Phở Near Currie Street? Bà Năm Is a Short Walk South

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

If you’re on Currie Street and the phở craving hits, here’s the straight answer: Bà Năm is at 65 Grote Street in Chinatown, two blocks south of you. Depending on where along Currie you start, that’s an honest 8–12 minute walk — close enough for a lunch break, easy after work.

Bà Năm isn’t a big-brand chain. It’s a Southern Vietnamese family kitchen: grandson Huynh Nguyen and owner Thi Gai Vo opened Adelaide in 2023, carrying on the phở Bà Năm Lời has cooked in her home kitchen in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh since the 1970s. Not a luxury venue, just very genuine — which is exactly what a weekday lunch should be.

How Far From Currie Street?

Currie Street runs parallel to Grote Street through the western CBD, with Franklin Street sitting in between. So from Currie, you’re two blocks north of us. Head south on any cross street — Morphett, or cut through towards the market precinct — and you’ll land at 65 Grote Street, Adelaide SA 5000, right in Chinatown.

Real-world timing: 8–12 minutes on foot, depending on where along Currie you start and how the lights treat you. If you’re based closer to Franklin Street, you’re a block nearer again — that walk is covered on our Franklin Street page.

Why This Kitchen

Bà Năm isn’t a name we made up for the sign. Bà Năm Lời cooked home-kitchen phở from the 1970s in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh. Her grandson Huynh Nguyen and owner Thi Gai Vo opened the Adelaide kitchen in 2023, carrying that recipe with them.

The broth simmers for 18 hours over beef bones. Huynh still does Sunday farm runs for the beef himself — that’s the level of fuss we’re talking about, applied quietly rather than shouted about. In 2025 the kitchen was named a finalist in the Hostplus SA Restaurant & Catering Awards (Vietnamese category) — finalist, not winner, and we’ll say it straight. Glam Adelaide has featured the kitchen too. But mostly we’d rather you judge the bowl. We’re not a luxury venue, just very genuine.

What to Order: Office Lunch / After Work

On a lunch break from Currie Street (you’ve got the walk both ways, so keep it efficient):

• Phở Tái “red coin” — paper-thin slices of rare, locally sourced beef that cook in the bowl when the boiling 18-hour broth hits them. The signature, and the fastest route to understanding the place. (More in our best phở in Adelaide guide and first-timer’s guide.)
• Cơm tấm — broken rice, if you want something you can eat quickly without a spoon-and-chopsticks operation.
• Chả giò on the side if you’ve got a few extra minutes.

After work, when you’re not watching the clock:

• Phở Thố Đá — the stone bowl keeps the broth properly hot from first slurp to last. Worth the sit-down.
• Bún bò Huế — for when you want something with more heat and heft than phở.
• Gỏi bò tái chanh and hoành thánh chiên to share if you’ve dragged colleagues along.

We won’t quote prices here — check the live menu for the current line-up.

The Honest Bits

• Peak waits are real. At busy lunch and dinner times you may wait 15–30 minutes for a table. If your lunch hour is genuinely an hour, aim slightly early or slightly late, or order ahead on the app at order.phobanam.com.au — there’s a small credit on your first app order.
• It’s a walk, not a stroll to the corner. Two blocks is two blocks. In summer heat or winter rain, factor it in. Most people find it a fair trade for the bowl at the end.
• Walk-ins welcome, but groups should plan. Eight or more? Call ahead on (08) 8151 0106. Smaller groups can book via OpenTable.
• Hours: seven days, 11am–9pm, extending to 9:30pm from October to March, public holidays included.

Coming From Elsewhere

Not actually on Currie Street? We’ve mapped the walk from most corners of the CBD:

• Vietnamese near Grenfell Street — eastern-central CBD between Rundle Mall and Pirie.
• Franklin Street — one block closer than Currie, about 5–10 minutes.
• Waymouth Street — three blocks north of Grote on the western office strip (~10–15 min walk).
• Hindley Street — coming from the north-west end of town.
• King William Street — peeling off the main spine.
• Victoria Square and the Central Market — short flat walks.
• Gouger Street — one block south of us on the dining strip.
• Morphett Street — western CBD edge by the Market, short walk east along Grote.
• Hutt Street and Pirie Street — from the eastern side of the grid.

Or start broad with our Chinatown guide and the CBD overview.

Working a block south on Flinders Street? Same Chinatown walk, slightly different start line.

The Short Version

From Currie Street: walk two blocks south, 8–12 minutes, to 65 Grote Street in Chinatown. Order the Phở Tái “red coin” if it’s your first visit, the Phở Thố Đá if you’ve got time to linger. Open seven days, 11am–9pm (9:30pm October–March). Walk-ins welcome; peak waits run 15–30 minutes; groups of 8+ should ring (08) 8151 0106. Not a luxury venue — just a family recipe from Trảng Bàng, made properly, two blocks from your desk.

Bà Năm — 65 Grote Street, Adelaide SA 5000. Open seven days, 11am–9pm, extending to 9:30pm over summer (October to March), including public holidays. Phone (08) 8151 0106, or order ahead at order.phobanam.com.au.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Bà Năm from Currie Street in Adelaide?

Bà Năm is at 65 Grote Street in Chinatown, two blocks south of Currie Street (Franklin Street sits in between). It's an honest 8–12 minute walk depending on where along Currie you start.

Is Bà Năm good for a lunch break from a Currie Street office?

Yes, if you plan for the walk both ways and the queue. Peak lunch waits can run 15–30 minutes, so arrive slightly early or late, or order ahead via the app at order.phobanam.com.au for pickup — there's a small credit on your first app order.

What should I order at Bà Năm on a first visit?

The signature is Phở Tái "red coin" — paper-thin rare, locally sourced beef cooked in the bowl by boiling 18-hour bone broth. The Phở Thố Đá stone bowl, which keeps the broth hot throughout, is the other house special.

What are Bà Năm's opening hours near the Adelaide CBD?

Bà Năm is open seven days a week, 11am–9pm, extending to 9:30pm from October to March. That includes public holidays. Walk-ins are welcome, and bookings are available via OpenTable.

Do I need to book a table at Bà Năm?

Walk-ins are welcome, though peak times can mean a 15–30 minute wait. You can book through OpenTable, and groups of 8 or more should call ahead on (08) 8151 0106.