Vietnamese Near Rundle Mall: The Walk to Bà Năm Is Worth It
★ As featured in Glam Adelaide — 2025 SA Restaurant & Catering Awards finalist
Rundle Mall is where Adelaide shops. But when the bags get heavy and the food-court options all start looking the same, there’s a better plan: point yourself south through the CBD grid and walk about 10–15 minutes to Grote Street. That’s where you’ll find Bà Năm — a family-run Southern Vietnamese kitchen on the Chinatown fringe, cooking from recipes Bà Năm Lời has made since the 1970s in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh.
How Far Is Bà Năm from Rundle Mall?
About 10 to 15 minutes on foot. From the Mall, head south through the city grid toward Victoria Square, then continue onto Grote Street. You’ll pass Adelaide Central Market and the Moonta Street paifang — we’re at 65 Grote Street, right on the Chinatown fringe. It’s a flat, easy walk, and a good reset between a morning shop and whatever comes next.
If you’re mapping the wider neighbourhood, our Vietnamese lunch near Central Market guide covers the market-day hop, our Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown Adelaide guide covers the precinct itself, the Vietnamese near Hindley Street guide covers the West End after-show walk, our Vietnamese near the Adelaide Convention Centre guide covers the Riverbank conference walk, and the Vietnamese food in Adelaide CBD overview ties the CBD together. Our Vietnamese near Adelaide Oval guide covers footy and cricket match days. This page is specifically for the Rundle Mall / after-shopping lunch walk.
What to Order After a Morning on the Mall
If you’ve been on your feet for hours, a bowl of phở does what a sandwich can’t. Our Phở Tái comes with what we call the “red coin” — paper-thin rounds of rare beef that cook in the bowl the moment the boiling broth hits them. That broth is the whole point of Bà Năm: 18 hours on real bones, no shortcuts, made with locally sourced beef that Huynh still collects on his Sunday farm runs. Phở Bò is $20 small or $22 large; the Phở Thố Đá in a hot stone bowl is $25. For the full broth story, see best phở in Adelaide.
Prefer a proper plate lunch? Cơm tấm — broken rice with grilled meat, pickles and nước chấm — is $20 and solid fuel for the rest of the day. The bánh xèo ($22) is a crackling turmeric crêpe you wrap in lettuce and herbs, good for sharing. Starters like rice paper rolls, wontons and prawn toast run $14, and grilled sườn nướng or gà nướng are $16.
Something Spicier, Something Bigger
Bún bò Huế — the lemongrass-and-chilli noodle soup from central Vietnam — is $20 small, $22 large, or $25 in the stone bowl. If a few of you have earned a real feed, the Stone Bowl Set at $39 is the table centrepiece. And don’t skip the drinks: cà phê đá ($8) if you still need the kick, trà tắc or trà đào ($10), fresh nước dừa ($8), or a tall chè ($10) with lychee and jelly if you’d rather finish with dessert in a glass.
What to Expect When You Arrive
Bà Năm opened in Adelaide in 2023, run by Bà Năm Lời’s grandson Huynh Nguyen and owner Thi Gai Vo. We’re not a luxury venue, just very genuine — a home kitchen that happens to sit on Grote Street. At peak lunch there’s an honest 15–30 minute wait, so if you’re mid-shopping-mission, come slightly early or late, or order ahead at order.phobanam.com.au and time your walk down. Walk-ins are always welcome; book via OpenTable if you like certainty; groups of eight or more should call ahead on (08) 8151 0106. We’re open seven days, 11:00am–9:00pm (9:30pm close October to March), so a late lunch after the shops is never a problem.
As featured in Glam Adelaide: Chinatown family phở spot serves up grandma’s authentic recipe · Named among Adelaide’s best restaurants of 2025 (finalist). Bà Năm was a 2025 Hostplus SA Restaurant & Catering Awards finalist in the Vietnamese Restaurant category — finalist, not winner, and we’re happy to say it straight. The broth still gets its 18 hours either way.
Make It Part of Your Rundle Mall Day
Adelaide’s CBD is walkable enough that lunch on Grote Street fits neatly into a shopping day — Mall in the morning, phở at midday, Central Market browse on the way back if you still have energy. For more dish guides and neighbourhood notes, browse the articles hub.
Next time the bags feel heavy on Rundle Mall, keep walking south. The broth will be ready when you are.
If your night started on Gouger Street instead of Rundle Mall, the same Chinatown finish applies — Vietnamese near Gouger Street is the one-block version.
Working the civic end of town? See also our Vietnamese near Victoria Square guide — about a five-minute flat walk north to 65 Grote Street.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Bà Năm from Rundle Mall?
Roughly 10–15 minutes on foot. Walk south from the Mall through the CBD grid toward Victoria Square, then onto Grote Street. Bà Năm is at 65 Grote Street on the Chinatown fringe, near the Central Market and the Moonta Street paifang.
Is Bà Năm good for a quick lunch after shopping?
Yes — phở, cơm tấm and bún bò Huế all arrive quickly once you are seated. At peak lunch there can be an honest 15–30 minute wait, so consider coming slightly early or late, or ordering ahead at order.phobanam.com.au.
What are Bà Năm's opening hours?
Open seven days, 11:00am to 9:00pm, with a later 9:30pm close from October to March. A late lunch after the shops is easy to fit in.
Do I need to book, or can I walk in from Rundle Mall?
Walk-ins are always welcome. Bookings are available through OpenTable, and groups of eight or more should call ahead on (08) 8151 0106.
What makes Bà Năm's phở different?
The broth simmers for 18 hours on real bones — no shortcuts — and the Phở Tái features the "red coin": paper-thin rounds of rare beef cooked in the bowl by the boiling broth. The beef is locally sourced, collected on Huynh's Sunday farm runs, and the recipes come from Bà Năm Lời's home kitchen in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh, dating to the 1970s.