We went here twice while on vacation. The food came out hot, fresh, and fast…read more I had the beef stew, Stir-fried Rice Noodles with Vegetables & chicken, and the Vietnamese pancake. Overall, the food and quality is great! I loved the beef stew! It was extremely flavorful. I was not a huge fan of the pancake (it was very brittle and tough to manage cutting a slice without chunks crumbling off). Overall, I highly recommend.

We came midweek for our dinner in Rotorua. It was pretty quiet inside with only two other groups…read moreinside. The restaurant was quite spacious with lots of seating inside and a few tables outside. Photos of the popular dishes were posted on the wall along with the timeline of the owners immigration to Australia, meeting and marriage, opening and finally expanding their restaurant. Orders were placed at the counter by the kitchen and paid for. It didn't take too long before our food started coming out of the kitchen. Our appetizer was the fired tofu. Crisp on the outside and smooth and hot inside. It went well with the accompanying peanut sauce. Since we were chilled on our walk over we all got phos. No matter the type (spicy lemongrass, original beef, duck, or seafood) we enjoyed all them. Good broth, lots of noodles and meat/seafood. We were quite stuffed after. We did come back the next afternoon and ordered their famous egg coffee (creamy) and regular Vietnamese coffees (strong with just the right amount of condensed milk.

After nearly a year of living in Hamilton, I finally came to eat here for lunch the other day. I…read morewas home sick from work and I just wanted some pho to soothe my aching throat. I have never been to Vietnam, so cannot comment about the authenticity of this food. I can only compare it to the many Vietnamese restaurants I patronized while living in California. To start with, service was a bit slow. Just one server for the whole place during a weekday at lunch. No worries. Started with the summer rolls. They were fine. Nothing special, but not bad. The dipping sauce was standard, decent, but nothing to write home over. Next, the pho. It looked beautiful and my hopes were high. Maybe too high. It fell far short of what I was hoping. If I'd never had pho before, it might have been fine. But I found the broth flavor to be lacking. There were WAY too many onions (raw yellow, red and spring onions) and it was topped with crispy fried onions. There were also far too many bean sprouts. I'm used to it being served with jalapenos and lime - they had red chilis and lemon. No problem. There was not enough basil. The noodles were in one big glob on the bottom of the bowl, as if they couldn't have taken just a few moments to separate them and swirl them around a bit. My husband had the beef bun. It also looked nice, but left him unsatisfied as far as flavors go. He said, "I'd give it 4 stars for Hamilton and maybe 2 or 3 if we were eating it in the US." So, there you go. I will go back to try to bahn mi sandwiches. They looked good and I hope that they are. This trip was disappointing, but I do think they deserve another shot with the sandwiches. Will update review once I try them.

Cute spot for a funky Vietnamese feast. My lychee soda was refreshing and tasty. My bun (vermicelli…read morenoodle, Viet salad, spring roll and lemongrass beef) bowl was generous and delicious. $23 all up

I feel like this may be a starter review. I think there is definitely more potential here. I am…read morebasing this review on the one meal I had here (Pho Bo (Tai - raw beef, no beef ball) It is a different style of Pho from what I am used to. Coming from Los Angeles, I have grown accustomed to getting ethnic food that is just as good as in the Home country. Here in New Zealand, ethnic food choices are very limited and the few that do exist seem to adjust flavors to the local clientele. That being said, this wasn't a bad bowl of Pho. I finished it. I felt that there could have been a lot more broth, and the broth could have been much more flavorful. When it comes to Pho, the broth makes it or breaks it. This broth had much more oil than I am used to, but still had a decent flavor. Again, not the best, but not the worst. The noodles seemed more like pad thai noodles vs. Pho noodles, and didn't have the same fresh chewy texture that I've grown to love.. Again, that may have been due to this restaurant also serving Thai cuisine in addition to Vietnamese. I will try this restaurant again and see if perhaps the Thai food is the forte. I hope to be able to upgrade my rating since I feel there is some definite potential here.

An extensive menu, friendly staff, and generally typical but pleasant Thai restaurant atmosphere…read more The menu offers Vietnamese and Thai options, making it a lengthy read. Not ideal if you don't know what you want, but fantastic for choice. The dishes we had were not a disappointment, and the food was prepared in good time. Service was good - a little interesting in the way they went about things, but intentions and attitudes were good. It was nothing unpleasant. Overall a nice restaurant, not overly busy on the Tuesday we went, and they were looking to close as we left at 9-ish, but this isn't reflective of the food quality. Worth a go.

Came here as our Yelp recommended place was booked out and we just looked for a nice place for…read moredinner. As there was no menu outside we had no clue what to expect. I have to say it was a very positive surprise, the food was delicious, worth 5 Stars. Also the staff was nice and helpful. What was missing to 5th Star? The tables are very close, the environment was a little loud and the wine was served in water glasses. Beside that, everything else excellent.

Dont get the bbq pork rice dish or the pork/shrimp roll. Looks appetizing but doesnt taste all that…read moregreat. I could only finish a fourth of the meal and I usually eat everything.

I haven't really had any Vietnamese food experiences, but this seems like a legit place. I ordered…read morethe pho with chicken, kinda wish I would have gone with the beef. They said that is the most popular. It was a large bowl with a side of bean sprouts. I felt it needed a little more flavor so I added some of the sauces. I had to work on my chop stick skills lol. I also ordered the Vietnamese iced coffee which was excellent. It was also nice that it was a sit down place, but not too formal since you order at the register and they bring out your food.

