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.

4 or 5 stars ? I'm not sure but this place is definitely up there !…read more There are 2 chefs , one Malay and one Vietnamese with the menu being split with some Malay dishes and some Vietnamese food . Geographically speaking Vietnam is more closer to Thailand ,but when the heart wants what the heart wants it makes more sense to put those two cuisines next to each other . Don't you think ? There is a mish mash of dećor but it's more than ok . A large selection of beers and a Vietnamese beer I don't think I've ever seen before . It's pretty clean and tidy . I had a old faithful of prawn toast which was so nicely cooked and a pancake of prawn and pork , the pancake was bigger than my eyes but it was very light and came with lettuce leaves to rip up , fold and dip into that yummy sauce . I imagine I'll be dragging people to this place now that I've fallen hard/crazy in love with Vietnamese cuisine .

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

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.

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!

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.

Yet another eatery has just opened up in the CBD, serving none other than delicious Vietnamese…read morefood! My SaiGon serves all the Vietnamese classics - beef pho, rice paper rolls, fried spring rolls, noodle dishes, vermicelli salads, grilled pork and of course, banh mi. After seeing a picture of their beef pho on Instagram, I just knew I had to try this place out! I went there last Friday for a takeaway dinner. The girl at the counter was friendly and helpful in terms of recommending her favourite dishes to me - there are many! I eventually decided on not one, but two dishes (I was pretty full afterwards) and ordered the Rice Paper Rolls with pork and prawn ($10 for three rolls and a peanut dipping sauce) and the Vietnamese Chicken Salad with peanuts, herbs etc. ($12). I must admit I did wait about 15 minutes for the food. Finally, the girl and the chef came out and apologised. They said they make their rice paper rolls fresh from scratch, hence the longer wait time. That was okay with me, because the food looked amazing! I couldn't wait to get home and try it! Both meals were incredibly tasty. The rolls were chunky, with lots of filling and they tasted very fresh. Instead of the usual Vietnamese dipping sauce, the rolls were accompanied by a peanut sauce, which was just as good! The Vietnamese salad was also very nice - it was quite spicy, which I wasn't expecting at all! However, I polished the whole thing and was already thinking about when my next visit to My SaiGon would be (food obsessed I know)! They also serve cans of soft drink, coconut water and Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. I am still yet to try this coffee - hopefully one day it will be soon... Just a side note... the shop is tucked away in a small food court just up the lane from New World Metro on Queen Street, so it is quite easy to miss, unless you walk up Swanson Street. However, I do highly recommend venturing out to find this place - it really is a hidden gem!

awwww man. The service this time was horrible... they forgot to many things…read more.. We ordered the combination vermicelli, summer rolls, grass jelly drink, and milk soda and egg drink which were all good. The only dish that was a let down today was the special beef combination rice noodle soup... which is my regular there... they forgot the egg which was a crucial part of making the soup even more delicious than it normally is. i so asked the water to which he quickly brought out. Then being the fussy noodle eater i am, i originally asked for half half egg noodles and rice noodles which he forgot too and only put egg noodles. I ask him again and he also apologized and quickly brought it back out... AND also they forgot to put beef tripe in..... but i didn't bother asking them for that as i already pointed out too many faults... Today i took a star from them because they weren't at the top of their game... Don't get me wrong, the food was all very good and tasty (even though some elements were missing, it was still hella tasty)... just the service was lacking... he didn't seem to really care that that one order was ALL wrong (i think he just wanted to go home and relax lol) also whenever we walk out of here, we smell very strong of Vietnamese herbs from the Pho (noodle soup) hahaha Pho Purfume, anyone?

There are two Try it Out Restaurants in Auckland, this is the better one if you ask me. Although…read morethe Otahuhu one just got a spruce up, I believe they still have a 2 foot crater in their carpark. We always order the spicy squid as it's a must have.. I also enjoy the crispy chicken and the spicy and sour soup. Plenty of amazing dishes to choose from, suggest you go with a group try it all out. Servers speak better english on Torrens Rd as well, not always necessary but sometime helpful.

Amazingly tasty food in a very quaint setting. You walk up stairs right into the dining room. The…read morebar runs across the back of the restaurant in front of you, the bathrooms are to the right down the hallway. To the left there's a little porch like room that is openly connected to the main dining room. We sat there. There are those big crêpe paper round lights hanging from the ceiling. Wood tables and chairs with a very colonial feel. The prices are sky high. Nothing here is a value but the food was totally amazing. We ordered shrimp dumplings which were crispy and aromatic. We then had the beef rolls and they were highly flavored with a very savory hoisin like sauce and crushed peanuts. So delicious we ordered another! Next we had cellophane noodles with mushrooms - lighter but still really tasty. Lastly we had the eggplant dish with a light fish sauce. Very, very tasty. With an unlimited budget I would come here every week!

It's been almost a decade since returning to Auckland, and I was pleasantly surprised to see new…read morerestaurants everywhere. We decided to try this place because why not.... big mistake. Very underwhelming "Vietnamese" food. Ca phe phin is very light, not as strong as the true Vietnamese coffee us Vietnamese are used to. Quick and attentive service. One and done basically.

I love Korean rib table BBQ best with lettuce wrap because it is very authentic and tasty. Love…read moreall sides which I can tell all freshly prepared everyday and professionally selected by the chef and the owner. Daamso pork bone soup is one of its signature dishes which I definitely want to recommend to anyone willing to try real Korean food. Also Try Soju , Korean traditional alcohol drink, little bit stronger than wine but not too much, Normally 16-19 % alcohol. Ask free wifi passcode while you enjoying the meal. do not forget free Korean candies as you check out and pay the bill!

From the owner: Korean table BBQ beef rib , pork. Soju, Bone soupread more