It is easy to walk right past Vietnamese brasserie Madame Mei - only two small windows adorned with modestly sized logos next to a door give notice of the restaurant's location. Go through the door, follow the few steps down, and the space opens up into two warm dining rooms packed closely with tables. Visiting the restaurant when it is busy - which is most of the time as Madame Mei is the latest of Latvia's most glamorous restaurant group, The Catch Family - can give a very different impression from when it is quieter.
When it is very busy, it has the atmosphere of a fast-food restaurant, with dishes arriving at speed, as soon as they are ready. Slower eaters may see the next dish arrive before they have finished their first, and diners with empty glasses will need to get the attention of wait staff to request a refill.
However, when there are fewer customers, those same waiters demonstrate their extensive knowledge of the food and drink offerings. The excellent selection of teas and cocktails will tempt patrons to spend more time here.
But whether fully booked or more quiet, the kitchen maintains the same standard: impeccably prepared dishes inspired by Indochine French cuisine and made from carefully selected ingredients.
Madame Mei offers a good value-for-money dining experience, whether for a quick crispy pork belly báhn mì (Vietnamese baguette sandwich) or a warming bowl of pho (noodle soup), or a hedonistic evening sampling a wide range of dishes and drinks. Either way, diners will likely want to return.
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