Perth’s Vietnamese dining makes the city infinitely more delicious, offering everything from traditional street food, to warming noodle soups and everything in between. Here’s where to get your fix.
After the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, thousands of Vietnamese resettled in Australia as refugees, bringing a cuisine influenced by its Chinese and French colonial past, and neighbours in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
Vietnamese food is fresh and aromatic, and makes use of herbs like lemongrass, coriander and mint, and their variants, including Vietnamese mint and sawtooth coriander. The cuisine has its own distinctive and recognisable balance of savoury, sour and sweet flavours, prevalent in dressings and sauces, often punctuated by fish sauce. Many Vietnamese dishes have gained widespread appeal, so much so that nowadays in Perth bánh mì have become as ubiquitous as conti rolls and a bowl of phở is hotly sought after, vying for the title of everyone’s favourite bowl of noodles.
Perth is abundant with Vietnamese options, but the north and south of the river divide stands out – the north has the stronghold, but places can be found where you least expect it. Here are our picks on where to find hearty Vietnamese around Perth.
Bánh Mì
These days bánh mì can be found everywhere from cafés, lunch bars and supermarkets to specialist stores. Everyone will have their go-to, and then there are places that perfect the sandwich, drawing a cult following of bánh mì enthusiasts.
Tucked away in an industrial area, Bibra Lake Lunch Bar looks unassuming on the outside, but the queues out the door during lunchtime say otherwise. Offering a dozen different variations on bánh mì, which are generously filled and balanced in composition, the quality of the offering has built a league of fans. Bibra’s roasted pork belly bánh mì is full of succulent pork belly with crisp crackling shards scattered all over, and the traditional bánh mì thịt is beautifully layered with Vietnamese cold cuts and a decent helping of pâté and mayonnaise, with tangy pickles that cut through.
DJ’s Willagees Lunch Bar is a little suburban lunchbar that has been making a name for itself in the bánh mì stakes, defined by its juicy and cracking roast pork belly, and seasonings with a mix of housemade special sauces. Their most popular order is The Mighty Bánh Mì which combines their crisp roast pork and traditional bánh mì, bringing the best of both worlds together.
In West Perth, the lines snake down Colin Street for Let’s Eat Lunch Bar & Cafe, but with a slick ordering system and a team of bánh mì makers powering away, this busy lunch bar makes sure the wait for its signature isn’t too long. Their baguettes are longer and crustier than your standard, and toasted well for good bite. Balance is key here, so even if their best seller, The Q & T Special, contains five different types of pork – rolled pork belly, Vietnamese pork sausage, barbecue pork, roast pork and grilled pork – may initially appear excessive, it achieves perfect harmony with just the right ratio of fillings.
Right in the middle of the CBD, Le Vietnam has established itself as a game-changer, where alongside traditional bánh mì, it offers an ever-changing range of bánh mì with unconventional fillings as well as special collaborations with the likes of Deli’s Continental and Big Don’s Smoked Meats. Expect anything from chicken with guacamole or spicy buffalo chicken to ultimate beef rib with the bone left in to be pulled out of the tender fall-apart meat before consuming. Plus, there’s a serious range of vegan bánh mì with plant-based spins on beef rendang, char siu pork, cheesy chicken and grilled lamb.
Elsewhere, in the Girrawheen food hub around the Newpark and Marangaroo shopping centres, four bánh mì specialist stores within 1 kilometre of each other offer some of the city’s most traditional bánh mì, with bread and fillings most aligned to those in the motherland. Nhu Loan Vietnamese Cafe delivers the goods here with its consistency and synergy of fillings encased in bread that hits the mark with a delicate crust and a tender, chewy-soft interior.
Northbridge
Starting in the heart of this city, Northbridge has long been a haven for food lovers with a number of Vietnamese offerings from classic through to more modern and trendy takes.
Situated away from the hustle of Northbridge up the top end of William Street off Brisbane Street, over the past 20+ years Tra Vinh Vietnamese Restaurant has remained a go-to for a Vietnamese feed. Expect no frills, basic décor and the classic look of mirrors along the walls. The menu covers the usual suspects of noodle and rice dishes, reliably and well executed. The classic rice noodle soups of phở and bún bò huế always hit the spot, but the egg noodles are worth slurping up too – mì vịt tiềm is a braised duck egg noodle soup with a flavourful dark broth of soy and herbs, and a fall-off-the-bone duck leg. Or order their crisp fried chicken with egg noodles.
Further down Brisbane Street, Phi Yen is a more spacious and sleek dinner spot with modern interiors for an ambience and menu offering steamboats and banquets fitting for groups. Ordering for one or more is easy with their large selection of dishes inspired by family recipes. The phở is solid, clear and packed with flavour, while a large range of fillings make up their fresh rice paper rolls, including grilled pork sausage and roasted duck. Bò lúc lắc, the Vietnamese shaking beef dish, is given a twist using veal for a more tender bite and flavour.
