iMasticate

Mama Tran is a really popular restaurant near the QV1 Building in the city. Our group of six headed there for lunch quite regularly during our vacation work. The food is tasty, the portions are generous, and the prices are very reasonable.

Mì Khô ($11)

One of my favourites was the dry egg noodle dish with braised pork, pork mince, and fried battered prawns. There are also heaps of free condiments including lemon wedges, cut red chilli, mint leaves, and a range of sauces.

The noodles are the same as the wonton noodles at Malaysian restaurants. As you can see from the photo, the serving is impressive and there’s lots of meat!

Cơm Tấm Bì Sườn Chả ($11)

Pork overload! This rice dish is served with grilled pork, shredded pork, and pork terrine. The grilled pork chop was tender and packed with flavour, the shredded pork cartilege was (surprisingly) soft and edible, and the pork terrine had a funny spongy texture. My brother is a meat-lover so he was very pleased with this dish.

Phở Tái ($10)

Some of my friends ordered the rice noodle soup with rare beef, even though it was a hot summer day. I tasted some and the broth was flavoursome. Floating under the mound of mint leaves, there were plenty of noodles and a reasonable serving of thinly sliced beef.

Fried Chicken (2 pieces for $2.50)

During one particularly “fat” lunchtime, my brother and I ordered a side of fried chicken. These were bite-sized, oily, lightly battered delights. I just wish Mama Transerved stuffed chicken wings…

One of my favourites was Bún Chả Giò Thịt Nướng which is a rice vermicelli noodle salad with grilled pork and spring rolls. I ordered it three times in a row, but forgot to take photos (oops). The serving size was larger than Phi Yen, but the noodles at Mama Tran were slightly overcooked.

It is difficult to find enough seating for larger groups, but you can usually snag a spot for one or two people without any difficulty, even during the busy lunch hours. Service is friendly and food is prepared really quickly!

Summary 
Likes: large portions, cheap prices, super speedy service

Dislikes: struggling to find seating during lunch hour (but that’s to be expected)

Value for money: great

Overall: one of my favourite lunch spots near QV1

Contact
Address:
Shop 6, 36-40 Milligan St
Perth WA

(08) 9481 6688

mamatran.com.au