Pho pho pho – popular, but all pretty same-same tasting at the Auckland restaurants in my experience. So when my friend described Viki as having the best pho in Auckland, I realised it was time to drop by and re-evaluate.
The scene was set by a gorgeous day – finally a bit of summer breaking through the chill. Viki is located in a quiet intersection in Onehunga / Penrose area near One Tree Hill in a copse of little tiny restaurants with very little seating. Viki has a bit of indoor seating (a bit too close to the counter) as well as some outdoor but isn’t built for big groups. We chose an outdoor table with afternoon sun streaming down on us.
Service was friendly, quick and accommodating despite us being slow to make decisions. We ordered fresh summer rolls (x 3 sliced in half) and deep fried spring rolls (both $8.50) as starters.
Both were served with fish dipping sauce which was very difficult to effectively drown your rolls in (my preferred method) due to it being in a small, cumbersome bowl.
The summer rolls were large and juicy with not much flavour until bathed in dipping sauce. Ingredients were very fresh, and they were expertly rolled so they held together well.
The fried spring rolls were my favourite of the two and had a more earthy flavour with pork, veges and noodles. They were very freshly fried, and delicious.
Although I had fully intended on grabbing pho, the weather was so warm and I wasn’t happy with the idea of hot soup in the hot sun. I opted for grilled marinated pork on vermicelli ($15.90) (you could also choose rice, rice noodles – awesome to have that choice). It was a assembled a bit differently than I am used to, with slices of less fatty than expected char-grilled pork on vermicelli with salad and fish sauce for drizzling.
I loved the addition of sesame seeds, and the portion of meat was very generous. There was quite a bit less noodles than I have enjoyed at other Viet restaurants, but that wasn’t necessarily bad – perhaps not as filling, though. My impression of the dish was a bit marred by the fact that the meat seemed a little overcooked for such a lean cut. I definitely prefer pork chop, or sliced fatty pork that is usually used for this type of dish.
I also found the volume of fish sauce to be slightly lacking for the size of the meal, maybe I’m the only one that wants to make my meal swim. Also I’m unsure if it’s the same type of sauce, but I thought it was supposed to be nuoc mam cham – a sauce with a real punch of flavour. This is how I like my fish dipping sauce – with herbs, garlic and chilli.
I also tried some of the beef pho from my friend’s bowl. Viki’s pho has a huge focus on fresh herbs and succulent soup flavouring. It was almost entirely green from the huge amount of sprouts, spring onions and herbs balanced on top. The broth was very, very tasty with a generous amount of silky, rare beef slices. just below the green layer. It was also searing hot – made fresh!
A bit of sriracha and lemon juice also added another dimension to it – mmm!
So is it the best pho in Auckland? I am still on the hunt to answer that, but it was definitely one of the best I’ve tasted. Absolutely worth stopping by if you’re a bit of a pho-natic.
Lemongrass chicken was enjoyed by my friend. Though I didn’t get a chance to try, it seemed to be sitting on the identical base that my pork was. It was proclaimed to be delicious with murmurs of delight from my friend. Clearly a great non-pho crowd pleaser.
Even though we were pretty well stuffed with food, we decided to make room for something from the baking cabinet that had been staring at us all evening. The gluten free brownie was first pick, then a chocolate choux pastry. Both baked on-site.
The brownie was unusually absolutely delicious (this being proclaimed by someone who just ate the best brownie of their life at Happy Boy). I generally love gluten, but this was definitely way more delicious than most flour-based brownies I’ve tried. Extremely silky and moist and a decent-sized.
Asking the staff to heat it up was a great decision to make! Pictorial evidence shows that the brownie was attacked as it touched the table, my camera barely had time to catch it before it was gone.
My only qualm was that it left the plate quite oily so perhaps the moistness was just a whole heap of butter.
The choux pastry on the other hand was a bit disappointing. Cream ratio to pastry was decent, but the chocolate on top was very meagre. Just a casual smear as though it were an afterthought. The choux pastry itself was also a bit old, I assume it was baked in the morning. I would skip this unless it was fresh – perhaps ask when it was baked if you’re unsure.
Overall, a scrumptious meal. I highly recommend Viki Cafe and am excited to go back and try more menu items. The outdoor seating will continue to be a gem of hang out spot as summer arrives.
Make plans, and make the trip!
Kiwi Eats Asia 