7,028 Servings of Fried Rice Later—Here's What We Learned

Have you noticed how restaurant fried rice tastes completely different from homemade?

Sometimes it's the texture. Sometimes it's that smoky flavor you can't place.

After making 7,028 servings over three years, we figured out why.

It's not secret ingredients. It's three techniques that home kitchens simply can't replicate.

Since the day we opened we made countless number of customers satisfied and countless coming back for more.

Don't just take our word for it. Reviews left by customers who had our fried rice simply can't stop talking about it!

Many of our core methods in making fried rice are science-based, inspired by J. Kenji López-Alt. The award winning author of James Beard Award known as the “oscars of the food world”.

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After years of trial and error in our kitchen, we’re confident we’ve mastered the art of fried rice with a repeatable method.

What We Do Differently

Technique 1: Wok Heat You Can't Get at Home

Ever tried making fried rice at home and something just felt... off?

Here's why.

Your home stove maxes out around 150°C. Our commercial wok burner hits 200°C or higher.

That 50-degree difference is everything.

High heat sears the rice instantly. It Creates those crispy edges while keeping the inside fluffy. The wok's curved shape keeps rice moving through hot and cool zones constantly.

Result: Every grain separate, slight char on the edges, that smoky wok flavor (wok hei) you can't replicate on a home stove.

Technique 2: Sauce at the End

Most home cooks add sauce while the rice is still cooking.

The rice absorbs it. Gets heavy. Grains stick together.

We add a light sauce ring of 5 to 7ml total. Right at the very end. Just enough to coat each grain without drowning it.

We use premium Thai jasmine rice for it's fragrance on its own. Minimal oyster and fish sauce add umami depth without covering up the rice's natural aroma.

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Result: Light, clean finish. Every grain coated but not sticky.

Technique 3: Heat Never Drops

Between every single order, we reheat the wok for 20-30 seconds.

During lunch rush, this feels like wasted time. But if we skip it, the tenth batch turns out soggy while the first was perfect.

Consistent heat equals consistent result.

First serving of the day tastes identical to the hundredth.

Finishing up

You're now educated on what separates good fried rice from mediocre: wok temperature, batch size, sauce timing, heat consistency.

Test this knowledge.

Order from other places. Notice which ones have crispy edges (proper wok heat), which ones have separated grains (sauce timing), which ones taste consistent from first bite to last (temperature control).

📍 Pho Heaven

Shop L11,

Westgate Shopping Centre19 Maki Street, Auckland

First-time customers:

Pickup or Dine-in: Use code FIRST15 for 15% off your fried rice

Delivery (Uber Eats): Free lemongrass BBQ chicken or pork with your fried rice order.

Leave a 5-star review after, get $6 off your next delivery.

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