Udom House

Tucked into a quiet stretch of Victoria Street North Melbourne, Udom House is a slice of Thailand with a Melbourne soul.

The name Udom means plentiful in Thai, and that philosophy flows through every part of this lovingly curated space. It’s equal parts coffee haven, authentic Thai kitchen, and a warm invitation to slow down.

Aum Phithakphon arrived in Melbourne at sixteen, when she moved from Thailand with her parents.

“My dad was a chef, and he got sponsored to work here in 2006. I didn’t want to leave Thailand at first—my English was really bad—but towards the end, I didn’t want to go back.”

Udom House opened in May 2021, just after Melbourne’s first lockdown was lifted. What started as a dream to open a coffee school quickly morphed into something more resilient. “We wanted to run coffee classes, but lockdowns made that impossible. My parents said, ‘Why not offer food?’ So I combined what I knew: coffee and Thai cooking.”

Housed in what used to be a pet shop, the venue quickly gained a reputation for flavour-packed Thai comfort food and excellent coffee, with Aum living just upstairs. “It’s good and bad,” she grins. “You’re always at work—but also, it really does feel like inviting people into your home.”
And it’s not just a feeling—most of the furniture actually comes from her apartment. “I love mid-century wood, old speakers, vintage records... so the decor’s not really Thai, it’s just what makes me feel at home.”
Everything on the menu is made in-house. The dishes are driven by seasonal cravings and team collaboration, as the whole team at Udom House is Thai. “We always ask, ‘What do you want to eat when you go back home?’” says Aum. “We want to show our customers this is what we actually eat!”
The signature dish (and Aum’s favourite) is the Pad Kra Pao—stir-fried garlic, chilli, oyster sauce, and Thai holy basil. “Everyone can make it, but it’s all about how you start—garlic and chilli first, always!”
Even the sweet treats carry personal stories. “Pandan kaya toast was one of the first things we offered on the menu. It’s Southeast Asian coconut custard on toast and I loved it growing up - but I couldn’t find it easily in Melbourne.”
While their Thai milk tea is famous (“We make it cup-to-cup, just like back home,”), coffee is still Aum’s first love. She proudly serves Coffee Supreme, chosen for both its flavour and its down-to-earth ethos. “I’ve been a barista since 2010 and I really got into latte art while working at The Hardware Société. They taught me everything—coffee, food, hospitality, customer service.”
She waves at the awards and plaques on display. “They also supported me in entering coffee competitions. One of my most memorable trips was to Columbia.”
Community is part of the recipe, too. Udom House regularly collaborates with neighbouring venue Benchwarmer for cross-cultural events that blend Thai and Japanese flavours. “We’ve done it twice now—it’s so fun! We’d love to do more with local businesses.”
As for the future? “Maybe one day there’ll be another Udom House… in Phuket or Chiang Mai,” says Aum. “I want people to know Thai food the way we know it.”