Nam Giao

You could make an entire meal out of the appetizers at this beloved restaurant in Little Saigon, where the elegant cuisine of Hue in central Vietnam is front and center. Everyone starts with those little steamed rice cakes topped with fried pork rinds and chives, and some are content to order these until they’re full. But then you’d miss out on the pork and shrimp crystal cakes steamed in banana leaves or that thrilling banh khoai, a crispy rice pancake layered with beansprouts, shrimp and a riot of fresh herbs. Leave room on the table for the grilled flank steak, which arrives wrapped in vine leaves and is served with spongy bundles of vermicelli. The server will say that you’ve ordered too much, which is how you know you’ve ordered just enough.