Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco · restaurant
A bright, no-frills Vietnamese counter-service spot near the park entrance that invests everything in the food and nothing in the room, which turns out to be the right trade. The grilled pork bánh mì comes jumbo and two-handed, built around house pâté, egg butter, and lemongrass pork on a baguette that holds together properly; popular items sell out by mid-afternoon. Get here early, add the shatteringly crisp egg rolls, and end with an egg cream coffee in the Hà Nội style.
Lemongrass pork, house pâté, egg butter, pickled daikon on toasted baguette
Shatteringly crisp shells: ground pork, wood-ear mushroom, taro, vermicelli
Tofu, vermicelli noodles, fresh vegetables and herbs — vegan and gluten-free
Grilled pork sausage, mango, cucumber in rice paper with peanut sauce
Lemongrass beef, egg butter, pickled daikon and jalapeños on a baguette