About Pholklore
Our Mission
Pholklore isn’t here to be traditional. We’re here to be loud flavours, good energy and food that brings people together.
We take the comfort and freshness of Vietnamese-inspired food and serve it in a way that feels modern, fresh and distinctly Pholklore. Big bowls, cold drinks, shared plates, fast lunches, long dinners - whatever the moment calls for. At Pholklore, flavour comes first. Fresh ingredients, made-in-house broths, quality produce from local suppliers and food that actually feels good to eat. No overcomplication. No pretending to be something we’re not. But the food is only part of it. The music, the people, the design, the chaos of a busy service and the communities we’re part of all shape the ethos of Pholklore. We’re building spaces that feel welcoming, energetic and a little unexpected. Places where strangers become regulars, quick lunches turn into long catch-ups, and every venue feels connected to the community around it.
Our Story
Pholklore was dreamt up by Dom Friend, who fell in love with Vietnamese food after a trip to Vietnam. Back home, he started hosting big pho nights for friends - simple, homemade and full of flavour. Those nights eventually led to Monday Pho Nights at Bomboras - the Torquay Esplanade restaurant owned by Dom’s brother Josh Friend and long-time mate Tom McGrath. The nights were a hit and it was clear the Surf Coast was craving Vietnamese food.
Seeing the demand, Josh and Tom offered Dom the Bomboras carpark to bring his idea to life - a relaxed, shipping container-style restaurant inspired by Vietnam’s street markets. In December 2017, Pholklore Torquay opened its doors, and the rest is history.
Since then, the family has continued to grow. Pholklore Geelong West opened in 2021, followed by Pholklore Lorne in 2024. In 2025, we expanded even further with new locations in Pholklore Ocean Grove and Pholklore Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast.
Alongside our restaurants, the Pholklore story has grown into a few new spaces too, with two Pholklore sites now serving at GMHBA Stadium, plus Cafe Pho, our grab-and-go cafe serving coffee, sweet treats and quick bites.
At its heart, Pholklore has always been about community — creating places where people can meet, eat and feel at home.
