Bún Thịt Nướng in Adelaide Chinatown — Grilled Pork Vermicelli

★ As featured in Glam Adelaide — 2025 SA Restaurant & Catering Awards finalist

On Grote Street in the heart of Adelaide Chinatown, bún thịt nướng is the bowl you order when the weather — or the mood — doesn't call for soup. It's a dry bowl: room-temperature rice vermicelli layered with warm char-grilled pork, crisp lettuce, cucumber, shredded carrot and fresh herbs, then brought together with a pour of nước chấm. The contrast is the whole point — smoke and caramel off the grill against cool noodles and bright, sharp dressing.

What Is Bún Thịt Nướng? (And Why It Isn't a Soup)

Bún thịt nướng translates roughly to "vermicelli with grilled meat", and the key word is isn't: it isn't a soup. Where a bowl of phở is all about hot broth — like our Phở Tái with its "red coin" of paper-thin rare beef cooked in the bowl by boiling 18-hour bone broth — bún thịt nướng is essentially a noodle salad. Cool, springy rice vermicelli sits at the base, topped with smoky grilled pork, shredded cucumber, carrot, lettuce and herbs, finished with spring onion and golden fried shallots.

The dressing is nước chấm — a fish sauce, lime, sugar and chilli mix served on the side. You pour it over, toss the whole bowl, and every bite lands somewhere between fresh, sweet, salty and charred. If you've only ever explored Adelaide's hot noodle soups (and we'd argue the case in our guide to the best phở in Adelaide), this is the dish that shows the other half of Southern Vietnamese eating.

From Trảng Bàng to Grote Street

Bà Năm was founded in Adelaide in 2023 by Huynh Nguyen and Thi Gai Vo, with recipes shaped by Bà Năm Lời's cooking in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh since the 1970s. The same care that goes into the 18-hour real-bone broth and the Phở Tái "red coin" — paper-thin rare beef cooked in the bowl by the boiling broth — goes into marinating and grilling the pork properly. It's not a luxury venue, just very genuine.

Huynh still makes Sunday farm runs for locally sourced beef, and the grilled pork gets the same unhurried treatment — marinated properly, grilled hot enough to catch real char marks. That approach earned us a spot as a 2025 Hostplus SA Restaurant & Catering Awards finalist in the Vietnamese Restaurant category, with coverage in Glam Adelaide along the way — recognition we're proud of, though the real measure is the bowls going out seven days a week.

The Vermicelli Family on the Menu

Bún thịt nướng is the hero, but it travels with siblings. Bún Thịt Nướng (grilled pork, $20) and Bún Gà Nướng (grilled chicken, $20) are the grilled classics. Bún Chả Giò ($20) swaps the meat for crunchy spring rolls over the noodles — and Bún Đặc Biệt ($24) is the loaded bowl for people who refuse to choose. You can also add Extra Chả Giò to any bowl — two for $6.50.

Plant-based eaters aren't an afterthought either: Bún Chả Giò Chay ($20), Bún Tàu Hủ Chay ($20) and Bún Chay Đặc Biệt ($24) round out the lineup — more on those in our guide to vegetarian Vietnamese food in Adelaide.

How to Eat It Like You've Done This Before

Step one: don't eat it in layers. Pour the nước chấm over the top, then use chopsticks (or a fork, no judgement) to toss the bowl properly — noodles up from the bottom, pork and vegetables folded through, fried shallots scattered everywhere. The dressing needs to reach the vermicelli, because lightly dressed noodles are the whole point.

Some versions around town lean on crushed peanuts; ours shows golden fried shallots and spring onion for that savoury crunch. Adjust chilli to taste, add a squeeze of lime if it's on the table, and eat while the pork still carries warmth from the grill against the cool noodles. That hot-cold contrast is the dish.

What to Order Alongside

Bún thịt nướng plays well with starters. Gỏi Cuốn Tôm Thịt ($14) — fresh prawn and pork rice paper rolls — keeps things light; we've written a full guide over at rice paper rolls in Adelaide. Chả Giò Thịt ($14) doubles down on the fried crunch, and a plate of Hoành Thánh Chiên fried wontons ($14 for six) is the other crackly opener people fight over. For something sharper, the lime-cured beef in our Gỏi Bò Tái Chanh guide makes a bright, tangy start.

And if you're grilled-pork-inclined but in a rice mood, try plain Cơm Sườn or go full pork-trio with Cơm Sườn Bì Chả — broken rice with grilled pork is the same flavour family in a different format (see also our cơm tấm guide). Finish with a cà phê đen đá or nâu đá ($8): strong Vietnamese iced coffee that stands up to a full bowl.

