Champi Express is now open in Phillip, offering breakfast, brunch and lunch. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
The owners of Kingston’s popular Champi restaurant believe too much Laotian food is never enough, so they’ve opened a second venue offering hearty morning meals, brunches and lunches.
Champi Express is set in a pavilion in Furzer Street, Phillip, that has become a foodie hub for residents and office workers alike.
Owners (and head chef) Aiden Xindavong and Bianca Fong have been serving up lunch and dinner at Champi for the past three years and felt it was time to share their favourite Laotian breakfast plates with Canberra.
The menu features beloved breakfast and lunch dishes inspired by the meals created in Aiden’s grandmother’s kitchen, near the Thailand-Cambodia border.
“We wanted to showcase our breakfast and lunch offerings because they reflect our culture and the food we eat daily,” Bianca said.
“A regular Laotian breakfast is congee, while chilli stir-fry chicken with fried egg on rice is a staple lunch.
“Since these staple Laotian dishes aren’t widely available in Canberra, we decided to bring them here. This second location highlights breakfast while expanding our menu, offering both express and shareable portions.”
After chatting with Bianca and browsing the menu, we order the chilli scrambled egg (Aiden’s favourite) and the congee, Bianca’s go-to. After hearing how Aiden cleverly tweaked the Pad Thai to work in this more compact kitchen, we decide to also try it.
Champi Express’ chilli scrambled eggs glisten with the deep red sheen of house-made chilli oil. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
In Laos, eggs aren’t simply poached, scrambled, or fried – they’re infused with punchy spices, aromatics and chilli.
Champi’s chilli scrambled eggs have been cooked low and slow with bacon and Chinese sausage and glisten with the deep red sheen of house-made chilli oil.
The warmth and fragrance of the chilli collides seamlessly with the aromas of meat juices. Slathered over the scrambled eggs and served atop toasted sourdough from Sonoma, it is mouthfuls of exotic meets comfort.
The dish I am most excited about is congee. In Laos, the process begins with frying uncooked rice with aromatics such as coriander root, onions and garlic, adding depth and flavour.
My bowl arrives generously filled with tender herbed chicken meatballs, acerbic strands of ginger and the most perfect Chinese doughnuts – crisp and golden, like plump, savoury churros.
Aiden encourages me to upturn the side bowl of chilli oil-kissed cabbage pickles into the congee and mix it all in. I do, and this is a must-try!
Champi’s Pad Thai brings a modern twist to the traditional dish. Aiden tosses all the rich comforting flavours of Pad Thai; the sweet-sour tamarind, pungent fish sauce, palm sugar and tangy lime juice through al dente fresh spaghetti. It works so very well.
The pasta’s delightfully robust texture makes it the perfect vehicle for the luscious sauce. The accompanying fried chicken is juicy, crumbed and oh-so moreish.
For drinks, you can get your favourite hot and iced matcha drinks here, or try a refreshing iced matcha yuzu. Bianca points out the unsung roasted green tea, hojicha. She explains that the nutty, smoky character of hojicha pairs beautifully with traditional savoury dishes.
My iced hojicha strikes a balance between sweet and earthy, with rich, smoky undertones that add depth.
I adore the flat white. It’s robust and heady, but completely smooth with no astringency.
“I’m from Melbourne originally and really wanted to showcase a uniquely Melbourne coffee,” Bianca says.
The opening of Champi Express means you’ll never be short of Laotian love, from breakfast all the way through to dinner.
Champi Express is at 10G/35 Furzer Street, Phillip, and is open Monday to Friday, from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm, and on weekends from 9 am to 2:30 pm. Follow Champi on Instagram.
Original Article published by Michelle Taylor on Region Canberra.
