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.

Pho Bay - Authentic Vietnamese Restaurant ?!?!?…read more More like Faux Bay!!! (wow, the common mispronunciation of pho actually came in handy) This is NOT a Vietnamese Restaurant despite being labeled so. It was quite disappointing to drive out of our way only to find this out. The restaurant is clearly Korean influenced. The only Vietnamese word on the menu was the word "Pho" on the front of the menu. The restaurant was bright and clean. There were a few customers in the restaurant. Pho Bay sits at the end of a strip of mostly Korean businesses. Service was quick and friendly. At times we didn't think the server understood what we were asking, but that's not a big deal. We did ask him if there was pho on the menu. It took a couple tries, but he finally pointed to the "beef noodle soup" section. The pho tasted like it was from a box. Not a surprise since pho didn't seem to be the highlight of a massive menu. Never order pho unless unless you're in a pho restaurant! The sliced beef was overly processed and probably frozen at some point. The pho did come accompanied by a generous portion of the usual garnishing (bean sprouts, lime)...and also a small bowl of clear broth and pickled cabbage that was similar to kim chi! Bad pho can always be doctored with hoisin sauce, which was on the table. However, the hoisin sauce was watered down with vinegar and something else....which actually makes it a dipping sauce and not hoisin. I gave up on the pho at that point. The other dishes ordered were ok. They weren't Vietnamese, which probably made them safer options. Sorry, I can't remember them at this time. Overall, Pho Bay is good enough if you want cheap quick ethnic food. Just don't expect Vietnamese food. Lesson learned: don't chase down a restaurant just because it's in the Entertainment Book!

On our way out back to the airport we had to get one last pho fix and search this place up. Seems…read morelike the food ingeneral out here in New Zealand is a bit different from the US but I cannot complain the food here was good still, service was quick as well as the food and I love the many selections they have on the menu this is a spot to go if your in the area and want some Asian food.

Great food, The meat is great well recommended…read more A great new location with a modern look

Viet hoa has changed hands I think. We always enjoyed but haven't been back for a while. Went for…read morelunch today and really enjoyed !! Lovely crisp spring rolls and delicious pork chop noodle soup . Hot tea was lovely and servings generous. Will go again soon . Thanks Viet Hoa

Ok, I am writing this review for my pregnant wife who dined in this restaurant on 06/07/2020. First…read moreof all, she is pregnant and she needs to make sure that the food are good before consuming it as she is carrying another life within. She and her friend ordered two bowls of Pho noodles and it was not her first time having Pho. She have had Pho in New Zealand before as well as in the United States. She has tried different Pho Restaurants, in different countries, made by different chefs before. In this case, the restaurant served her a bowl that had rancid smell coming from the noodles. Like anyone would do, she raised the concern with the person in charge of the restaurant, which was the boss at the time. The food was untouched and was taken away as quickly as they could have. After that they were charged 10 dollar a person by the boss who then went on the verbally humiliate her while pointing his finger at her. The boss never offered to replace the dish, never offered an apology for the spoiled food, HE THEN GO ON TO CHARGED HER FOR IT. How does anyone who run a restaurant like this is still in business. After leaving the place with her friend and shopping around hungry for a while, she finally gather the courage to go back and confront him about it as it was absolutely ridiculous for him to charge her for spoiled food that she never touched. Still not only was he unapologetic for what happened, he tried to resolve this by offering a refund 10 dollar of the 20 dollar that was charged for serving his spoiled food. Not only that, he even went on to tell my wife that "你地系唔系玩野啊， 玩野我陪你玩， 我玩得起" in chinese. What that means is "if they are playing games intentionally, if they're doing this intentionally, he can afford to play this game." I hope you close your restaurant one day after being sued to the ground for serving spoiled food pal. If you value your health, do not patron this restaurant for their rancid and spoiled foods.

Most expensive and worst pho that I've ever had!!…read more I asked for crispy chicken pho. I got chicken nuggets in the broth, so they were soggy, I've only ever gotten a fried thigh/leg before. The broth was very bland and the hoisin sauce was watered down (super odd). It cost $24 for the soup and a drink. Save your cash, you couldn't give this soup to a homeless person in Vietnam.

I recently visited Try It Out, a Vietnamese restaurant located in Otahuhu, and unfortunately, I did…read morenot have a good experience. While the staff was friendly and the service was fast, the food was disappointing. The pho I ordered lacked the depth of flavor that I usually expect from this dish, and the bánh mì sandwich was dry and lacked the usual tasty fillings. Overall, I was disappointed with my experience at Try It Out, and I cannot recommend this restaurant for those looking for authentic and delicious Vietnamese cuisine in Auckland. However with that being said, the restaurant is run by Vietnamese. Just like the other reviewer mentioned, if you visit without comparison with those from the US or OZ, then you should be happy with the portion and the no frill service.

