Review Zen Kitchen

Rhiannon J

I have frequented Zen Kitchen for over ten years whilst working and studying in the city. Always consistently top quality Vietnamese street food , great service and a clean establishment. My personal favourite is the lemongrass chicken dry noodle salad. I have never been disappointed.

Jav Vogt

Beautiful Vietnamese spot in the city at a good price! Regularly satisfied my hunger while I was studying nearby. My personal recommendation is the combination dry noodles 10/10

Ben

Beef pho is delicious. Will be coming back!

Aaron Connor

I used to come here frequently when having a hankering for a really good Pho in the city, but for some reason hadn't got here for over 6 months. Trade seems to have slowed down, perhaps due to the renovations blocking off access in the arcade, or as I found out rather disappointingly, because the standard has dropped off a cliff. I ordered a combination Pho, and was handed a plate with the obligatory beans prouts and herbs looking wilted and sad, as was the 'fresh' chilli that looked like it had died the same death as the ancient lemon slice nearby. Didn't bode well. On arrival, I spied cracked black pepper and fried onion sprinkled on top of the soup. These have no place in a Pho. The stock was flavoursome and decent but overly salty. The noodles clung together reluctant to be eaten in such a state. Other ingredients; beefballs, tendon, tripe, beef - were all sparingly applied. I'm not sure if the owners or the chef has changed, but the place has gone downhill considerably. For the price they charge and the end product delivered, I for one won't be returning.

Lordith Rushfelt (rushworld)

My FAVOURITE place in the CBD for a Bahn Mi or Bun Bowl. They also have the BEST coconut juice so you MUST order it!!! Their crackling pork is to die for and they have real flavour in their veggies and toppings!

Claire

The bahn mi was sold out when I got there 😭 but anyway, I got the signature salad (I think) and grilled pork rice. Grilled pork was very tasty, thought I wish the rice was broken rice (I’m not sure if this is traditional of vietnamese food but I’ve seen it in many vietnamese restaurants). The signature salad was refreshing. Spent $27 on these 2 relatively large dishes so I’d say it’s really affordable.

Janet’s Journey

Good food, good service. Offers everyday Vietnamese food, quick and tasty.

Katrina Nguyen

I can understand that it can get busy, but 20 minutes for a meat roll, (one with 1 layer of meat) is a bit of a stretch. Even the customers that ordered pho and bun after me received their food before me. Fortunately, the meat roll was ok. I think they need one more staff to get the meat rolls out during lunch times.

Claire Ng

The bahn mi was sold out when I got there 😭 but anyway, I got the signature salad (I think) and grilled pork rice. Grilled pork was very tasty, thought I wish the rice was broken rice (I’m not sure if this is traditional of vietnamese food but I’ve seen it in many vietnamese restaurants). The signature salad was refreshing. Spent $27 on these 2 relatively large dishes so I’d say it’s really affordable.

DuckieLovesToEat

So I heard that zen is turning 10 and they have this promo going for a week. I am a huge fan of Vietnamese cuisine and this is such a good excuse to check Zen Kitchen as I have never been before. Due to their opening hours, you can only come if for early lunch till late lunch. We came here during late lunch to make sure we miss the long queue. I do like Vietnamese salad bowl so we came here on Wednesday for their special. I had the house special and the other half had their spicy lemongrass chicken. Both were huge portion and very tasty. We also had their Vietnamese coffee. I really enjoyed the food here and will definitely come back to try the food on their menu.

Alicia Turner

Just ordered from Zen Kitchen through Deliveroo. The food arrived in good time however on opening the bag my bun bowl salad did not have any sauce and was extremely dry without this. I called the store in hope they would send some out. They said there were two sauces in the bag (there was not) and that I can have a discount next time I order. I asked what I was going to do with my lunch today and they just said sorry. I am without a car today and had to order delivery and was very disappointed. Will not order again and hope they will reconsider refunding me for the meal.

Amy Young

Fantastic pho! I had to order pho as a delivery which I have had a bad experience with trying other restaurants. I was very pleasantly surprised to receive a hot broth, perfect portions and proportions of soup, meat, noodles and garnishing.

