Where's Charlie? Lambton Quay Store — Restaurant in North Island

Went in for some food with friends after a protest up the street, the food was not bad but didn't stand out to us as the flavors did not fully live up to our expectations. It was very much self-serving, though it seemed like the kind of place where you would expect to be served. My friends and I all ordered Pho and none of them came with sauce on the side or anything, we were not given utensils or napkins and soon figured out we had to get all that stuff ourselves. My pho came after the three others and the girl who served me accidentally tipped the bowl and spilled a significant amount of it onto the table which then dripped down onto my leg and stained my jeans. She apologized and then left, after which my friend ran and grabbed a bunch of napkins from one of the many not-so-conveniently placed service areas and helped me clean up the mess. I expected better but it definitely could have been worse too. Would not recommend this place if you have high standards, but if you are easy to please then it is...

Quick Vietnamese food that makes a work lunch easily fit in. Where’s Charlie has a brilliantly simple menu of noodle and rice salad augmented with lemon-grass crispy chicken, BBQ pork and more.

The place is packed at lunchtimes and reservations are recommended! The menu makes for easy reading with pictures to give you a good idea of what’s coming out. The noodle salads are an easy choice and can be made fancy with the addition of chicken spring rolls. Be sure to peruse the specials: two pork bao buns for $10 was a filling lunch! The chicken curry is always super popular.

Despite speed and easy eating, the crowd can be a bit overwhelming. Ordering at the counter is a must, and the drinks selection is limited outside a really strong showing for smoothies. The waffles at Where’s Charlie are bizarrely good for a Vietnamese restaurant - highly recommended if you can get them!

Go here for a quick lunch knowing time pressure won’t...

WOAP burger - 9.5/10 Fresh seasonal salad - 9/10

Starting with the burger, one of the best chicken burgers this season I’ve tried. One thing other places can’t master is the level of tanginess of the dish. Where’s Charlie perfectly executed this balance. The cream cheese wonton on top was so yum as well, definitely need this in the menu if haven’t. Fries were cooked perfectly, and prawn crackers were just a tad bit greasy but the whole dish makes up for it.

Salad is always reliable, the meats are always cooked and seasoned to perfection. YUM!

The lady serving us she kept checking up on us. She was very genuine and attentive to our response when we were asked how the burger was.

Not many places do this, but I think it’s got to do with aesthetic purposes. No problem. But sever happily accepted when we asked her to cut it in half....