Since 2017, Chopsticks Viet on Newcastle Street has been widening the range of Vietnamese dishes on offer with its extensive menu. They’re one of the few places in Perth serving bún chả hà nội, in which fresh vermicelli noodles and herbs are served with Hanoi-style grilled juicy pork meatballs in a tangy sauce. Their bánh xèo is a must try, with a crepe that stays crisp and is filled to the brim with pork, prawns and bean sprouts. They also have plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options on offer.
Hot stone phở, you say? A trend that’s only been around for a few years and is basically a deconstructed phở where the broth comes bubbling hot in a stone bowl with the meat, noodles, and vegetables served on the side, this dish can be enjoyed in a manner similar to hot pot, by dipping the meat and noodles into the pot and eat as you go. Or put everything in all at once and enjoy a bowl of noodles that maintains heat. Sup So Good, on William Street, opened in 2019 to introduce hot rockstone phở to Perth with broth simmered for 16 hours and served with a range of accompaniments including chilli oil, pickled garlic and a side of savoury Chinese doughnuts. To go with it is a menu of specialty offal dishes, like pork offal steamed or stir-fried in shrimp sauce or served in congee (only available on weekends).
Thanh Dat Vietnamese Noodle House, is another 2019 opening that brought something new to Northbridge. Renowned for serving Perth’s first phở featuring beef short-rib, braised for 24 hours until fall-apart tender. Their phở can be further enhanced with bone marrow and premium wagyu. Vegan versions of phở and bún bò huế are also available and full of flavour, filled with a variety of mushrooms and tofu. Meanwhile, Thanh Dat’s rendition of the iconic Vietnamese broken rice dish, cơm tấm, is one of the best in town, with flavoursome and juicy grilled pork, perfectly cooked sunny-side-up fried egg, defined pickles and tangy-sweet dipping sauce.
Phat Lon.
Leederville
The vibrant inner city suburb of Leederville is known for its quirk and character with an eclectic range of cafés, restaurants and shops centered on Oxford Street. Former MasterChef Australia contestant Jenny Lam has made Leederville a home base for exploring food from her culture with a more contemporary take. Her first venture Bunn Mee, opened in 2018, has become a popular takeaway lunch spot, with a range of classic bánh mì made fresh to order in their indoor food cart that transports you to the streets of Vietnam. The noodle salads are satisfyingly good with meats expertly grilled to bring out enticing charred and smoky flavours.
A couple of years ago, the Lam family’s second venture Phat Lon raised the stakes as Perth’s first Vietnamese tapas bar where on the plate, mindfully sourced local produce takes suburban fare a step further. The menu, designed to share, is made up of traditional street dishes with a modern twist. A punchy take on nem chua – fermented pork sausage – hums with peppery tones. Beef wrapped betel leaves are charged with pork fat before being grilled to a char. Bánh xèo is deconstructed into a salad of deep fried Skull Island prawns battered with the crêpe mixture, served on a bed of shredded mustard greens and perilla.
Morley
Morley has a burgeoning food scene with a global food market within Coventry Village and many culturally diverse restaurants popping up around the Galleria Shopping Centre.
Located in the Coventry Village, Uncle Lam Vietnamese Noodle House runs a tight menu serving phở, cơm tấm and rice vermicelli noodle salads with friendly and fast service for conveniently grabbing a bite in between shopping. Uncle Lam has built a reputation for its rich and savoury phở broth with fresh noodles and generous beef toppings.
Then, there’s a certain charm walking into Hu Tieu Mi Ben Tre, where traditional ornaments decorate shelves and walls filled with large paintings depict the iconic countryside and street scenes of Vietnam. Delve into the dishes of Vietnam here with a large menu covering the fundamentals and telltale smells wafting from the kitchen. It’s a place to try other lesser-known noodle soups, like hủ tiếu mì – a pork and seafood noodle soup recommended with a mix of rice and egg noodles – and bún riêu, a crab and tomato noodle soup that’s packed with flavour and toppings.
Around the corner from Ben Tre is Little Viet Restaurant, a large and brightly lit space with modern furnishings and robot waiters. The menu is one of the city’s most extensive, covering all categories including salads, noodles, beef, pork, prawns, squid, fish with many choices of dishes that are great for sharing. Check out the chef’s specials with a focus on duck, quail, clams and sea snails dishes.
Girrawheen
Any serious talk on Vietnamese food in Perth leads you to Girrawheen, home to a large Vietnamese community, with a hub of some of the best Vietnamese restaurants around the Newpark and Marangaroo shopping centres, and their surrounds. Walk into any Asian supermarket in Girrawheen and you will find a large selection of Vietnamese products, plus sweet and savoury street food lining the counters. The NP Supermarket at Summerfield Shopping Centre even has Vietnamese signage down the aisles.
