Where To Find Auckland’s Best Pho In 2026
Vicki Young
Freelance Sub-Editor | Urban List NZ
With the cold nights kicking in, there’s something so comforting about a slurping your way through a giant, steaming bowl of phở—traditional Vietnamese noodle soup. Often considered the national dish of Vietnam, the humble phở has variations between North and South Vietnam, as well as from Vietnamese immigrants who have brought this memory of their home to Aotearoa.
It’s a dish for the people, and you’ll find the best places have a real mix of everyone in the room—from families to workers, all united by the comforts of phở. With each and every Vietnamese household (or in this case, restaurant) cooking their treasured family phở recipe (and some giving it their own signature twist), every recipe brings a delicious complexity in the slow-cooked broth which is the star of the show (and the perfect vehicle with the chewy rice noodle and refreshing herb garnish).
My personal favourite which has my heart (and appetite) is phở bò viên—a savoury beef broth base loaded with the essential aromatics (we’re talking sweet cinnamon, the warmth of star anise and citrussy coriander seeds to name a few key players), then topped with beef meatballs that give that bouncy snap in texture. It’s so satisfying to eat between slurps of soft rice noodles and the refreshing crunch of onions, sometimes bean sprouts, and always with the fresh addition of herbs mixed through (and I also like to make a separate side dish for a sriracha and hoisin dip situation).
Here in Tāmaki Makaurau we’ve slurped our way to find the best bowls of steaming hot phở you can get in the city to find some faves we just keep coming back to again and again.
Here are the best places for phở in Auckland.
PHỞ YẾN
617 Dominion Road, Mount Eden
Image credit: PHỞ YẾN | Vicki Young
Chudi (Julie) Vũ’s phở is undoubtedly like a big hug in soup form. From starting their concept with The Kitchen Project, Julie and Bodi’s phở venture Phở Yến then developed a mass following in the Auckland night markets circuit, with phở fans following them to every spot they popped up across the city (I still remember tasting this nourishing bowl at the then Balmoral Street Food Markets). They opened their extremely popular brick and mortar shop on Dominion Road last year, where you’ll find queues most nights (and honestly, totally worth the wait).
The phở is a nod to her mum’s Hanoi-style phở (which simmers for 24 hours in their massive stock pot) which did you know, traditionally doesn’t come with bean sprouts and a side of fresh herbs like Saigon-style, but instead lots of fresh spring onion—just like the same way as what her mum has been doing for over 35 years. With a condiment station at your table using the same condiment line-up as Hanoi-style phở, ft. super spicy chillies if you’re game, as well as slithers of crunchy pickled garlic, and essential sriracha and hoisin sauces (with the hoisin latter being more of a Southern touch for their Southern Vietnamese customers), it’s all you need to customise your phở to your liking.
While her mum’s recipe has only rare and cooked beef brisket, their addition is with beef meatballs too (more common with Southern-style toppings) and my go-to order with the beef meatballs. I also love their combination Phở Tái Viên with rare beef and meatballs (I find their beef ball textures a bit softer, and still absolutely comforting). Don’t forget a side of fried goodness that is quẩy (a fried savoury doughnut stick, which I know by the Chinese name youtiao or yau char kway, a great bready addition to any broth or congee soup you’ll ever have). Dunk that in the broth when you’re finished with the noodles (and then drink the broth too).
Note: On Wednesdays you’ll also find them at the Botany Night Markets, to support the community that ways who can’t travel all the way to get their signature phở—what incredible hospitality to their Auckland phở community.
The Courtyard Vietnamese Cafe
55 Remuera Road, Remuera
Image credit: The Courtyard VIetnamese Cafe | Vicki Young
Known for their sell-out chef’s special oxtail phở, The Courtyard Vietnamese Cafe’s phở is a ten hour simmer kind of flavour (in other words, packed with that beef flavour). The bowl is filled with tender fall-off-the-bone oxtail (where if you’re lucky like my most recent bowl, you’ll get the flavoursome gelatinous bits too), along with sirloin beef, slow-cooked brisket and beef meatballs with tasty rice noodles (that have just the right bite).
Through the oxtail bones, you can really taste the fragrant spices and it’s testament the oxtails have been steeped in liquid gold for hours. Topped with crunchy bean sprouts, spring onions and a wedge of lemon—this is one for the serious beef phở eaters. I like to give the broth a taste (that first sip, always) before giving it a squeeze of lemon for brightness (saving it then for my water glass). Dip the pieces in their housemade chilli oil with hoisin (it arrives already made in a ramekin, and a great chilli riff on sweet hoisin—note there isn’t sriracha with this one) for that sweet and spicy Chinese-meets-Vietnamese flavour to warm you right up. With only a short walk from the Newmarket train station (or I’ve heard they also offer free parking for up to two hours—a solid amount of time to really relish this), this is a definite phở go-to.
