Phở Near Franklin Street, Adelaide: Your Lunch Walk into Chinatown

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

If you work along Franklin Street — that west–east office run through the Adelaide CBD — you’re closer to a proper bowl of phở than you might think. Cut south towards Grote Street and Chinatown, and in roughly five to ten minutes on foot (depending on where along Franklin you start) you’ll reach Bà Năm at 65 Grote Street. Easy lunch loop. Easier after-work stop.

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 Franklin Street?

Franklin Street runs parallel to Grote Street, one block north through the western CBD. From most points along Franklin you simply cut south onto Grote — or angle through the Moonta Street side of Chinatown — and follow it to number 65. Call it 5–10 minutes at a normal walking pace; less if you’re starting from the eastern end closer to the city centre.

• Western Franklin: head south to Grote and walk east into the Chinatown precinct.
• Central Franklin: cut through via Moonta for the Chinatown atmosphere, then out onto Grote.
• Near Victoria Square / eastern end: you’re only a few minutes away — see our Victoria Square guide if that’s your usual patch.

If your desk is closer to the city spine, our King William Street guide covers the peel-off at Grote from that direction instead.

Why This Kitchen

The broth simmers for 18 hours on real bones. The beef is locally sourced — Huynh still does Sunday farm runs. The signature Phở Tái “red coin” is paper-thin rounds of rare beef laid raw into the bowl, cooked in seconds by the boiling broth poured over the top. You watch it turn from red to rose at your table.

The wider Adelaide food scene has noticed: Bà Năm was a 2025 Hostplus SA Restaurant & Catering Awards finalist in the Vietnamese category, and Glam Adelaide has featured the kitchen. Finalist, not winner — and we’re happy to say it straight. The thing that keeps Franklin Street offices walking over Grote is still the broth.

What to Order: Office Lunch / After Work

On the clock:

• Phở Tái “red coin” — clean, fast once seated, big flavour. (More in our first-timer’s guide to phở.)
• Cơm tấm — broken rice with grilled pork when you want rice over noodles.
• Chả giò or hoành thánh chiên — quick shares while mains land.

After work, with time to spare:

• Phở Thố Đá — stone bowl that keeps everything roaring hot.
• Bún bò Huế — lemongrass-chilli depth for a Friday finish.
• Gỏi bò tái chanh — lime-cured rare beef salad if you’ve come down with colleagues.

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

The Honest Bits

Straight talk for a lunch break:

• Peak times mean a wait. Expect an honest 15–30 minutes at the busiest lunch and dinner windows. The broth doesn’t rush.
• Beat the rush: arrive right on 11am open or after about 1:30pm.
• Walk-ins are welcome. Most people just turn up.
• Booking works too. OpenTable is live on our book page; groups of 8 or more should call (08) 8151 0106 ahead.
• In a genuine hurry? Order ahead at order.phobanam.com.au — there’s a small credit on your first app order.

Coming From Elsewhere

Franklin is just one CBD approach. If you’re starting somewhere else:

• Vietnamese near Grenfell Street — eastern-central CBD between Rundle Mall and Pirie.
• Chinatown Adelaide — the wider precinct around Grote and Moonta.
• King William Street — peel-off at Grote from the spine.
• Currie Street — two blocks north of Grote on the western CBD office strip (8–12 min).
• Waymouth Street — three blocks north of Grote on the western office strip (~10–15 min walk).
• Gouger Street — one block south on the dining strip.
• Morphett Street — western CBD edge, short walk east along Grote into Chinatown.
• Hindley Street — north-west of us.
• Victoria Square and Central Market — short flat walks.
• Hutt Street / East End, Pirie Street, and the wider Adelaide CBD guide cover the rest.

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

One block south of Grote on the quiet Wright Street strip? See our Vietnamese near Wright Street guide (honest 2–8 minute walk for most of the street).

The Short Version

Working Franklin Street and want real Vietnamese? Cut south to Grote, walk into Chinatown, and you’re at an 18-hour broth, a red coin of rare beef, and a family recipe that’s been cooking since the 1970s.

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 Franklin Street, Adelaide?

Bà Năm sits at 65 Grote Street in Adelaide Chinatown, roughly a 5–10 minute walk south-east from Franklin Street depending on where along the street you start. Grote Street runs parallel to Franklin, one block south, so it's a simple cut-through.

Is Bà Năm good for a quick office lunch?

Yes, with one honest caveat: at peak lunch times expect a 15–30 minute wait, because the food is made properly. Arriving right at 11am open or after 1:30pm is quicker, and you can order pickup ahead via the app at order.phobanam.com.au, which includes a small credit on your first app order.

What is Bà Năm's signature dish?

The Phở Tái "red coin" — paper-thin rounds of rare, locally sourced beef that cook in the bowl when the boiling 18-hour bone broth is poured over them. The stone bowl Phở Thố Đá is the other signature, keeping the broth sizzling hot at the table.

Can I book a table for a work group near Franklin Street?

Walk-ins are welcome, and bookings are available through OpenTable. For groups of eight or more, call ahead on (08) 8151 0106 so the kitchen and floor can look after you properly.

Is Bà Năm open after work and on public holidays?

Yes. Bà Năm is open seven days from 11am to 9pm, extending to 9:30pm from October to March, and that includes public holidays — so an after-work dinner from the Franklin Street offices is always on.