Aobaba

Nice Banh Mi, tasty Pho. The small bowls are very substantial! Not many seats inside, but there is some outside seating too. Very reasonably priced IMO and very quick to be served. Would visit here again.

We love their special spicy hue — it really makes the food stand out! It’s great that they offer different soup bases too, with pork, beef, chicken, and vegetarian options, so there’s always something for everyone. Their chilli oil is another highlight — so delicious and perfectly spicy. Always a satisfying meal here!

We chose this place to have a quick dinner before attending an event. I was ready to have a simple meal but as it came strongly recommended by a friend I was expecting something more. I found the food to be quite disappointing instead. Even more so as I had what was supposed to be the signature sandwich. The bread was good but the filling uninspiring. The meat was cold (not even room temperature but colder). I tried a chicken sandwich and it was warmer but the seasoning of the chicken was nothing special. The tables were dirty.

Really good hue for affordable price. Restaurant is quite small so can be quite crowded but definitely worth it. They only take cash so be prepared. There’s an atm across the street if you find yourself there without cash.

This place was relatively affordable, especially since they offer small bowls of their noodle soups. The small bowl was already quite filling. I had planned to order banh cuon too, but I was too full. That said, it was such a treat to find banh cuon and a variety of other Vietnamese dishes on the menu. Back home, Vietnamese restaurants rarely serve it; banh cuon tends to be overshadowed by goi cuon. I was also pleasantly surprised to see bun bo hue on the menu, since most Vietnamese spots usually just focus on pho. I ordered the bun bo my favorite, and loved that they offered both beef/pork and a seafood version, great for anyone with allergies. One downside, though: they didn’t have hoisin sauce. They did have a brown sriracha sauce (called Crying Tiger) that I initially mistook for hoisin. Good thing I read the label before mixing it into my soup and managed to scoop it out just in time. Other notes: the place is cash-only. They have a decent restroom available for customers, as well as some outdoor seating. Interiors are basic but clean. It was an easy walk from the James Joyce statue.

Came here twice, really reminds me of pho I had in Vietnam. Friendly staff and customer atmosphere is very supportive. Small space which just reminds me of Vietnam even more. Is a very busy restaurant and hope it remains that way! Boba is banging as well

Aobaba is a small and super cute restaurant – not many tables, which made it feel really authentic and relaxed. I had the pho bo, and it was excellent: rich flavor, plenty of food, just what I was hoping for. The server was really kind and welcoming. Definitely a place I’d come back to.

lovely staff, short wait time, bread was flaky with a light crunch and pork was nicely seasoned, haven't had any other banh mi's to compare but it was lovely

A rather crowded Vietnamese eatery in the Caple Street, came in on a Tuesday evening and the place was packed with diners. Couter order, cash only, find your own seat. Had a large beef vermicelli. Vermielli was a bit on the thicker side, tasted alright. Beef portion was quite generous and the beef tasted like a good quality product with fine lean texture. Had the spicy broth option and gotta say the broth was too spicy, not on the pleasant side, pretty much like it was drowned in sriracha. Overall an OK place for a quick meal.

Beef pho on a cold afternoon hit the spot here! It's already in the details, but make sure to bring cash as they don't accept card.

This was the first meal we had when we landed in Ireland. We wanted something on the lighter side versus the heavier Irish meals/pub food around. This place came up on Yelp and on Google as highly rated. I am sad to say that I am thoroughly disappointed. The service is the typical fast joint quick service type of environment but with friendly people. The disappointing factor was on the food itself. The flavors were completely off. The bun bo hue tasted like a basic bland bone broth that they universally used and added maybe a small dollop of what is supposed to be bun bo hue flavoring/essence. It tasted nothing like bun bo hue or smelled like it. If they offered shrimp paste, it wouldn't even have made a difference. The satay on the table didn't even save the dish. The hu tieu reminded me of a broke college student living off of instant noodles but making 1 packet stretch to 2 bowls. It lacks so much flavor and all of the table condiments made no difference. I will say I liked the noodles but everything else was just a bowl of sadness. Now the banh mi... The bread was super stale and my mouth was extremely tired from just eating half. I could not get past the staleness to even enjoy what was inside. Overall this was edible. My friend ordered the grilled pork rice plate. Side note they don't and can't do an egg with it. The meal itself looked really sad and not appetizing. I can't even compare this place to a cafeteria quality type of meal because this was probably one of the worst meals I've had in a very long time. Granted the items were edible, but if I had a choice I would've not eaten it.. but I did pay for it and I don't like wasting food. At least the noodles were cooked correctly and I wasn't eating a bowl of mush. Overall this place is very disappointing for the food, skip it. The people here are friendly-ish and accommodating (they let my friend practice and work on her Vietnamese when ordering the food).

