Newbies should commence their explorations at this modish dining room with polished wood floors and dangling lamps, where the 120-plus-item menu is an encyclopedia of Vietnamese cooking. The menu also rewards the food adventurer with beguiling twists on the familiar (lemongrass short ribs, thrice-baked chicken) and dishes that don’t stint on their commitment to authenticity. The staff is uneven—sometimes attentive, sometimes fumbling.
Don’t miss: Spring rolls; bun thit nuong, a noodle bowl with grilled pork and shrimp; congee (porridge); shaky beef; bánh xèo, a rice-flour crepe with pork, bean sprouts, and shrimp; grilled, stuffed grape leaves; chicken salad with cabbage, gizzards, and liver; snails in coconut sauce; fried tofu with lemongrass.
Open: Daily for lunch and dinner.
Inexpensive.