Vietnamese food is one of those cuisines that has something for everyone. From crunchy and deep fried to fresh and packed with vegetables, from cheap and cheerful to fancy and fine dining; Vietnamese is a tasty and versatile cuisine that Gold Coast foodies cannot get enough of.
Read on for our roundup of 12 of the most drool-worthy Vietnamese restaurants on the Gold Coast right now.
Can Tho Kitchen and Bar
Runaway Bay
Northern Gold Coasters have much to brag about thanks to the word-of-mouth famous Can Tho Kitchen and Bar on Oxley Drive. Can Tho is Vietnamese food at its tastiest and most traditional. It’s a case of the more the merrier, with a menu designed for sharing amongst loved ones, although be warned: a family feud could easily be started over who gets the last spring roll. Get messy with fried chicken wings, sexy squid (yes, that’s what it’s called), laughing bao or just slurp up a big ol’ bowl of pho. As for cocktails, we can’t go past the Lychee Bubble Mojito. Can Tho? More like Can Do, amirite?
Quan 55
Chirn Park
This casual family-owned eatery is always busy, a testament to its varied and unique twist on Vietnamese classics. Sip on a freshly pressed local sugar cane juice as you enjoy surprising yet delectable treats such as marinated quail with mint salad, grilled sea scallops with shallot butter sauce and peanuts, crispy pork and prawn crepes with lettuce wraps, pork belly with eggs and pickled veg or their famous, hearty beef pho. Word to the wise: don’t forget to book as Quan 55 can get packed with hungry patrons.
Jimmy Wah’s
Burleigh Heads
Nestled smack bang in the bustling hub of Burleigh, Jimmy Wah’s is definitely one pho for the Gold Coast long lunch crowd. Its uber-contemporary menu features delights such as melt-in-the-mouth tempura oysters, the crispy Vietnamese pancake with pork larb and prawns, and ocean trout tartare. Jimmy’s sticky, caramelised pork belly is an absolute must-share, and they even have a dedicated vegetarian menu for the plant-based peeps among us. It’s modern Vietnamese with Gold Coast flair.
My Saigon Tuckshop
Burleigh Waters
Simple done well is the name of the game at My Saigon Tuckshop in Burleigh. This unassuming shopfront gains five-star reviews on the regular from loyal locals and pleasantly surprised tourists who just love to chow down on its loaded bánh mì, steaming pho and utterly crave-able lemongrass chicken bowls. With friendly service and reasonable prices to boot, we just wish they had these type of tuck shops when we were at school.
NAÂMi
Burleigh Heads 
Looking for something with a little extra cool factor? How about a hidden speakeasy disguised behind the shopfront of a banh mi takeaway joint? Say hello to NAÂMi, the uber-cool speakeasy bar serving up incredibly artful cocktails with Vietnamese-style twists and a banging after-dark scene. In addition to their vibrant drinks and always-buzzing atmosphere, the shopfront which serves as a disguise for the back-end bar also slings up incredible Vietnamese fare to eat-in or takeaway. NAÂMi Takeaway is a pint-sized joint, which slings up a tempting array of authentic banh mi, banh mi burgers, very generous spring rolls and pho to-go. The smoked tofu banh mi is our go-to.
Vietnam Oi
Surfers Paradise
Vietnam Oi in the Surfers Centre Arcade slings a colourful selection of hearty treats from an always-lively kitchen. The menu is packed full of traditional Vietnamese cuisine with a few dim sum items thrown in just to mix things up. Dishes you may not find everywhere else include Bo Ka (beef stew with carrot), Bun Cha Ha Noi (Grilled pork cake) and pork ribs with the chef’s special coffee sauce. This one is a major favourite with the Uber Eats crowd.
Ming Ming’s Express
Surfers Paradise
This bustling northern Vietnamese eatery brings a tasty twist to fast food, with its quick turnaround philosophy juxtaposed next to a menu rich in nutritious, colourful flavour combos and zesty sides. You’ll never go back to fast food again after trying Ming Ming’s wings with teriyaki or garlic fish sauce. The salad bowls, rice paper rolls and bánh mì make for the perfect grab-and-go lunch, while the hearty egg noodle wonton with pork and bok choy is about as authentic as you can get without hopping on a 12-hour flight. Hands down, one of the Gold Coast’s best spots for Vietnamese.
Viet Au Kitchen
Oxenford
Get all the Viet-noms your little heart desires at this cheap and cheerful eatery in Oxenford. It’s fuss free and easy to choose with a simple and tasty menu featuring bangin’ bánh mìfor just $6.99, pho and noodle salads for $12.99 and slurpy stews and rice dishes for $13.99. Viet Au Kitchen is dishing up all the flavour without the hefty price tag.
Lam Kitchen Bar
Coolangatta
Southern Gold Coasters can boast what have been called arguably the best spring rolls on the Gold Coast at Lam Kitchen Bar in The Strand at Cooly. This uber-busy Asian eatery features seriously stacked soups, heaped with generous protein portions, crispy skin chicken, pillowy bao, betel leaf wraps and hot, crunchy spring rolls served pork, prawn or vego style with nuoc cham. Top contender for the best Vietnamese on the Southern Gold Coast.
BunLee Bar & Brew
Burleigh Heads
Fresh, healthy, fast and sustainable, BunLee Bar & Brew in Burleigh Heads is a Bahn Mi-inspired Bun Bar and Cold Brew Coffee Bar. Decorated in beachy pastel hues, this super-modern and fresh take on a bánh mì café is so very Burleigh. The colourful and beautifully presented dishes include—of course—bánh mì, with your choice of pork, chicken beef or tofu, as well as bao, rice paper rolls and vermicelli salad bowls. Summer lunches: sorted.
O-Me-Ly Vietnamese
Broadbeach
This neighbourhood favourite gains a lot of its credibility from the number of South-East Asian locals who can be found dining there at any time of day. No frills, great prices, big flavours and generous portions are the consensus at this humble mixed Asian food hub. Featuring mostly Vietnamese fare, the menu includes all the usual suspects—big bowls of steaming noodle soup, green papaya salad, bahn xeo and sugar cane prawns. They do a raging takeaway service, too.
Pho 333
Southport
Residing within the Cecil Hotel on Nerang Street, Pho 333 is one of those unassuming IYKYK local joints that features tempting dishes at reasonable prices. This tiny Vietnamese spot just opposite the G:Link station offers huge vermicelli bowls, grilled meats and of course the ubiquitous pho, all for a teeny-tiny $12 and under. Add a side of crunchy spring rolls for $6 and you can get a seriously hearty lunch or dinner for less than 20 smackeroos.
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