Vietnamese Near Waymouth Street, Adelaide: The Walk to Bà Năm Is Worth It

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

If you work along Waymouth Street — the western CBD strip north of Currie — you’re a little further from Chinatown than your Currie and Franklin Street neighbours. Not far, though. Bà Năm sits at 65 Grote Street, three blocks south, and the walk lands somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes depending on where along Waymouth you start and how the lights treat you.

That’s a real lunch walk, not a dash. But it buys you a bowl of phở built on an 18-hour bone broth, made the way Bà Năm Lời made it in her home kitchen in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh, since the 1970s. Her grandson Huynh Nguyen brought the recipe to Adelaide in 2023 with owner Thi Gai Vo, and it’s been drawing western-CBD office workers south ever since.

How Far Is Bà Năm from Waymouth Street?

The geography is simple. From Waymouth Street, head south and the cross streets fall in order: Currie, then Franklin, then Grote. Bà Năm is at 65 Grote Street, right in Adelaide Chinatown near the western end.

That’s three blocks, and an honest 10–15 minutes on foot — a touch longer than the walk from Currie Street (two blocks, 8–12 minutes) or Franklin Street (one block, 5–10 minutes). If you’re on the western end of Waymouth near West Terrace, you’re closer to the 10-minute mark; further east, budget the full 15. Either way, it’s a straightforward straight-line walk south with no navigating required — and the return leg works nicely as your post-phở loop back to the desk.

Why This Kitchen Is Worth Three Blocks

Bà Năm isn’t a luxury venue — it’s just very genuine. The phở recipe belongs to Bà Năm Lời, who cooked it from her home kitchen in Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh, from the 1970s. In 2023, her grandson Huynh Nguyen and owner Thi Gai Vo opened the Grote Street restaurant to serve that same Southern Vietnamese bowl in Adelaide.

The broth simmers for 18 hours over beef bones. The beef is locally sourced — Huynh does the Sunday farm runs himself. And the Phở Tái arrives with "red coin" beef: paper-thin rounds of rare beef that cook in the bowl the moment the boiling broth hits them. It’s a small piece of theatre, but it’s really just how the dish is meant to work.

The kitchen was named a finalist in the Vietnamese category at the 2025 Hostplus SA Restaurant & Catering Awards, which is a fair reflection of where it sits: a family restaurant doing one thing properly.

What to Order After the Walk South

You’ve earned the bowl. Here’s how Waymouth Street regulars tend to play it:

On a lunch break (you’ve got the walk both ways — order smart):

• Phở Tái — the classic. Red-coin rare beef cooked in the bowl by 18-hour broth. Fast to the table, warming, and you’re back at your desk on time.
• Cơm tấm — broken rice, a solid one-plate lunch if you’re not in a soup mood.
• Chả giò — crisp spring rolls if you’re splitting starters with a colleague.

After work (no clock, take your time):

• Phở Thố Đá — the signature stone-bowl phở. The stone bowl keeps everything hot from first spoonful to last; this is the one to sit with.
• Bún bò Huế — spicier, deeper, made for the end of a long day.
• Gỏi bò tái chanh and hoành thánh chiên — the beef salad and fried wontons round out a shared table when a few of you walk down together.

Groups of eight or more heading down after work should call ahead on (08) 8151 0106 — smaller bookings run through OpenTable.

The Honest Bits

A few things worth knowing before you set off:

• It’s a 10–15 minute walk from Waymouth Street. Longer than from Currie or Franklin. If your lunch hour is genuinely an hour, it works; if it’s 45 minutes, consider ordering ahead via the app.
• Peak waits run 15–30 minutes. Lunch rush and Friday evenings are real. The 18-hour broth doesn’t hurry and neither does the queue.
• It’s not a luxury venue. Family restaurant, wooden tables, herbs on the side. That’s the point.
• Ordering ahead helps. The app at order.phobanam.com.au takes pickup orders, and there’s a small credit on your first order through it.
• Open seven days, 11am–9pm (until 9:30pm October–March), public holidays included — so the walk works any day of the week.

Coming from Somewhere Else in the CBD?

Waymouth Street is one strip on the map. If your desk — or your afternoon — is elsewhere:

• Eastern CBD office strip: Flinders Street.
• Vietnamese near Grenfell Street — eastern-central CBD between Rundle Mall and Pirie.
• One block closer on Currie Street, or nearly on the doorstep from Franklin Street.
• Up on North Terrace? You’re one block north of Waymouth — same walk, one block longer.
• Coming down King William Street or from Victoria Square, you’ll approach from the east.
• After a night on Hindley Street, we’re a straight walk south.
• Coming from the western edge? See Vietnamese near Morphett Street.
• Already in the Central Market precinct, on Gouger Street or in Chinatown? You’re practically here.
• East side of town? See Hutt Street, Pirie Street, or start with the full Adelaide CBD guide.

The Short Version

Bà Năm is at 65 Grote Street in Adelaide Chinatown — three blocks south of Waymouth Street, an honest 10–15 minutes on foot. Family recipe from Trảng Bàng, Tây Ninh, 18-hour bone broth, red-coin Phở Tái, and the stone-bowl Phở Thố Đá as the signature. Open seven days. Expect a wait at peak, or order ahead on the app. Not a luxury venue — just very genuine.

Bà Năm — 65 Grote Street, Adelaide SA 5000. Open seven days, 11am–9pm (until 9:30pm October–March), public holidays included. Phone (08) 8151 0106. Order ahead at order.phobanam.com.au — there’s a small credit on your first app order. Bookings via OpenTable; groups of 8+ please call.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to walk from Waymouth Street to Bà Năm?

Roughly 10–15 minutes. Bà Năm is at 65 Grote Street, three blocks south of Waymouth — you'll cross Currie and Franklin Streets on the way. Timing depends on where along Waymouth you start and the pedestrian lights.

Is Bà Năm realistic for a lunch break from the western CBD?

Yes, if you have a proper hour. The walk is 10–15 minutes each way, and peak lunch waits can run 15–30 minutes. Ordering ahead for pickup via order.phobanam.com.au is the safest bet on a tight schedule.

What's the difference between Phở Tái and Phở Thố Đá?

Phở Tái is the classic bowl with "red coin" rare beef — paper-thin rounds cooked in the bowl by the boiling 18-hour broth. Phở Thố Đá is the signature stone-bowl version, where the heated stone bowl keeps everything piping hot throughout.

What are Bà Năm's opening hours?

Seven days a week, 11am–9pm, extending to 9:30pm from October to March. The restaurant is open on public holidays too, so a Waymouth Street walk works any day.

Can I book a table for a work group?

Yes — bookings run through OpenTable, and groups of 8 or more should call ahead on (08) 8151 0106 so the kitchen and floor can be ready for you.