned by couple Michael and Mai Li, he worked in the world of big bank I.T. and she worked in financial services. They found that there was something missing and found their calling through food. Michael’s father was a chef and they owned a cafe in Kingsgrove where Michael used to help to flip burgers, make shakes and coffee at the tender age of nine. Now they serve Vietnamese banh mi rolls, rice paper wraps and pho.
The decor is inviting and there is a welcome sight of the banh mi station. All of their breads and pate are made in house and there is a choice of bread or wholemeal rolls for the banh mi while colourful rice paper rolls line the top display. And who is Great Aunty 3? It’s Michael’s 76 year old grandmother whose image features on their website. She was given the number as she is the second eldest in her family (the eldest child is given position number 2, the second oldest is position 3 while apparently the number 1 position is for the parents).
The menu is simple and on the blackboard and comprises of a variety banh mi and fresh rice paper rolls alongside fresh fruit shakes and Vietnamese iced coffee. The prices, well they’re nothing short of fabulous and although it is small, takeaway is also an option for these portable little foods. Today I’m catching up with friend Reem and her gorgeous baby A and we take a seat at the table opposite the red scooter in deep, comfortable leather arm chairs.
Vietnamese coffee $4
I start with a Vietnamese coffee, strong and sweet with sweetened condensed milk and ice. Michael hands it over and asks if it is too sweet. It’s sweet but reminds me of my trip to Vietnam. It’s a humid, hot Sydney day and iced is the ideal way to have it.
Rice paper rolls 3 for $6.80
Reem and I try a few of the rice paper rolls and we go for the vegetarian prawn, duck and chicken & mango. We get two sauces, a vegetarian one and the other sauce with fish in it so that we can see the difference between the two. The vegetarian prawn has the taste and texture of real prawn, the duck is rich and saucey but my favourite was the chicken and mango rice paper roll which had a great range of flavours.
Berry fruit shake $6 or ($10 with a banh mi as part of a combo deal)
For the banh mi, it wasn’t hard to go past the very recommended filling of slow cooked caramelised pork belly cooked in coconut juice. I decided to try a fruit shake as there was a combo deal where for $10 you got a banh mi roll, a humungous fruit shake and a voucher for a free weekly movie at the nearby DVD store. The berry fruit shake was very refreshing and not overly sweet as it has mainly just fresh fruit and ice in it.
Caramelised pork belly banh mi $6 or ($10 as part of combo deal)
Once every few years, I forget to take a photo of my own food. This was one of them so it seemed only fitting that I would have to come back to try this (as if I needed a reason). The caramelised pork belly is generously wedged in amongst the rest of the banh mi filling which included pickled daikon, coriander, pate, green onions, mayonnaise, watercress and toasted pumpkin seeds. It’s a textural and flavour delight although I think I’d be hard pressed to finish an entire roll (although I’m picturing Mr NQN smashing two of these).
Tofu ham banh mi $6
I tried some of Reem’s tofu ham banh mi and it is filled with flavour – I sometimes find vegetarian offerings sometimes lacking in flavour but this one wasn’t. There’s even a spread of house made vegetarian pate on the bottom too.
Mango shake $6 or ($10 as part of combo deal)
Running last minute errands in the area, Mr NQN and I stop by one day for lunch. The drink choice was a no brainer for mango mad Mr NQN. He loved this shake which tasted of pure mango, slightly sweetened with syrup and although there was said to be other fruit in it, the mango dominated.
Soya chicken roll $6 or ($10 as part of combo deal)
We ordered another pork belly roll just because it was my favourite but Mr NQN thought that that was too fatty and he preferred the soy chicken filling. That wasn’t bad but I preferred the lusciousness of the pork belly roll which makes it taste so different to others.
Pho $9
The pho only tends to be available on some days and whilst it wasn’t on when Reem and I were there, it was on our second visit. A deceptively deep bowl, it’s a good pho with plenty of herbs and flavours in it
There’s no room for dessert after this food fest and we thank Aunty before leaving. Because Auntie knows best.
So tell me Dear Reader, And does anyone know what the once or twice removed means? I plead ignorance on that too! And bloggers, have you ever forgotten to take photos of your own dish? And non bloggers, do you take photos of your food?
Great Aunty 3
115 Enmore Road, Enmore, NSW
www.greatauntythree.com
Mon – Thu: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Fri – Sat: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sun: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
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48 Comments | Add your own
Funnily enough, a friend and I were just discussing the details of second cousin vs once/twice removed the other weekend. I know all the things!
The food looks fabulous, what a lovely looking cafe, with great fresh food!
That’s such a sweet story. I toyed with the idea of a restaurant for years but just couldn’t bear the day to day of it dealing with customers and employees. I am so impressed by people who take the plunge and do it successfully. All the food looks wonderful and makes me long for the weather that would suit these light lovely dishes.
Yum! I love the look of this place and will be taking Pete there next weekend. Thanks for sharing.
