Mekong Cafe is the first Vietnamese restaurant I have visited in Wellington since relocating from California.

Since we have outstanding Vietnamese cuisine in San Francisco, I wasn’t expecting much from this little cafe. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how good the pho tasted.

For those of you who don’t know what “pho” is, it is the beef bouillon broth-based rice noodle soup that is ubiquitous in Vietnam. The locals eat it morning, noon and night, and there are different beef ingredients in it.

For example, my “pho dac biet” (special combo pho) came with beef meatballs and thin slices of rare and well-done beef only. Usually, a “dac biet” also includes tripe, tendon, fatty flank steak and brisket slices. Wish I had these items in my pho.

If you’re not adventurous, I’d suggest ordering the “pho tai”, which is the steak pho.

The accompanying sprouts and cilantro (um wait, coriander here) were fresh and added zing to the bowl as well as that nice squeeze of lemon juice from a big fresh wedge.

My Kiwi partner had a rice plate with grilled pork seasoned nicely with southeast Asian spices. It came with a bouillon broth side, fresh salad and a tangy, savory dipping sauce based on fermented fish sauce.

Our meal totalled NZ$21.50, and was very satisfying. The decor is cafe-style, nothing to write home about, but I’m glad I finally found a decent, affordable Vietnamese cafe to satiate my pho cravings!

This small little Vietnamese place has been here for quite some time, and though the food is good, i don’t seem to eat here too often. The food is tasty Vietnamese – the same dishes you’re likely to find in many other places, but it does the job, hot n spicey, with good helpings of rice and pork, etc. Handy to Cuba street, and at the cheaper end of the spectrum, this place is usually fairly quiet when i’m there, but a bit tiny and pokey to make for a comfortable dining experience. Good food though.

visit the place regularly for lunch. might hv to wait a bit if busy but the food is worth it.

Cheap and cheerful Vietnamese food. The pho is great, as are the various appetizers (e.g. spring, summer rolls). Definitely not in the slightest bit upmarket, but makes a welcome change from the millions of Malaysian noodle joints around this area of town.