So yummy. Really rich food, family friendly, although a bit expensive, very good and hearty. It feels you up and is served piping hot! 10/10

Visiting from nyc and let me tell ya... THIS PLACE IS A GO. They do NOT have seafood pho, only prawn. so i ordered Special Pho.. which is a combination of beef, chicken and shrimp. They were out of Thai milk tea so i got black sugar instead 8.5/10 The women working at the counter were very friendly:) Only one bathroom downstairs.

Craved pho on cold rainy day in Ireland after spending the day at the Guinness Brewery and Jameson Distillery. Small space, but crowded which only meant that it had to be good. Ordered a large pho and it came with all of the mix ins already inside the bowl and a small side of cut up pepper. Typically, I don't put bean sprouts in mine but I didn't mind the fact that they were there. There was a lot of flavor to the broth and a surprising amount of meat that came in the bowl.

What a great little restaurant. Great customer service, great food and great portions. We had the pork pho and it was amazing. Also had the spring rolls and shrimp fried rice. All of it was soooo delicious. A little on the pricy side but the taste and portions of of the food is very worth it. Only reason for 4 out of 5 stars is because the limited seating. It's a very small space. They do offer outside seating but make sure it's not raining outside.

Stopped here for a quick bite on a cold and rainy day. It was pretty busy, but the food didn't take too long to come out. It's a small shop, probably only seating up to 16-20 pp total at a given time. It seemed to be pretty affordable, too. We order the spicy hue style noodles, one with beef & pork (note - you cannot choose one or the other, it comes with both) and one with "vegetarian meat," which is tofu and some other fake meat. We were both really happy with the food. I tasted the veggie version to make sure it was actually veggie (my fiancé was worried the broth might have been meat-based), and it was definitely not meaty compared to the real thing (it just doesn't taste anywhere near as good, lol). But, the soup was slightly spicy as promised, and served with some lemon and sliced hot pepper on the side. Perfect for this yucky weather. One thing to note,the noodles this dish comes with by default are some of the most slippery noodles I've ever tried to eat. I'm really good with chopsticks, grew up using them, but I still managed to slop several noodles onto the table next to me while I ate. We also got some boba, but it was all kind of a mistake. My fiancé tried to order me some hot green tea. You know, to get warmed up. And then he said they were asking him strange questions about boba balls or strips, and stuff like that. So, it came out as adorable green sealed cups of who knows what cold drink. Oh well, it was good to cut the spicy of the soup!

You know you're in good hands when the ratio of guests is 80% locals (Vietnamese) and 20% others. Don't let the name fool you: it's not just a bubble tea and juice bar although bubble tea seems to be the biggest seller (I'm still not quite sure what bubble tea is), they also serve pho and summer rolls and the lot. It's not very spacious but perfect for a quick bite (or slurp). It's dead cheap and the portions are massive. I couldn't finished my pho so I had half of it to go. Note: They charge 30cent extra for take-out cartons.

