Esmai’s Cafe & Restaurant

Came here for brunch a few weeks ago and can't wait to go back! Esmai's is not your ordinary American brunch place, it has so many unique Asian brunch dishes.Karage chicken milk bread sandwich- Absolutely delicious! The chicken was juicy and hot with a nice light crispy outside. The flavor was super yummy. The egg was light and fluffy. The milk bread was also yummy. I would definitely get this again!Fries- crispy and hot with the perfect fry and seasoning. Even when the fries for cold at the end of the they were still crispy and yummySoufflé pancakes- they were small and weren't as fluffy as other soufflé pancakes I've had before. They were okay. We tried the pandan and plain with fruit. The pancakes were the same but they came with different syrups.Lavender Vietnamese coffee- yummy!! Nice strong flavors. There are many other unique drink flavors and other food items like loco moco that I would want to try next.

I'm not much of a brunch person but I was intrigued by the interesting menu items at Esmai's. I'm so glad I tried it -- everything was delicious and executed very well. This is my new favorite brunch spot in the area.The brick toast ($12, weekend only) was the best version of brick toast I've ever had. Perfectly crunchy and caramelized exterior, pillowy interior, and bursting with flavor. It comes with syrup but it's not necessary. I would absolutely get this again.The karaage on milk toast ($14) was very interesting -- fluffy scrambled eggs, cheese, and fried chicken in a lightly caramelized fluffy milk toast sandwich. I wish there was less cheese and more savory flavor on the chicken, but otherwise it was quite tasty.The OG banh mi ($10) was delicious -- lots of fresh crunchy vegetables, tasty sauce, and plenty of Vietnamese cold cuts. The bread also had great texture. Good deal, too!I also got the salted toffee latte ($6) which was very yummy and sweet. The prices here are very reasonable and the food is delicious and unique. What's not to love? Overall this was a very pleasant brunch experience and I'll definitely be back to try more of the menu. Would recommend making a reservation -- while there were a lot of openings for Sunday brunch a couple of days prior, when we got there all of the tables seemed reserved.

What a cute restaurant with delicious food at great prices. I went for weekend lunch and got the OG bahn mi, which was a generously sized sandwich for $10. The flavors were savory, well-balanced, and just so delicious! The service was also pretty attentive, as there only seemed to be four tables in our area.I would definitely come back to get the OG bahn mi again or to try their other bahn mi or weekend lunch options!

Food was amazing. Great service, chill ambience and the food is well prepared and unique.

Recently opened in the former Hops and Scotch. Menu consisted of some small bites along with some entrees. Mixed menu of Euro-Asian items with some good cocktails and nice selection of beer on tap.Food and service was excellent since they weren't that crowded on Mother's Day. Servers quite attentive and food came pretty quickly. Started off with some Wagyu sliders that was med rare; Brussels sprouts that was nicely charred with some leaves extra crispy with bacon bits; followed by lobsters in a Chinese "milk bread". All of the above delicious but the lobster roll really tasty.We ordered some entrees as well with beef Wellington with a side of slightly spicy Viet stew that had just the right kick. The beef NOT overcooked despite wrapped in pastry. The server recommended the curry chicken and that, too, was delicious in its coconut creamy sauce served with some baguette slices.All in all, a great welcome to Coolidge Corner with this excellent addition. Staff told me the upstairs will be used for tea service on weekends so definitely have to come back and try that.

We've been here a couple times now and the food, service, and overall experience has been fantastic! The food was absolutely delicious and we are looking forward to coming again so we can try some other items on the menu. We did tea time with our daughters and they had so much fun and enjoyed the food too. Glad to have them in the neighborhood!

Get the OG banh mi. Delicious, so much meat, such a good value too! Milk bread with egg and fried chicken and pancakes also delicious (though the latter feels a little overpriced). Vietnamese coffee was fine, pretty standard. Overall, delicious food, so glad they reopened, will be back!

We had our friend's birthday celebration at Esmai's last night. Came a bit earlier for our dinner reservation - the kitchen was still closed. We've been offered bar menu. Everything we've ordered was very delicious - fried brussel sprouts, truffle fries, Vietnamese egg rolls and Fried Karage Chicken. We asked if could order our entrees before the kitchen is open, and they said we could. David, the owner came to take our orders. He was very friendly and welcoming. We've ordered 3 entrees, and David brought us to try the 4th one on the house - he just wanted us to try the best dishes in his restaurant. Smoked fried rice and Lobster Rigate were out of these world. Loco Moco and Beef Wellington were also delicious, though beef was a bit too salty to our liking. But we are used to undersalted dishes, I must say. David also added an extra mini Beef Wellington, so we can share easily (there are 3 in the portion, and there were 4 of us).Overall, we had a great experience - felt very welcomed, and the food was delicious. We will be definitely back, to try out other dishes on the menu, and Sunday High Tea.

What a great addition to Coolidge Corner! Our family had a wonderful time here for dinner. First of all, they have a good kid's menu which makes things easier for sure. Our son enjoyed the chicken bites plate which came with fries and fruit. My daughter ordered from the adult menu - the mussels with roasted tomato sauce were a hit! She also had the street corn with the sauces on the side - they were very accommodating. My vegetarian mom who also dislikes mushrooms was able to get a riff on the fried rice that she was very happy with. The rest of us shared a bunch of small plates - the shishito peppers, the three skewers, the Brussels sprouts with bacon, the lemongrass chicken salad. Everything was prepared really well though I only managed a photo of the Brussels. For drinks we had an old fashioned (a trifle sweet), an Impromptu Rendezvous with tequila added and El Verde (really good and refreshing). Got to really call out the service! The waitress was really helpful and answered all our questions after consulting with the chef. At one point he came out as well to talk to us about my mom's dish which I appreciated. Also came out to check if it was good later. My only quibble is with the tables - a bit rickety and mismatched in heights which makes it tougher with large groups or with kids. Highly recommended!!

Bahn Mi tasted soooo good but the bread is really hard to eat, after first half my mouth actually hurt lol beautiful inside, great coffee, orange juice amazing. Fresh fruit :) server was super sweet