I quickly discovered all the meanings of first cousins, second cousins once removed etc when I began my family tree about 6 yrs ago. Especially discovering my sister and her best friend at school were 2nd cousins!(but of course never knew it)
I don’t take photos of food when I am out, however if I love the meal/item, I work out the ingredients and write them down usually on a paper napkin, so that I can attempt to recreate later at home. Yes I do take photos of my home cooked successes, it encourages me to keep being more and more adventurous in my cooking.Never too old to try something new……
Everything looks so fresh and delicious! I wish I lived nearby
I would be having a pork belly roll every day of the week… although the rice paper rolls look pretty lush too 
You know, Lorraine, as I read this I realized there is a parallel with Southern American culture, where you grow up with all sorts of “aunts” and “uncles” who really aren’t kin. And of course there are plenty of cousins twice-removed and so forth. This food looks great.
Yummo – I bags the rice paper rolls – they look devine.
We had the same deal with all of my mother’s friends when I was growing up – they were all aunties and uncles. We had a very large natural family as well and now I have to explain to my confused children who these various elderly “aunts” are and who is or isn’t related by blood – it gets complicated.
This sounds delicious, it would make such a difference that they make their own pate-yummo! The pork belly sounds great too.
I’ve only forgotten to photograph my food a couple of times- usually when it’sjust too good and I dig in before I think
We grew up without any cousins at all, and only a very rare aunty sighting at all. We lived too far away for visiting
From the name of the place, I would not have expected a Vietnamese place. Although not as authentic as I’m used to seeing, things do look pretty good and affordable! Those banh mi’s sure look like they’re loaded with filling!!
Ah, I so love this place! Such a gem. Michael and Mai Li are so sweet and so interested in what you think of the food and ensuring you enjoy the experience.
My Mom’s best friend used to be able to tell us what once or thrice removed was, but she’s been gone for more than 20 years now, so sadly I have no idea.
In most languages other than English, there is a polite way to refer to an adult who may or may not bea relative. In Hungarian it is Néni for a woman and Bâcsi for a Man. I am Évanéni to our European friend’s kids. But to all of our North American friends, I am Auntie Éva.
I adore the rice paper rolls and the Pho, I would have loved this lunch to bits.
Hhmm.. my experience wasn’t as positive. Being a local I had high hopes for this place but it was a bit of a let down. We tried the caramelised pork belly roll.. it was quite bland and jam packed full of daikon which wasn’t too pickled at all and didn’t have much flavour. Will give it another try and order a couple of other dishes.
We call everyone elder to us an ‘Aunt’ or an ‘Uncle’, even if they are not related.If they are in our age group, but older, then they are ‘bhaiyya’ (elder brother) or ‘Bhabhi’ (sister-in-law) or ‘didi’ (elder sister. Of course, now many are rebelling against this. When one something calls another 30 something ‘Aunty’ it causes fireworks, hahaha!!
Wow, all of it looks divine! Wish I could head there for some of that luscious food (I’m in the US, so not possible today!). Really enjoy your writing, and thanks for bringing attention to some interesting places.
Haha yes I have forgotten a few time actually! Not so much when I know I’m reviewing something but sometimes I want to instagram and I get half-way through and remember.
The rice paper rolls and pork belly banh mi looks delish! Wish I was having these for breakfast. I love Vietnamese food and could easily live on Pho daily
My mum makes beautiful Pho using charred whole onions, star anise, beef marrow and shins, cassia bark, cardamon and ginger for the 4 hour broth. I always have to eat it with fresh chillies, sawtooth coriander, hoi sin sauce, Thai basil, shallots, tripe, beef balls, thin sliced beef and a squeeze of lemon. This cafe looks pretty good and I will definitely make my way out there soon. I’m clueless about once and or twice remove relations thingy too. I’ve never taken any photos of food I’ve cooked or about to eat at restaurants but I know it’s common amongst people now due to social media and those camera mobile phones
Love Vietnamese food, love-love it! I would go for pork bun also, and then tofu. No soy chicken for me.
Lorraine, I was looking at your blog and it has changed a lot: there’s no photo of you anymore, page “About Me” disappeared, all contact information is gone. I wanted to send you an email about comments, however there’s no way to communicate with you except through comments. Please, don’t make your blog faceless! We like your presence here.
Hi Marina! Oh no, Mr NQN was supposed to have fixed that. When he put up the new menu drop downs, they disappeared for some reason. It’s not on purpose at all, I promise!
Jealous again, as I’m a super Bahn mi fan. My Indian neighbor’s children call me auntie so that must be a custom in many cultures. It’s nice.
I’m exactly that way! I just think of my cousin’s daughters as “my cousins — period.” That whole “once removed” stuff gets too complicated. LOL
I wish we had good Thai food here.
Second cousin, twice one removed??? totally too confusing
Now I am most definitely in desire of that Vietnamese coffee…
Heidi xo
After nearly four days of all communication cut off [boo, T-a !!!!] it’s nice to be able to comment again! [And no, we did not quite get flooded out or blown over, but!!!] I love the simple wholeness of this place and would be delighted to have lunch and try one, two, three! Love the look of the banh mi’s
! Yep, kind’of do know the what being once or twice removed means altho’ I think this mindset is oft more pronounced in SE Asia. As far as aunties and uncles go, that is very much part of the Aboriginal culture. Photograph my own: oh very, very rarely and then probably the whole buffet ere guests arrive 
!