I'm from Los Angeles (grew up in SGV/626/Asian suburbs of LA) so I've had my share of bomb Vietnamese food. We were visiting the U.K. For 2 weeks and were craving a taste of home so we yelped around for some authentic Asian comfort food in Dublin. We decided to try out Aobaba and we were not disappointed! We got a large beef pho, a small bo bun hue (spicy), and "spring rolls" (FYI I'm accustomed to calling fresh rice paper rolls (goi cuon) "spring rolls" and fried ones (cha gio) "egg rolls" but here they call rice paper rolls "summer rolls" and egg rolls "spring rolls"). Everything was on point and delicious. Broths were well seasoned, noodles were not overcooked, tons of fresh cilantro, green onions, and bean sprouts and the egg rolls (which did not come with lettuce and herbs for wrapping) were well fried and stuffed with glass noodle and shiitake. Meat portions were generous! The back of house were speaking Cantonese not Vietnamese but flavors were great. Condiment wise they have chili oil hot sauce, sriracha, hoisin, etc. but they bring thai bird eye chili slices and slices of lemon in place of the limes and jalapeño slices im used to in LA. I also noticed no basil was in the pho or provided on the side and bean sprouts were already in the pho. I posted pics of large vs small bowls. The large is a little too large and the small is a little too small lol so recommend getting the large as the price diff is small. Ambiance wise the place is small maybe seats 20. Not good for large parties. Seat yourself, order at the counter. It looks like a Tapioca Express or Lollicup i.e. very casual. Most patrons were Asian, but menu is in English so easy for anyone to patronize. Enjoy!

Crispy spring rolls are excellent, light delicate flavors, freshly made, simple, delicious (10 euros for 6). The regular cold spring rolls served in translucent rice wrapping were marvelous, crunchy vegetables, fresh, fresh, fresh. Spicy Pho with chicken and shrimp was good, fresh noodles were very good. Huge helping enough for two. We ate outside on Chapel Street, fun atmosphere and friendly crowd. The owners and staff of this self serve, fast food place are wonderful, welcoming, efficient and super friendly. What a great way to get a break form the usual food, and the endless (but delicious) fish and chips, or cheese toasties routine?

Woow woow seriously do not judge a book from the cover! I never went in because i thought this can never be good until my friend took me today. Delicious food and really cheap prices. Its very packed and people keep walking in and out all the time which proved ho good is the food.

Came out of my way here for the bubble tea and was quite disappointed. It was nothing special, just iced tea with a little milk. Not sweet. Not flavourful. No cute containers either. Service was straight forward with no smiles or thank yous. The food menu looked more promising and the prices are reasonable, so I can see why it was busy. However if you are after good bubble tea, look elsewhere. Also note: Cash only!

An unassuming little place on Capel Street that only for word of mouth about how amazing their pho and other noodle dishes are I would never have thought of coming here. From the outside looking in this place looks primarily like a bubble tea joint. Which I guess it is, BUT, it also sells the best value pho in the city. For less than €7 you get a gigantic bowl of tasty pho. I have been here so many times when I have been super hungry and want something that is not a sambo for lunch. The beef for me is maybe a little too fatty but it's down to preference I guess. You can opt for chicken or veg instead which is also super tasty. I have also had their spicy hue style noodle soup which is a much spicer broth with different noodles to the pho. This is a mix of pork and beef. It's amazing. What I find with a lot of these pho places opening up around the city is the sriracha and hoisin is in tiny little serving dishes and it's never enough. This place leaves the big bottles of both on the table. So you never have to ask for more sauce. I like my pho swimming in both sauces. Pho is a pretty healthy dish. High in salt perhaps but the rest of it is good if you don't want something extra high in sugar or fat compared to a lot of other Asian dishes from restaurants in the area. They don't accept card so make sure you have cash. You can also get a take away portion of the soups for €5 in a smaller container. So pho-king good!

I like this place. I think they have best spicy hue style noodle in Dublin. It used to be €7.50 but now they have two portion sizes. Small and large. It's tasty and cheap but the service is poor. Waiting waiting waiting... It happened twice that they forgot/ skipped my order. I waited 45 minutes then realised that the current order number minus 10 was mine. I had to wait another 10-15 minute to get my small portion of hue style noodle. I was so hungry to get angry or leave. And this happened again.. Luckily, I wasn't that hungry at that time. Also the serving staff put her finger into a soup some times. I was in dilemma.. Will I make a complaining for €7.50 noodles or just eat? I've never complained.. hoping all the chillies in the soup will kill the germs.. Good noodles, cheap price and terrible service. I will still go!

