The tiny café in 'Little Vietnam' serving up some of Manchester's best sandwiches

Opposite the Royal Mail Sorting Office and Wing Yip supermarket on Oldham Road lies a row of family run cafes serving up some of the best food in the city.

In the past, the area was nicknamed Little Italy, due to the influx of Italian immigrant settlers who moved to Manchester in the late 19th century. Today, it has emerged as a small hub for South East Asian businesses, taking on the moniker of 'Little Vietnam'.

It’s here, on the edge of Ancoats, away from the main drag of restaurants and bars, that bowls of pasta have been swapped for steaming bowls of Pho, baguettes stuffed with cold cuts, and treacle-thick coffee topped with condensed milk are being served up.

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The businesses along here are predominately Vietnamese, with several cafés and a Vietnamese supermarket, but there are also some Chinese businesses too. This mini Vietnamese quarter was where the much-loved Vnam started out before moving to the Northern Quarter, and it’s still home to Ca Phe Viet and Pho No 1.

Joining the fray, another family run business, Wow Banh Mi, offers its take on traditional Vietnamese dishes, alongside bubble tea, corndogs, and in a slight curveball, German bratwurst.

The fusion of food and culture here is the work of Susan and Michael Diep, hosts that not only front the business but are its heart and soul. Sandwiched between a Chinese takeaway and a roller skating shop, its pristine gold lettering stands out from its forest green frontage, whilst its windows steam up and a steady stream of punters pass over the threshold.

As myself and a colleague discovered, the almost not-existent step into the restaurant catches some customers off guard, attracting looks from