To Chau

Description:

• The two stars are strictly for the pho (noodle soup), which many think is the best in a city studded with pho (pronounced fur) houses. You'll have to stand in line, ambience is nil, and service can be brusque. But that's all part of the charm at this no-nonsense Formica-style restaurant, located in Chinatown in a stone building along a river and marked, without fail, by a queue of Asian diners. The anticipation is heightened by the view of diners relishing their steaming, long-awaited orders, visible through the windows as you wait your turn on the sidewalk. The menu includes shrimp, spring rolls, and chicken and pork chop plates, but I've never seen anyone order anything but pho. And what a soup this is! The broth is clear, hearty, and marvelously flavored with hints of cinnamon and spice. You can order it with several choices of steak, and it comes with a heaping platter of fresh bean sprouts, basil, hot green peppers, and an Asian green called boke (bo-kay). It's worth the wait, and so inexpensive.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010