Foods are all as good as their looking. Even better than any Vietnam's restaurant i have tried before. Really tasty beef pho, and the small portion is quite enough. I really recommend to order a small one so that you can try other delicious foods. The spring roll is also crispy with carrot, meat and something like rice noodle contain. Worth coming again

Great prices for large portions. While the area itself is really cramped, even though we went during non-peak hours, the food tasted delicious. A small bowl of wonton soup was €6 and it was huge. A small bowl of chicken pho was also €6. Definitely don't need to purchase a large unless you're starving. The fresh cilantro really brought the bowl of pho to life. The refreshing bubble tea was the best part for €3

Popped in here with a few colleagues today for lunch with a craving for some good Vietnamese food after being wind-blasted on the quays today. I usually go to Pho Viet but I have fallen out of love with the place - given their relentless price increases for no clear apparent reason (3 times since my first visit in April). The food here is equally good and being a small cafe, you get a more personal and local touch to their service too. There were also quite a few other Vietnamese patrons there, further reinforcing their authenticity. The staff were very friendly and happy to talk us through the dishes. My new Vietnamese haunt in the future - oh and try their spring rolls made up of mince pork and chinese mushrooms, YUM!

So exciting to find Bahn Mi in Dublin (for €4 no less)! And while I could have done with more pork in the baguette, the flavours were all spot on. As we waited for our rolls, the series of phos that came out led to some serious order envy. I'll definitely be back to try some. Oh but our impulse order of spring rolls to start was a total win. Yum!

I was craving some Asian food! I called my friend who is Vietnamese and asked her about good Asian food around Dublin! So, she highly recommended this place! And also she told me the names of the dishes! We came there with husband. It isn't restaurant! Its like fast food but great one! Food is really cheap! 6€ - 8€ ; bubble tea or cold green tea about 3.50€ ; You must go in there! I will definately come back!

This is my newest discovery (and love). It's a bit cramped in here and dingy looking, but don't let appearances fool you. The food is great! I've had the grilled pork on noodles, the spring rolls, and the soup noodles - all of them have been great! The portions are large enough and you'll definitely leave full. Lastly, the traditional milk tea boba here is actually decent - yay!

I had a vegetable Pho, I think, (it was a while ago), but I recall it was very good and also a very good portion for the price. In fact, if you have less appetite then don't order the larger size, because the larger size is actually large. There is a bathroom I think. The only issue with this place is that there are always people in here and I can't get a seat.

The perfect lunchtime warm up during the winter months! Lovely people, no messin, very fast service and steaming bowls of delicious pho! The spring rolls are top notch, as are the summer rolls for a healthier option. Phos/ soups are about €7 and rolls about €4! Well worth a visit. Enjoy!

Small place with limited seating but decent pho and boba in Dublin. The options are limited but perfect for a rainy day in Ireland.

Yum comfort pho and other popular Vietnamese dishes. Defo recommend. Quick, healthy, tasty and great value!

Being New Year's Day and being incredibly hungover I had a hankering for Noodle soup and figured Capel St wouldn't let me down. Aobaba is strange one in that they sell Vietnamese street food along with many different types of Smoothies. Can't say I have ever wanted a Tropical banana soy smoothie with my Pho but hey maybe that's just me. The decor is basic and the food menu brief but that suited me (did not want to think with massive hangover). My noodle soup (€7) and summer rolls (€4) were some of the best I have had and definitely on par with what I have been served in Vietnam. All that's missing is the Bia Hoi. Lots of Asian people eating in here too which is always a good sign. Just don't expect a smile with your service. The staff are colder than the temperature outside. I guess it's lucky they do such good food.

The chicken pho saved my boyfriend and I! We came to Ireland sick after flying during flu season from the US to Amsterdam then to Ireland. One order could feed us both- make sure if you order to go get some sauces bc the first time we got a to go they didn't give us any. We had their pho for 4 days and it helped immensely! I'm craving it now.