Yes, I get very confused with my husband side of family, 2nd, 3rd cousin, aunts…and so on…we go by generations…much easier.
Anyway, the Vietnamese food looks great, I love this kind of cafes.
Have a wonderful week Lorraine!
As anyone who has read my blog will know – I LOVE good food I have often eaten before photographing!
I here you, except in India it’s even more confusing because each relative has a different respectful name
Anyhow I love this Vietnamese eatery, the good looks superb
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Yum, I’m so going there one time. I love a good asian dish mmm. Oh and yes I forget to take pictures of my food all the time haha, and sometimes end up taking half-eaten photos haha. Even before I was blogging, I’d regularly take photos though- I’m a foodie, what can I say
Vietnamese iced coffee is popping up all over the place. Do they make it with a phin? Or do they use the espresso machine?
I love viet rolls! And who can resist pork belly cooked in coconut juice?
Those shakes also look amazingly fresh!
I know.. every friend or cousin of my mom or dad was Aunty for us..
There was never a time when we referred. To any known elder by his/her last name… for us kids they were always aunts uncles..
This place looks fabulous Lorraine!
I used vegetarian prawns, and yes they look like prawns (and feel like the same texture under the teeth), although after so many years I have forgotten what prawns taste like to say if the flavour is right. But they are fun! And so good to see a place that caters for vegetarian/vegans as well
Ciao
Alessandra
Lovely photos..this small little cafe looks bright and cheery.. I would love to try the pork belly banh mi and the chicken & mango rice paper rolls.
yes in many Asian cultures, there is the concept of first cousins, second cousins…and even uncles and aunties have different ‘ranks’. It can be confusing though it takes a little while to get the hang of it..
i still havent grasped the concepts of cousins as of now, i will just let that be! and this is a fab post, ill be in the area in the next week so i shall go check it out!
Haha I sometimes forget to take photos of my food when we eat at home. But I try not to forget when we’re eating out.
I want to go here. Are you reading this Celia?. I quite often decide not to take photos of something and then regret it later
I’m guilty of not taking photos of every important event on every occasion. I don’t know how I’m so vague. I love the look of these rice paper rolls and how wonderful they come in many flavours – I think I’d order the chicken too xx
Looks fresh and delicious.
I always forget to take photos of my food. I just get too excited and before I know it I’ve finished off the meal and then remember I was meant to take a snap. Whoops!
Hi Lorraine, our family was the same growing up. We addressed all of our parents friends as auntie and uncle. To this day I am pretty clueless, I know what a first cousin is but beyond that wouldn’t have a clue. The food here looks delicious, very fresh. Another place to add on my list of places to visit. I’m a non blogger, a few times when a dish has been really amazing and it’s a special occasion for hubby and I we have taken a photo but it’s with one of us in the picture, more so because we like to have the memory of not just the dish but the occasion too.
Hi Lorraine. I have no idea what once or twice removed means. I come from a big family and there are many occasions when I met people for the first time, not knowing they are part of the family. Just the other week, I went to a ‘family’ wedding and I recognised no one, apart from my own parents.
I often forget taking photos of food, especially when they look so good and I just want to dive in… Like that pork belly bun…
Grew up around old world Italian and old world Greek families, TRUE!
Everyone was auntie this or uncle that too!
When it comes to families and titles, never get hung up who are “blood” relatives,who are once or twice removed…as they all are special to me…
Child of an aunt or uncle = cousin; child of that cousin is once removed; grandchild of that cousin is twice removed…simply family title recipe!
I do forget sometimes – and sometimes I dine with non-bloggy friends who just don’t get my need to photograph food before we eat. Very frustrating!
Yup! Anyone older than you were was brother or sister. Anyone that looked your parents age was aunty or uncle. It got confusing because I thought we were related, until I realized it was just the polite way to address your elders
I’ve done that!!! Sometimes I take so many photos of others food and then when it’s my turn I simply forget and have to go back and take it LOL But good excuse to go back if it’s good
I’m salivating over that CRIPSY PORK BELLY banh mi and prices seem so reasonable too!
Lorraine, We are headed to try this place soon. Just to do your head in about the cousins. Well, if your cousin has a child it would be your first cousin once removed, and if you had a child, that child and your cousins child would be second cousins!! Get it! That means then that your kids and your first cousin would be first cousins once removed! Again if your cousin’s child had a baby then it would be your second cousin and your kid’s second cousin once removed!! Lorraine, how is your head?? Will let you know what we think of the food. Have a great weekend Lorraine! Cheers
This one calls for a pilgrimage over the mountains I think…I love banh mi.
I introduced my 80 year old Dad to banh mi last year… He is now sending my brother to Bankstowns Chinatown to buy them.
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