Spotlight: Mama Mai
Beautiful bánh and bún in Bells Corners
If I had to pick one country’s cuisine to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Vietnam. Dishes are perfectly balanced: umami-rich grilled or simmered meats, beautifully matched with fresh herbs and vegetables, along with satisfying aromatic rice or delicate noodles. Savoury, zesty, salty, sweet, spicy — it’s all in there!
In this article, I’m excited to share a recent addition to Ottawa’s already-fantastic Vietnamese food scene: Mama Mai
Chả giò (spring rolls) here are a solid starter. Crisp and toothsome, they take the edge off your hunger and set the tone for the coming feast. If fried bites aren’t your thing, get the delicious gỏi cuốn (summer rolls) instead.
What’s a Vietnamese restaurant without phở? Mama Mai comes through with flying colours here. Offering just 8 meat arrangements1, the menu offers a carefully curated subset of all possible combinations. The broth is deeply flavourful, onions are plentiful, and accompanying herbs are fresh.
Large is indeed generous. Share it along with another dish, or choose Medium and leave room for dessert. Either way you can’t lose!
Cơm (rice) with various nướng (grilled) meats is another delicious Vietnamese staple. Mama Mai’s version is beautifully presented, with nicely grilled and savoury meats, a mound of aromatic rice, an optimally tapered bowl of nước chấm, and a generous pile of fresh vegetables. The only downside is the melamine bamboo plate that has a tendency to rattle about if you get a little too excited while eating — and you will.
Perhaps my favourite Vietnamese meal of all time, bún bò Huế (round rice noodles in beef soup, Huế style) is a deliciously spicy, lemongrass-scented, beef and pork soup that lights up all your tastebuds in unison. 🔥 Mama Mai’s version might be the best I’ve ever had and I enjoyed it to the very last drop. I always ask for flat rice noodles (bánh phở)2 because I prefer them to the traditional thick round vermicelli (bún).
Before the owners of Mama Mai opened their restaurant in December 2025, they operated a bánh mì stall inside Bayshore Shopping Centre. I don’t have a lot of experience with bánh mì, but I do know what I like. Loaded with zesty veggies in a wonderfully fresh bun lined with tasty meats, this is top notch. They bake the bread each day and they do sell out, so go early if your heart is set on one of these. ❤️
Interestingly, one of their bánh mì offerings is made with “pulled pork” jackfruit instead of the more typical meats and paté. Spicy and sweet, it works really well as a vegan option.
Let’s talk about dessert! Fried bananas with ice cream are a ubiquitous and delicious option in many Vietnamese restaurants. Mama Mai launches theirs over the moon with a succulent coconut cream sauce, whose addictive salty-sweet tongue tickling leaves you wishing you hadn't agreed to share.
Keeping it Fresh
Every weekend, they announce a special item that isn’t on their regular menu. Past offerings have included various incarnations of bún riêu (tomato crab soup), bò kho (beef stew), bún chả (IYKYK) and even bún măng vịt (duck and bamboo noodle soup). Follow their Instagram account to stay up to date: @mamamai.ottawa
I really loved their bún chả Hả Nội special one weekend! Loaded with herbs (perilla, basil, mint), veggies, and a bonus rice paper spring roll, this platter tasted at least as good as my previous favourite at Phở Tây Hồ in Montreal.
The opinions expressed here are solely my own and were formed independently, without any compensation. I was not approached by or affiliated with the business, and this review reflects my genuine personal experience.
Most restaurants list 20+ ingredient combinations in the massive phở section of their menu; others allow you to pick a combination of rare/well-done/flank/brisket/tendon/balls
Some restaurants cater to this preference by explicitly offering phở bò Huế on their menu