Anastasia

Use to have some of the best pho but they changed their recipe :( not that great anymore i wish theyd go back. The staff are always lovely though and has some other nice items on the menu - and ive had worse pho. The espresso with condensed milk is nice. Its certainly one of the better places to eat in Rundle, i had it at 4.5 stars, now id say 3.5 (idk how to give half stars on mobile lol)

4chillies

Consistently good Vietnamese food just off Rundle Mall. At lunch time there is a queue for the banh mi - but don't be put off - it moves quickly. The noodle soups and pho are all really good as are the salads and cold rolls.

Asha

One of the best banh mi in Adelaide by far. Good service as well. Unfortunately can't say the same for the pho- slightly disappointing. It gets busy on weekdays lunchtime so try and go before 12 if possible.

_foodiej

Sorry, but that's not what pho tastes like guys! I haven't tasted anything else here although maybe I'll grab the Bahn Mi next time. I came here in belief the pho was good but it wasn't half decent nor did it even taste like pho. UPDATE: I decided to give Zen Kitchen another go after 3 years, and ordered the Bun Bo Hue. While the flavours were there, and the portion size reflected the price, the rest just seemed to be drowning in a thick layer of soup fat from the pork, or whatever stock they used to make the soup base. This was disappointing to see, but am willing to come back again to try something else.

Famished

It is easy to bypass the Renaissance Arcade, as it's tucked away and not exactly the most attractive dining hub in Adelaide. There are certainly some tasty Asian lunch spots on offer, though. Zen is great, because it is away from the hustle and bustle of the food court. They serve up a nice selection of soups, salads and rolls. On the day of our visit, my friend and I both ordered Banh Mi - Lemongrass Chicken for her, and Vegetarian for me. Mine was filled with carrot, coriander, fried egg, chilli and garlic butter on a large, crusty bun. Whilst simple, the ingredients worked together, were fresh, and the size more than enough to satisfy my appetite. Well worth a look for a cheap and cheerful meal.

S★

After a quick meal? Pop into Zen's kitchen! With an extensive range of Vietnamese cuisines, they will sure to have something to fit your taste! I ordered the bun bo hue, and it was pretty well made. Im often quite picky with my vietnamese foods but Zen's kitchen's foods have been on points on the occasions i've been there. For a quick bite to eat, Zen's Kitchen's got your back, however there can be a huge line during lunch hours as many are after their delicious banh mi rolls.

Mr. Potato-san

A small and popular restaurant in Renaissance food court,this place is always packed when it comes to lunch time! Banh mi for everyone... Probably the most popular thing on their menu to order there, and it's a solid option if youre craving for one. The pho there was not so great, not much flavor in the broth and rather expensive for the amount you get.

Alex Sab

This is a much loved and reliable lunch destination. The pho beef noodle soup is my go to dish. Speedy service even when Zen is always busy.

Ymmas

Chicken rice noodle soup. It was the first time I came here to try the chicken rice noodle soup, the chicken soup was tasty. A bit less of the rice noodle, the chicken slices was full of flavour. Good place for a quick lunch.

Sherry

Love all the food at this place. Cheap meals. Huge servings. I come here nearly every day for lunch.

Tablefortwo

Best bread rolls! Crackling roast pork roll is the bomb! Yummm!

Michael

Bread rolls below average. pork rolls i give 3/10. meat was cold. they need to rethink their recipe as tasted like ****. soonta rolls give you more filling. they rock

Superstarr

Average and westernized Vietnamese food, longan and jelly drink disappointing, can taste the msg in the broths and no vegetarian options apart from vegetarian bread roll.

Food-related Name

Best pho in Adelaide CBD, no questions asked. Never had a bad experience there and will return regularly.

Moody Foody

Fatty Pho = No Go. I was told about this place by a friend who eats here reguarly, due to his University being directly across the road. After eating quite a few Pho dishes at Huong Gia Quan on Hanson road, my expectation were set pretty high. Firstly i noticed that the prices were a little expensive for what you are getting. I received my Pho, and the first thing i saw was a thick layer of oily fat on top! (i couldn't really stomach that, but i was starving). So i spooned away as much oil as possible and started to dig in. I started to think to my self that the Pho wasn't that bad, until i picked up some noodles, and found a massive piece of fat within my chop sticks. So overall, didn't enjoy my Pho from this joint, and when i return, i will not be ordering the Pho.