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.

A friend of mine had asked me if I found Pho during the course of my Australia / New Zealand trip…read more It hadn't occurred to me that I was nearing the end of my stay in New Zealand in September 2018, when that idea popped into my head. You see, I finished having Pho in each of the 50 United States of America earlier this year 2018 in Alaska. What was next? Countries! You betcha! And as such, I found a Vietnamese Cafe that also served Chinese cuisine near my hotel in Auckland, New Zealand. Sam Woo Vietnamese cuisine restaurant was country #3, as I know I've done Pho in Canada in 2015 as well. As you may have noticed, it's a cute goal of mine and I totally love Pho. I arrived here at Sam Woo's after checking the yelp app for possible locations nearby without having to take an Uber. With luck, I found Sam Woo'd about 750 meters away from the hotel. I thought it was a regular restaurant with intimate settings, but as it turns out, it was basically a medium large cafeteria style set up that reminds me of my childhood in school. It was a little weird and eerie, but what could I do. The service was spotty and they were almost like being in a Chinese restaurant, walking crazy trying to service every table that was occupied. It did feel like a busy Chinese restaurant, but the ambiance was as mentioned, like a high school cafeteria in the States. Didn't feel like a nice intimate restaurant, but that's just me. It works here and that's important. The overall experience here at Sam Woo's Vietnamese cuisine restaurant was okay & good, yet decent at the same time. The atmosphere was almost like a fast food joint + high school cafeteria mixed into one. It was for sure when I came in around 8pm on a Sunday night. I was just in shock at the entire set up, but what can you do really. The main thing about this place is that there is a MINIMUM of $15 order amount before you can use your credit card. I didn't notice the sign at the cash register before when I was getting ready to pay. Be advised if you are not from Auckland and are deciding to eat here. I ended up ordering a take away order of chicken fried rice before I could pay for my order. In hindsight, it was a good thing, since I can have breakfast in hand while heading to the airport the next morning. I guess it was better than airport cuisine, that's for sure! But of course, be aware of the minimum credit card order amount of $15. The restaurant was clean enough and the service was good but decent. Like many Chinese restaurants, Service is quick the servers are seen rushing from table to table taking orders and rushing back to the kitchen. Same thing here at the Sam Woo's Vietnamese cuisine restaurant. Since I was on foot, walking from my hotel 750 meters away, I did not use the parking lot. Although there was adequate parking options here for anyone, it is limited. Best bet is to come here early to secure a spot. If nothing else, parking on nearby streets is usually available. For my country quest for Pho - New Zealand, I ordered a bowl of combination Pho and had an order of fried spring rolls to complete the meal. The order came by within 15 minutes, with the Pho coming out first and the spring rolls coming within 3 minutes after the fact. The bowl itself was smaller than what i was used to and it did not include bean sprouts. Thought that was heresy, but different countries have their own thing, I guess. It was a good decent meal to quiet the stomach and have my Pho fix while in New Zealand. While it may not be the best best, it was within walking distance from my hotel and that was important for me. I wasn't impressed with the whole decor of the restaurant, but it is what it is. The prices here are a little pricey, even for New Zealand standards, but you just gotta roll with the punches, especially when you're a tourist in these parts. For the most part though, I can't say that I enjoyed my time here at Sam Woo's Vietnamese cafe, but it was alright, and cool at the same time. Thankful that they were here near my hotel, so I didn't have to take an Uber to get here. And so, if you are near the area and needing Pho or Chinese cuisine for dinner or lunch, consider checking out this places. May not be the best, but it's a good place for a quick lunch or dinner on the go. It's A-Okay really. 3.5 stars for the overall experience. 3.5 stars for the food and service. Felt like a Chinese restaurant serving Vietnamese cuisine, not the other way around. That's just me though. 3.0 stars for the ambiance and the prices. Support local! C

Love, love, love the spicy bean curd/tofu. Deep fried silky tofu sprinkled with garlic and chili,…read moresitting on a bed of carrot and cabbage salad. Yum. VERY generous helpings. Their smoothies are very popular, especially the coconut smoothie. And with good reason. They are delicious. Do try one. The place may be lacking in atmosphere, but who cares when the food is so delicious, cheap and generous in serving size.