Jerry Mai – she of the ethical, sustainable, delicious pho of Pho Nom, has returned to her first love, restaurants, with the ambitious Annam.

The good-looking 100-seater on the edge of Chinatown features a mix of spaces, including a made-for-raucousness red-leather, mirror-balled “disco booth”, communal tables and bar area.

Wherever you perch, you’ll be served a menu reflecting Jerry’s Cambodian/Vietnamese/Thai heritage and training under David Thompson at London’s Nahm – family style generosity teamed with restaurant finesse.

That might look like elegantly grilled octopus with chunks of green mango for textural heft, a tropical take on kingfish that’s dressed in coconut and ponzu, or a sticky-rich miso marinade that elevates a generous piece of cobia into the realm of the sublime.

Smoky hunks of pork hock and charred fennel come swimming in a bowl of lightly fermented rice, though this is likely overshadowed by the world’s fluffiest fried rice that makes a showstopper of a side order.

Before the night is out, do not miss the decadent pleasure of fat pillows plumped to bursting with a fragrant mix of oxtail braised in sarsaparilla. So good are these meaty dumplings that it’s easy to overlook any teething issues of patchy service and kitchen hiccups.

Must-eat dish: Oxtail dumplings
Instagram: @annam_melbourne