Halong Vietnamese Restaurant

I was quite excited to try Halong, as it had the potential of being one of those ‘hole in the wall’ gems a keen Unilocaler cherishes. The atmosphere and décor are very typical of what you would expect from a no-​frills BYO Asian restaurant that has an unassuming store front. Upon looking at the menu, none of the food items were distinctly Vietnamese. There were elements of Vietnamese food, but there were also items that one would see on a Chinese menu as well. All the food seemed to be ‘Westernized’ to be more like generic Asian food instead of distinctly authentic Vietnamese food. Let’s just say the word ‘PHO’ was nowhere to be seen on the menu. In fact, even when I enquired which item was PHO she just said that would be any item with rice noodles (served with a token side of bean sprouts but no coriander in sight). The wontons we had were ok and the best part was the Mango shake that the waitress recommended when I asked. With that being said, the prices were incredibly cheap, the food was quick to come out, and it is a BYO. There were quite a few families there so there is value in that as well. Ultimately, if you have experienced truly elevated Vietnamese food you will be incredibly disappointed, but if you are looking for a cheap BYO or a quick lunch in New Lynn Halong could hit the spot. It’s really all about your expectations that will dictate your experience. Personally though I will trudge on in the pursuit of finding good PHO in West Auckland.

Been here so many times I think I have tried everything on the menu — great value for money