The decor may be standard-issue, no-atmosphere Chinatown (glass-topped tables, linoleum floors, mirrored walls), but this friendly, bustling place serves up the best Vietnamese fare in Chinatown. A plate of six crispy, finger-size spring rolls is a nice way to start; the slightly spicy pork-and-shrimp filling is nicely offset by the wrapping of lettuce, cucumber, and mint. The pho noodle soup comes in a quart-size bowl brimming with bright vegetables and various meats and seafood. But my favorite dish is the simple barbecued pork chops -- sliced paper-thin, soaked in a soy/sugar cane marinade, and grilled to utter perfection. Everything is well prepared, though, and your waiter will be glad to help you design a meal to suit your tastes. A recent expansion into an adjacent storefront makes it much easier to get a table these days.

If there's a line, and you don't want to wait, head a couple of blocks over to a second location, Nha Trang Centre, which accepts credit cards.