Trang’s Cafe & Noodle House in the Marangaroo Shopping Centre frequently tops the list for the city’s best Vietnamese, and consistently delivers the goods. With its signature red tables, Trang’s is always packed out (expect to share a table) but with fast service and turnover, the wait is never long. Their phở is full-bodied and the grilled pork chop that accompanies their rice and vermicelli dishes is flavourful and nicely charred. Special dishes are also available but only on certain days, one to try is the Saturday special, bún mắm, the pungent fermented-fish rice noodle soup.
A few shops down is Pho Phong, which has more of a cafeteria feel, serving classics that also hit the right notes. Their cơm tấm has a fragrant lemongrass-scented grill pork chop and is doused with spring onion oil. Bún bò huế is aromatic and layered with the flavour of shrimp paste. The phở tai has a darker beef broth humming with star anise and cinnamon. And their signature dish bún chả hà nội is a must-try, with smoky grilled pork meatballs and belly bathing in a sweet, tangy dipping sauce, served with an abundant platter of noodles and herbs.
Located at Summerfield Shopping Centre, VietTown Girrawheen has been making an impact since its opening in June 2021 with a stylish space encompassing a large undercover outdoor area and separate bánh mì kiosk smashing out bánh mì, bao and rice paper rolls. VietTown churn out fresh housemade rice noodles to go with their rich and smooth phở broth, too, and also offer a hotstone wagyu beef phở option. Their bò lúc lắc – Vietnamese shaking beef – is rich, garlicky, sweet and salty, and comes with their special fried rice.
Rounding out the northern suburb of Girrawheen requires a hop, skip and jump to Hu Tieu Thanh Liem in Mirrabooka. A spacious, light filled space with simple furnishings that deserves to be busier than it is. It serves an excellent bún bò huế with a spicy noodle soup accented with lemongrass and memorable bánh xèo with a crisp, yet delicate, golden crust, filled with pork and shrimp, and sprinklings of mung bean, onions and bean sprouts. A true hidden gem.
Pho Phong.
Fremantle
While Perth’s Vietnamese restaurants tend to be concentrated north of the river, when travelling south to the Port City, the historic Fremantle Markets are a must-visit. The Yard is brimming with street-food vendors showcasing flavours from around the world, and has been breeding ground for new food businesses that have gone on to open their own bricks and mortar venues – notably Eggspot, Suku and Chimek.
Here, Viet Kites has also made a name for itself with its roast pork belly croissant bánh mì, which has become a bestseller. Crowds queue on the weekends for flaky buttery croissants (from Zonts Bakehouse) sandwiching their signature crisp roast pork, with a smear of homemade chicken liver pâté and mayonnaise, plus crunchy pickles to balance it out. The standard bánh mì is also noteworthy, as is the roasted pork belly noodle salad.
Next door, Xoi Saigon serves its own take on Vietnamese street food, offering xôi mặn, a classic Saigon breakfast of sticky rice, adorned with sweet and savoury toppings including pâté, shredded chicken, Vietnamese ham, Chinese sausage, quail eggs and spring-onion oil. For something lighter, the range of glass noodle salads are prepared fresh and pack a punch, recommended with lemongrass beef.
When the stalls at the Fremantle Markets get packed out on the weekends, a short walk away, Viet Pho Cafe on Point Street, an easygoing café with friendly service, delivers the goods. Opening late last year, alongside some typical café food of sandwiches and baked iteam, are a solid selection of Vietnamese dishes featuring a phở with depth and a peppery touch – also available in a smaller size takeaway cup.
High on 55, which is located in the historic west end of High Street in Fremantle, has been busy feeding locals and visitors since 2003. While it serves up the standard breakfast offerings in the morning, the lunch menu is peppered with traditional Vietnamese dishes popular with lunchtime crowds. There are a number of phở options, bún bò huế and rice vermicelli noodle salads with various toppings. Service is quick, meals are made to take away, with phở available in a cup to grab and go.
Special Mentions
Away from Fremantle, a few other Vietnamese hot spots appear south of the river, where you least expect.
Around Cockburn Central, outside the train station are a hub of food places with Bunmee Pho Kitchen’s small shop delivering big flavours and drawing people in with their phở that’s clear and deeply fragrant with spices. With options named Pho Ever (cooked and raw beef) and Un Pho Gettable (with the lot, including beef tendons, beef balls and tripe), they are not messing around. Plus the service is attentive, with regulars remembered by their last order. The pork and prawn salad is also a refreshing dish, with pickled lotus stem adding freshness.
Finally, opening late in 2022, District 1 Saigon Cafe in Myraee has been gaining attention and become a favourite among locals for all the Vietnamese essentials, including fresh rice paper rolls, bánh mì, phở, salads and vermicelli. This is alongside bao and a unique phở offering, called phở bò sốt vang, featuring cubes of beef brisket stewed for hours in tomato, onion, spices and red wine sauce.