I had enough fried food while visiting the area, when I saw this on yelp I was like THATS IT! YES! I was on vacation from the states and had no idea if there would be quality Vietnamese food in Dublin. Let me say it's the best I have ever had! I ordered the summer rolls and grilled pork with vermicelli. I spent only about €11 and there was even some leftover. I can't explain better, you MUST try this place for yourself! I wish we had one in Orlando!

I was brought here as a lovely surprise with the promise of a new place to add to our ever growing database of eastern cuisine favourites and as always Timmy didn't fail to impress! This place now holds the title for my favourite summer roles and I also had a gorgeous buncha, small pork spring rolls with fresh vermicelli noodles, vegetables and a lovely sweet chilli sauce topped with a sprinkling of nuts... I'm getting hungry thinking about it! Finished up with a sweet plum and mixed bubble tea which I liked an awful lot more than I thought I would! It's not something I'd have regularly but a nice novelty!

We stopped in for a quick weeknight meal because it's on our way home. We both ordered the Spicy Hue-Style Noodle Soup with Beef & Pork. A few quick notes: Pros: - The soup was tasty without being salt/MSG-laden - They have soymilk bubble tea - €7 for a meal is a great value in the city centre Cons: - The meat was pretty chewy - VERY surly-faced woman taking the orders and serving the food - No atmosphere to speak of and very cramped seating area That being said, it still tasted like comfort food. Nothing compares to that warm soothing feeling of a big bowl of hot noodle soup, and I have to admit that it "hit the spot". I have to say the biggest reason for not returning would be the service. The entire time, I couldn't help wondering why she was just so darn angry! From taking our order, to throwing down our bowls without a word and storming off, the unnecessary moodiness was almost comical. Being big on service, I have to take a star away for that.

The Pho soup here has one of the tastiest, most flavourful broths I've had in a while and is deliciously warming, just what is needed on a cold winters day. Per the menu I ordered the Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Beef (Pho). The beef could have been a little less fatty but for €6.80 I can't complain, it's great value and hits the spot. The ladies behind the counter are pleasant and helpful. The place was packed for lunch but I managed to get a seat at the window as someone was leaving and be back at work before 2pm. The portions are large so come hungry. Great spot for a quick and tasty lunch. Will be back again to try other things on the menu.

It was one of our last days in Dublin and I wanted something different- different from pun fare, that is. Bahn mi's are one of my favorite sandwiches of all time and I really wanted my mom to have one. We walked in and ordered two to go. As soon as I ordered, I had to wait outside because I was getting claustrophobic. The tiny place was packed with phó eaters and others waiting to place to-go orders and those also waiting for pick-up orders. The sandwich wasn't the best I ever had but my mom loved it. I'm surprised because she doesn't like cilantro and the cilantro is a must. Go figure. Anyway, it didn't seem very clean but it seemed very popular and, given more time in Dunlin, I might've gone back for some phò or vermicelli.

So weird to find great pho in Dublin, Ireland! My husband loved this place so much, we came here multiple days on our trip. Restaurant was clean and packed full of people most of the time. Food was excellent, service was great. Definitely a must visit if we're in Dublin again.

Aobaba is a great place that my friends and I frequent in a lot especially during the winter months! One cannot resist a good, hot pho on a cold night. This place is small and cosy. The food is really affordable and budget friendly to broke college students such as myself. Most of the food on their menu is about €5-7 and if you are that broke of a college student, it does not hurt to share a bowl of pho! The portions are quite generous that can be shared between two people. The downside to Aobaba is that some times, the place would get packed that it would be difficult to get a seat especially if you are going to eat there with friends. Another thing is that they only accept cash which can be a burden since you only want to pay for the food without taking €20 from the ATM. Please visit my blog or click here to see photos and somewhat decent review: http://esjaeee.blogspot.ie/2015/04/food-aobaba.html

The best Pho in town. Been coming here since first move to Dublin. Our favorite are King Prawn Fried Rice and Beef Pho or spicy hue Beef pho with fresh noodles. The servants are nice. Cindy and Ting are the loveliest staff.

