The sharp fragrance of leafy aromatic greens merging with the aroma of marinated grilled meats transports you to the humid heat and clamour of Vietnam. But the din you hear isn’t the sound of a Saigon street. It’s the clatter of an open kitchen over the buzz of conversation at Pho Bien, the always mobbed Vietnamese restaurant in Henderson. Pho Bien has a comfortably open design that steers clear of the ethnic bric-a-brac. Over the past five years, it has become a favourite with Asian communities as well as Kiwis, solely through word of mouth publicity. It’s easy to see why. .