In my on going quest to find the best Chicken Bahn mi that the Auckland area has to offer, I came…read moreacross this delightful cafe in an area that was previously -shall we say on the down turn ? Anyway thanks to Aucklands housing crisis and gentrification we can thank some cleaver clogs for buying houses in a best house worst street scenario . Because now there are some good cafes in this area . But I digress , back to the Bahn mi - the bread roll was lightly warmed and the chicken was cooked having been marinated in lemongrass . but the pate , oh my the pate !! So flavourful with the right amount of spice and the pickled vegetables had sweet parsnip and so much coriander to give it that zing . I loved every minute of eating this sandwich , I tried to eat it slow (instead of my normal inhale all food in site mode ) so I could give it a good review . There is a full menu with lots of the usual suspects of beef pho , Vietnamese summer roll and fried spring roll . But there are also fries , wedges , waffles and French toast . They have Roasted Adiqtion coffee and a selection of cold drinks . Eat here now !!!!

We found this place through Yelp while we were around the neighborhood. We were surprised of how…read moregood the food was. We had the spring rolls and two bowls of the pho. They were just excellent. The broth was really tasty. It was definitely worth our time to stop by. Don't miss it if you're around the corner.

This restaurant has been my family's favourite for as long as I can remember. It's peculiar for a…read moreNorth Shore family to willingly travel so far for a bite to eat, but that's a reflection on how good the food is here. Heck, when I was little we saw former prime-minister David Lange eating here and my dad had a chat to him - I think that tells you everything you need to know of the awesomeness that is Vietnam Cafe. Now take everything I say with one qualifier - this place is a hole. It's in a dingy old building which looks in dire need of a clean and a paintjob. It doesn't have any discernible decor apart from a mirror on the back wall. Parking's a bit of a bitch. The toilets should be avoided at all costs. But man, all that is totally outweighed by the standard of the food which was and still is the best of any Vietnamese restaurant I've visited in Auckland. The pho is always perfectly done, the pork spare ribs are tasty, and haiananese chicken is a favourite dinner of mine. If you like good honest Vietnamese cuisine, you won't find many better than this if you can stomach the lack of decor. The presence of a Hansan in my neighbourhood as well as local night markets have meant my visits here aren't as frequent as they used to be, but when I do you know you're in for the best.

I had just moved to Auckland from LA so this place was my first "ethnic" experience here. We did a…read moretake out of a curry, a vermicelli bun, and fresh and fried spring rolls. The food was delish, and well priced. I'm still adjusting my taste buds to Kiwi standards but I would go back to this place. Also there is a big Asian super market across the street which is a big perk.

Wow! I can't describe how delicious the pho is. It's not favor water it's actually tasty. The…read moreveggie soup with noddles was water watering soooo delicious!!!!! The wait staff is kind and helpful as well which makes it even better. 10 stars!

Absolutely a great place. Environment is very relaxing…read more Quality of the food is superb!! Especially the deep fried lamb ribs! Oh and the calamari!! Oh and.... They're just all good!! Very friendly service

THIS PLACE IS INSANELY GOOD!!! Cocktails To Tantalize The Most Judgmental Tongue! Food Made To…read moreStimulate The Senses! Infusions Of Vietnam Reign Supreme! If Your Taste Buds can only handle meat pies & Pizzas, make your way to the nearest 7-Eleven. This place isn't for you!!! Immediately, walking into the restaurant, the ambiance has your eyes feasting on all the beautiful decor. There are a couple of private tables tucked nicely away from the crowds. But, reservations are HIGHLY recommended. So, COCKTAILS!!! The Hand-Crafted Cocktails Are Impeccable! My personal favorite is the Blushing Dragon! Don't forget about the Red Bliss.. What are they, you ask...? Get over there and check it out! I promise you they won't disappoint. For the appetizers, we had the papaya salad, mango salad & the veggie wraps. The Mango Salad had an array of spices including a 'Vietnamese Mint' that has you guessing what that good unexpected flavor is... The Entrées Are Next Level Crazy-Yum!!! Must-Haves: Pork Belly, Pad See Ew Noodles, Mekong Fried Rice & The Deep-Fried Squid!

Urge is consistently exceeding my expectations, both with their service and with the high quality…read morefood. They have an outstanding selection of teas, chocolates, and baked goods. When I go to Urge (and this is quite often!), I usually order eggs benedict with bacon or salmon. Compared with other establishments in Hamilton, Urge stands apart from them all. Here's why: the hollandaise is made on sight every morning by the cafe owners. Hollandaise at other cafes are usually too thick or too soupy to be edible. Urge's hollandaise is perfection! Having travelled the world and having frequented cafes in London, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, etc, etc, I can say that Urge stands up with the best! Besides that they offer a wonderful breakfast, they also have amazing coffee and an incredibly large selection of teas. The coffee is never burnt (it's very common in New Zealand and in Hamilton especially for baristas to burn the coffee), is the correct mix of milk if you want a latte or a flat white (there is a difference, and that difference is lost on most baristas in New Zealand!), and is hot (again and weirdly, New Zealand baristas prefer to serve cold coffee!). As for tea, you may ask for anything and they will serve it to you. I found this stunning because usually tea shops prefer not to serve something in-house from one of their loose leaf tins. Granted, I neither instruct food & beverage classes nor do I have a tizzy because my eggs benedict weren't served centred on my plate. So, maybe you'll just have to check out Urge on your own and get disappointed by the stellar service and delicious eats. Have a go!

Cozy, spacious and warm atmosphere. The coffee is great and so are the scones. A place of respite…read moremorning or afternoon to recharge.