Opening yesterday at Burnside Village, Bami & Co. is the newest venture from the team behind Bami, the Adelaide Vietnamese street-food success story that went from a humble van in Marion to more than 20 stores nationwide.
This marks their 21st store, and while it still serves the classics, that’s about where the similarities end. Bami & Co. ushers in a new era for Vietnamese dining in Adelaide, an elevated experience that aligns with the luxury Burnside precinct.
“This store is a brand new concept that we have,” marketing manager Ray Nguyen says. “This is going to be the 21st overall in the brand’s corporate network, but it’s the very first premium flagship concept.”
The kitchen is where that shift hits first. Sizzling plates drift through the dining room, trailing clouds of aromatics, pad thai and steaming laksa make a surprising appearance, and deep fried proteins in lemon, orange and honey sauce are just a few of the dishes that feel decidedly more restaurant than roll-and-run. Even the classics have levelled up.
“We do use inspiration from the existing Bami recipes for those similar items, but we add garnishes, we change the base quality, we use more premium meat,” Ray explains.
The chefs helming the kitchen and creative direction come from major restaurants, raising the bar on technique, flavour and consistency.
“They come up with a more professional, standardised, premium way to improve and enhance the quality of the food,” Ray shares.
The Bami signature pho – usually served as a fast-casual staple – is now treated like a fine-dining dish. The broth simmers for 12 hours, enriched with lamb and chicken bones sourced from premium butchers, plus marrow to deepen the flavour.
“Little things like that make the food more premium. If people try it across two stores, they can tell the difference,” Ray adds.
A kids and dessert menu are also new additions, as well as the separate bar, making the extended drink menu possible. Rosé from Champagne, sweet Sauternes from Bordeaux, and bespoke cocktails made by a dedicated bartender now part of the identity.
“We do all the spirits and cocktails… a range of spirits, red wine, white wine, you name it,” Ray says.
But lovers of tradition needn’t worry. Beer, fruity non-alc favourites and the famed Vietnamese coffee hold their ground – and it would be sacrilege not to.
Then there’s the fit-out. With Australia’s onslaught of Viet street food, it’s hard to visualise what premium Vietnamese looks like, but enter Bami & Co. and it’s immediately clear.
Elegance leads. Drop lights warm the space, filled with textural timber, brass accents and booths that feel lifted from a luxury hotel in Saigon. Lush greenery softens the edges, and a large-scale mural of emerald waters and limestone cliffs anchors the space, which even has a lone bamboo-boat rower in a nón lá (traditional hat).
“All the booth tables and the corners — everything is done to like a five-star hotel quality,” Ray says. “All the fittings, all the skirtings, the ceilings, the joinery — everything is done in the premium finish.”
There’s a quiet VIP nook tucked at the back, and an outdoor balcony to soak up the Village atmosphere. Nothing about this feels like fast-casual dining.
Bami & Co. joins Korean BBQ Sip & Sear as the two latest hospitality hotspots opening in Burnside Village. Burnside Village CEO, Gregg Downer, says the new venues reflect the precinct’s evolution.
“We are pleased to welcome both Bami & Co. and Sip & Sear to the Village Dining precinct. These additions elevate our dining experience and extend our evening offerings for customers to enjoy.”
From a mobile bánh mì stall to a premium flagship in Adelaide’s most polished precinct, Bami’s evolution is one of South Australia’s big hospitality success stories. This new rendition marks the beginning of a chapter that will continue to grow alongside its casual counterpart. And if their track record is any indication, it’s just the start of what Bami & Co. has in store.
Bami & Co.
Where: Burnside Village, 447 Portrush Rd, Glenside
When: 10am-9pm, daily
For the website, click here.
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