Saigon Social
39-41 Elliott Stables, Elliott Street, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Saigon Social | Vicki Young [warm wooden backdrop, separate sprouts]
If you’re after a pre-show phở, Saigon Social has got you. Located inside Eliott Stables as the newest addition to the global assortment of cuisines on offer there, there’s something for everyone’s taste—it’s such a great central space to pop into with the crew for dinner before you head out, sharing a table with all eateries’ dishes in one handy location.
The combination beef phở is my choice—with medium-rare beef, tender beef and beef meatballs, I like to quickly dip the medium-rare beef until just cooked first, letting them rest over the tender beef while alternating between noodles, crunchy beansprouts and spoonfuls of warming broth (I like to save the beef meatballs for last). Add a flavoursome grilled pork skewer on the side to snack on too, and a refreshing Vietnamese beer (they also sell beer too).
Mr T’s Baked Goods and Eatery
210 Onehunga Mall, Onehunga
Image credit: Mr T’s | Vicki Young
Located right on the main Onehunga strip is Mr T’s. Owned by husband and wife duo, baker Dieu Tran (Mr. T) gets up at the crack of dawn to bake the fresh rolls for bánh mì as well as his legendary sourdough (which you must get with your phở) and chef Trinh Tran (Mrs T) is in the kitchen—together they’re bringing a mix of classic bakery goods and brunch options, along with Vietnamese faves on the menu (making it even harder to choose just one thing). Steak and cheese pie aside, the bánh mì is a must, along with their beef phở—make sure go early to get one (of each) before it sells out.
Try It Out
79 Atkinson Avenue, Ōtāhuhu
Image credit: Try It Out | Vicki Young
Try It Out is an Auckland institution, opened by husband and wife Xuan Ha and Duyen Vo, who have since passed it on to their daughters Jenny and Jane who have been running it for years. Coming to Aotearoa as refugees from Vietnam, their parents worked incredibly hard opening up the restaurant and the legacy lives on—the name Try It Out itself came about as an English translation to encourage customers to come in and try the menu back in the day.
Those kids that once went with their parents to Try It Out, have brought their kids here and to this day, the place hums (go early to get a park before the lunch rush). With so many dishes I actually do want to try out—I keep going back to my fave, beef meatballs in their phở bò viên. The texture is springy, the savoury beef contrasting with the sweet phở, and the portions generous. They even have phở tái gan—with a combination of rare beef and beef tendon (the latter, rendered meltingly tender from simmering in broth for hours, I’d like to think). I’ll be back to try it out next time. Note: I’ve only been to the O.G. Ōtāhuhu spot (since 1989), but they also have one in Burswood (with robot waiters) that opened later.
Hai Phong
29 Pearn Crescent, Northcote
Image credit: Hai Phong | Vicki Young
When I first moved to Tāmaki Makaurau (almost four years ago), I didn’t live far from Northcote Village. Hai Phong’s phở would be go-to my sustenance dish, a nourishing bowl of comfort on a day off from working in the restaurant. The luxury to just sit here with a hot pot of tea (it's complimentary) and enjoy their phở, whatever the time of the day and to know it’s always consistently good.
The phở is massive, with all the necessary condiments tableside (plus a chilli crunch oil—a nod to their Vietnamese-Chinese dishes on the menu, also excellent) which I would mix into sriracha for an extra spicy kick. If you’ve read this far, you’ll know my order: the beef meatballs are abundant and the bowl is so big, I can never finish the broth. I wouldn’t recommend you order anything else (but if you do feel your eyes are bigger than your stomach, then the Vietnamese spring rolls are excellent to start with).
MadamYen
31 Clyde Road, Browns Bay
Image credit: MadamYen | Vicki Young
I happened to come across MadamYen by accident on a day off, just for coffee (Vietnamese egg coffee, that is) and ended up with phở. Their broth is made with chicken and beef bones, and I opted for a traditional beef in Northern Vietnamese phở (Phở bò tái chín) style—rare and well-done beef with a lighter, spiced broth that let the meat flavours shine. Their other popular special phở pick has a combination of rare beef, sliced beef and braised beef—you can even get a combo with the quẩy (fried dough stick) and a poached egg on the side (pierce it with the quẩy and then dunk it in the phở).