Where to find bún thịt nướng in Adelaide Chinatown and the CBD

Bà Năm sits at 65 Grote Street, in the heart of Adelaide Chinatown and an easy walk from most of the CBD — if you're hunting Vietnamese food in the Adelaide CBD, this corner of Grote Street is where to start. Bún Thịt Nướng is $20, and the same vermicelli bowl format runs across the menu: Bún Gà Nướng and Bún Chả Giò at $20 each, the loaded Bún Đặc Biệt at $24, and vegetarian siblings at the same prices. If someone at the table wants soup instead, the 18-hour bone broth and red coin Phở Tái are the house signatures.

Open seven days, 11am–9pm (until 9:30pm October–March), public holidays included. Fair warning: at peak times there's an honest 15–30 minute wait. You can book through OpenTable, call (08) 8151 0106 — groups of 8 or more should ring ahead — or skip the queue by ordering via the app at order.phobanam.com.au.

Visiting Bà Năm

You'll find Bà Năm at 65 Grote Street, Adelaide Chinatown, open seven days from 11am to 9pm (stretching to 9:30pm over summer, October to March), public holidays included. Walk-ins are welcome, and you can book via OpenTable — though fair warning, peak times can mean an honest 15–30 minute wait. Groups of 8 or more should call (08) 8151 0106 ahead. Prefer to order ahead? Our app is at order.phobanam.com.au.

Come hungry, pour the nước chấm with confidence, and toss the bowl properly.

Grilled Pork Off the Noodles

Same family of marinated char-grill, different format: Sườn Nướng is the $16 entrée plate of grilled pork on lettuce — handy if the table wants pork to share before vermicelli bowls arrive.

Frequently asked questions

Is bún thịt nướng served hot or cold?

It's a room-temperature dish. The vermicelli noodles and vegetables are cool and fresh, while the grilled pork comes warm off the grill. That contrast between warm char-grilled meat and cool noodles is one of the best things about the bowl. It's not a soup — no broth involved.

How much does bún thịt nướng cost at Bà Năm in Adelaide?

Bún Thịt Nướng is $20 at Bà Năm, 65 Grote Street, Adelaide Chinatown. Other vermicelli bowls include Bún Gà Nướng at $20, Bún Chả Giò at $20 and the loaded Bún Đặc Biệt at $24. Vegetarian versions — Bún Chả Giò Chay, Bún Tàu Hủ Chay and Bún Chay Đặc Biệt — range from $20 to $24. Extra Chả Giò (pork) are two for $6.50. Starters worth knowing: Gỏi Cuốn Tôm Thịt $14 for 3, Chả Giò Thịt $14 for 4, Hoành Thánh Chiên $14 for 6, and cà phê đen đá or nâu đá $8.

Are there vegetarian vermicelli bowls at Bà Năm?

Yes. Bún Chả Giò Chay ($20) tops the noodles with vegetarian spring rolls, Bún Tàu Hủ Chay ($20) uses tofu, and Bún Chay Đặc Biệt ($24) is the fully loaded vegetarian bowl. All come with the same fresh herbs, shredded vegetables and vermicelli as the classic bowls.

Do I need to book a table at Bà Năm?

Walk-ins are welcome seven days a week, though peak times can mean a 15 to 30 minute wait. You can book via OpenTable, and groups of eight or more should call (08) 8151 0106. You can also order ahead through the app at order.phobanam.com.au. Open 11am–9pm (9:30pm in summer, Oct–Mar), public holidays included.

Where is Bà Năm and when is it open?

Bà Năm is at 65 Grote Street in Adelaide Chinatown, near the Central Market. It's open seven days from 11am to 9pm, extending to 9:30pm during summer from October to March, and stays open on public holidays.

Where can I get bún thịt nướng (grilled pork vermicelli) in Adelaide CBD or Chinatown?

Bà Năm serves Bún Thịt Nướng at 65 Grote Street in Adelaide Chinatown, a short walk from most of the CBD. It's $20 a bowl — and worth knowing it's a dry noodle bowl, not a soup: cool vermicelli, fresh herbs, warm char-grilled pork on top, with nước chấm on the side to pour over. The restaurant is open seven days, 11am–9pm (until 9:30pm October–March), including public holidays. At peak times expect an honest 15–30 minute wait. Book via OpenTable, call (08) 8151 0106 (groups of 8+ should call ahead), or order through the app at order.phobanam.com.au.