Michael

Great value, great food. Whoever says there is better Pho elsewhere in the food court is simply wrong. Having tried the Pho from the other place it is incomparable. Zen Kitchen pumps out the best Pho in the city (even better than places in Chinatown, with the possible exception of Thanh Thanh), at fair prices. Haven't ever had anything that disappointed. The Vietnamese Rolls at $4.50 a pop are an absolute steal for a cheap, delicious lunch.

Grubstew

Better pho in several nearby places. Try the one on the other side of the foodcourt. The vietnamese one. Zen does not clear the tables regularly so it seems dirty. The broth did not taste quite right and was rather thin for good pho.

Jappers

Pho in adelaide. Friendly staff, quick service and wonderful fresh food!

Lemongrass

Hanson Road in the CBD. This place was recommended to me so I decided to check it out for an early midweek lunch. The young Vietnamese waitress behind the counter was friendly, professional and spoke perfect English. She explained the special of the day was a spicy beef pho. It sounded good so I got the large serve - $10.90. She wasnt kidding about the large serve - 5 min later out came a huge bowl of steaming hot pho. Fresh bean sprouts, herbs, lemon and chilli were served on the side plate. The beef was tender and generous and the broth was sensational. Nothing like a good steaming bowl of hot pho to clear the head and make you feel good. Luckily I went at 11am as there was still tables available. By the time i left it was rapidily filling with hungry Uni students. I will be back.

Adelaidefoodcentral

Zen Kitchen is located in the Renaissance Arcade food court among other Asian eateries. It offers all your traditional Vietnamese fare and is reasonably priced.

Tantalizemytongue

SO other that service was not too great overall, they provided us everything to takeaway…even when we went outside their shop, funny looks were given to us…a bit rude I think! But ofcourse that was by a few staff only…

Mindi Edwards

Located within the Mansions Food court, Zen Kitchen offers a little luxury within the bustling cheap Asian eateries, with its own four walls and even a little 'outdoor/indoor' sunny spot. Often packed though Monday until Friday. Lunchtime at Zen Kitchen is popular, as University students and workers pour in for there lunch breaks. The service here is based upon food court etiquette with a little bit extra and I wouldn't expect any more for the price of the food. Ordering is done at the counter, and there is often a line up, but the food is brought out to you. Due to the popularity of Zen Kitchen sometimes finding a table is quite hard. However, the food comes out quickly regardless of how many people have ordered before you, my favorite here is the Beef Pho, Number Three (on the left). The food here has always been consistently good, no matter how quickly it comes out or how many people order here. The Vietnamese Rolls here are

Purplecat044

This small restaurant has a wide range of traditional Vietnamese dishes including Pho (beef noodle soup) , rice paper rolls and Baunh Mi Thot (Vietnamese Meat Rolls). They also serve Vietnamese filtered coffee...

Daisy Yum (daisyumblog)

Whilst doing Friday night shopping, we decided to go and have some quick Vietnamese food in the Renaissance Arcade. Zen Kitchen caught our eyes with the beautiful interior decor. We had a quick look at the menu and decided to give it a go.

Michelle Leong

Over the past few weeks, I have been heading to Vietnamese restaurants for lunch and dinner as my wallet decided to go on a diet. I am saving up for a few items, of which, shall remain a secret until I can actually get them! I find it near impossible to stumble upon a really horrible Vietnamese shop in Adelaide as most of them are pretty good and probably have similar price ranges. Hence, a safe option for the budget foodie. I am aware that some outlets fare better than others but I'm not too fuss as long as I get my tummy filled without any unwanted hassle. Zen Kitchen has been opened since I started my uni life back in 2008 and it is still as busy despite a few new restaurants mushrooming around it. I was fortunate enough to head here for lunch one day and was advised to order a chef's special dish that is not on the menu because it is a limited edition item! Yes, this is no longer a secret! Have I got your attention yet? The interior can accommodate a medium sized lunch crowd and th

Review Zen Kitchen - Adelaide