Roll’d Vietnamese
Various Locations
Image credit: Roll’d Vietnamese | Supplied
Every bowl of Roll’d phở traces back to Mama Hoang’s kitchen and her recipe that inspired it all. With her recipe travelling from Vietnam to Australia, and now to Aotearoa, Roll’d’s phở is a nod to both the clean flavours of Northern Vietnam and the punchy broths of South Vietnam—they call their “Down Under broth” the perfect blend of both. With flavours like sliced rare wagyu, shredded poached chicken breast, a mixture of both meats, Bún bò Huế (spicy beef), seafood (with basa fillet, prawns and dried shrimp), or for the vegetarians—a shiitake mushroom and tofu number too.
I went to the opening of Roll’d in Sylvia Park last year and had a great conversation with the opening team about what Roll’d was about—a nod to family tradition and also giving back to those in need in Vietnam (helping build homes for families and children in need, which you can read more about here).
The locations are handy, being at the mall (all about that pre-grocery shopping phở). Dine-in at their Sylvia Park store, or check out their newly opened St Luke’s store. They’ve also got a Botany store opening in July and another site planned at Auckland Airport at the end of the year too.
Nam Viet - Vietnamese Food
Located in Atrium on Elliott Shopping Centre, 21/25 Elliott Street, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Nam Viet | Vicki Young
Another happy phở discovery on a walk through the city in the afternoon, where I found myself finding somewhere to duck into with the rain—enter Nam Viet in the Elliot Shopping Centre’s food court, where the visual menu led me to lock in with menu item ‘P3’ Phở Viet. Complete with medium-rare beef, flavoursome beef flank pieces and those prized beef meatballs which I have a soft spot for. Help yourself to condiments—the handy wee paper cups filled with sriracha and hoisin were the perfect dipping vessels for the beef meatballs.
The Phin House Vietnamese Cafe
1/1 Wagener Place, Mount Albert
Image credit: The Phin House Vietnamese Cafe | Website
Just opened last month, we spied The Phin House Vietnamese Cafe’s Deluxe Spicy Beef Noodle soup—and gosh it’s a bowl of beauty. With a spicy signature Huế-style broth that has lemongrass and shrimp paste, making it mouthwateringly umami in flavour and an excellent base for rare beef slices, pork ham and tender, fall-apart beef ribs. Complete with a poached egg, pierce it to coat the thick round noodles and slurp heartily with all the broth and fresh herb trimmings. For those who don’t want the spice, you can get the same toppings in their 12-hour simmered slow-simmered beef broth (along with fresh bean sprouts and a wedge of lime).
Pho N Co
372 Rosedale Road, Rosedale
Image credit: Pho N Co | Instagram
When Pho N Co first opened in 2024, they came in hot with bottomless phở for limited run. While they sadly don’t have this offering anymore, they still have the loyal following that makes this place a popular go-to for the locals (and worth travelling over the bridge for). This place can get packed, so if you’re clever about it, a weekday trip may just be in the cards (plus they have a special membership discount on weekdays too—jump on their socials for all the deets). Their house special phở is a popular pick (with combination rare and cooked beef cuts), and they also have a kids phở for the little ones. You can also get your hands on their phở at their sister cafe, District 7.
Viki Vietnamese Street Food
Located inside Glenfield Mall, Shop 503A Glenfield Mall, Glenfield Road, Glenfield
Image credit: Viki Vietnamese Street Food | Facebook
Maybe I am biased because my name is Vicki, but what are the chances there’s a build your own phở situation here at Viki Vietnamese Street Food in Glenfield. Located right out the front entrance of Glenfield Mall, make a beeline for their stone bowl phở—it keeps the broth hot while you add your variations of beef cuts (rare, cooked, minced) with noodles, quẩy, egg yolk and a bunch of fresh herbs.
Special Mention: ‘Flavours of Vietnam’ Cooking Class at Elemental Cooking School by Sachie
Image credit: Elemental Cooking School by Sachie | Vicki Young
What better way to enjoy phở than to take it to the next level and learn from the talented chefs at Elemental Cooking School by Sachie. Their ‘Flavours of Vietnam’ cooking class showcases phở and all the incredible spices that make up this popular street food choice in Vietnam. Learn how to make phở ga (chicken noodle soup) along with delicious fried fish and spring rolls, in a fun learning environment (it doesn’t even feel like work with the great crew on board), along with state of the art equipment (and your own bench to work from), then sit down and enjoy your efforts afterwards. Bring your own tupperware, because you will feel absolutely stuffed and can take your leftovers home (bonus lunch the next day). Check out the class here.
All this reading working up your appetite? Check out:
Main Image Credit: Roll'd | Supplied
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