I ate there last night with a friend, was very interested, based on the positive reviews. Well... it was as if we went to a different place. The first impression was of a strange smell, like the combination of cooked food and rotting food in the corners. The staff was morose, not a smile to seen. The one thing that was really nice is that they gave us two spring rolls, compliments of the house. I had the pho. The portion was huge, but it was mostly water, bean sprouts and noodles, not much in the way of vegetables. Maybe this is how it is served in Vietnam, I don't know. But the pho I have eaten in the U.S. is much richer. My friend had a plate of noodles (I don't remember the name of it). Same thing, lots of noodles and not much else. And she left most of the pieces of pork, said the pork wasn't very good. Hers was tastier than mine, though. If you like lots of carbs, then maybe this is good enough for you. Now I'm thinking that maybe 3 out of those 6 reviews are fakes--very suspicious that those 3 were all within 8 days of each other and then not a single review for almost 4 months. It's cheap. Maybe they will up their game, at some point. If you go, go for lunch. It's not a proper sit-down restaurant anyway, more like a snack joint. And don't have high expectations. There are other cheap restaurants in Dublin that are far, far better. Try Govinda's, on Abbey St. And Mongolian BBQ, in Temple Bar, has an amazing lunch deal until 4:30 pm.

Fantastic Vietnamese Pho. Tasty and cheap prices for Dublin. The service is great. The small portion will be more than enough to satisfy you. Will def come back!

So this place is gas- I wouldnt class this as a restaurant.... Dont come in thinking your getting a 5star dining experience and youl be very pleasantly suprised. This is quick ready to rock street food- no messing soup, noodle, rolls, served up quick at awesome value... If your in town and around the area its very very hard to beat this place for value and volume, I wouldnt be a fan of sitting in, for take out it A1!

I've been coming here for years when I need a quick bite to eat in town. It really is nothing fancy, but the service is quick and the pho is pretty decent. At about €7 for a big bowl, it is good value for money for a healthy fast food in town. The spring rolls and summer rolls are very good too.

I am Vietnamese so trust me, it is a good place to try Vietnamese food with very reasonable price. Cozy and violet, it may be a problem if you go there with a big group of friends. And dont forget to try bubble tea (oh I miss it so much while writing this review!)

Ewwww gross!!!! Three long, straight black hairs and one short, straight brown one in my friend's dinner! The chef doesn't wear a hair net so some were hers and some maybe the waitresses?! Eugh, this place needs a health inspection. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! Boba tasted very, very old and tasteless too. DO NOT GO HERE!

The pho and spring rolls I had here are way better than the best places in Manhattan. More Vietnamese moved to Dublin than they did to Manhattan. Is my guess.

Chicken pho is great! very delicious and very rich. But however at the back of kitchen...we don't really know behind it...are they practising a hygienic food preparation? And I think some in kitchen staffs don't have immigration papers...they only came here tourists and now working in there full time..... anyways.... it s not my thing...

Went in here after a huge barbecue next door and i got a reasonably priced smoothie that tasted excellent and was made quickly. Not much more to add!

Had the spicy beef noodle and original milk bubble tea. It was more Chinese than Vietnamese but the food was still quite good considering its's Eastern food in Ireland. Would definitely come back again if in the area and craving noodles.

It's my first time here and it's sooo impressive! With such a low price, the summer roll is lovely and the spicy noodle soup is huge! Will definitely come back again!

Best place to go for a bowl of pho in Dublin! My friend and I go there every time we're in town and honestly we never get bored of the food, I think the staff are actually starting to recognise us because we frequent there. The staff are lovely and the food is delivered fairly quickly. The only downside is that it gets pretty busy around 2pm and there's limited seating but other than that, the place is fantastic. The prices are super affordable for such big portions and good quality. €7.80 for a big bowl of pho that's bigger than your head? Yes please. The pho is just such good quality and tastes so homemade for that price.

Really love this place. Summer rolls are always perfect. All I have ever selected for main is one of the soups / ramans. They are lovely. Have eaten here 20+ times. Great value, filling and feels fresh. Only let down is the paint job inside. Remember to get the summer rolls !

LOVE the pho here, great for vegetarians, super cheap and good fresh food. Best if you have a hangover!