Ngu Binh Restaurant

If the lines at the pho joints are too lengthy, go to Ngu Binh and get your noodle-soup fix there instead. The menu at this modest strip mall eatery is minimal by Little Saigon standards (just 20 items overall), but Toplist recommends the spicy bun bo Hue soup. This deep, rich soup is named after Hue, a city in central Vietnam, and is produced by cooking beef bones and shrimp paste for many hours before adding chile oil, sliced brisket, crab balls, and congealed pig's blood. There's a lot going on here, but these are the tastes that will hit you in the face and leave you wanting more.

This stalwart mom & pop shop in Southern California's Little Saigon is known for its excellent rendition of bun bo hue, a spicy pork hock and beef noodle soup from central Vietnam, and it regularly appears on Orange County's best of dining lists thanks to its fresh, quality preparations of central Vietnamese cuisine. The textural marvels are the mochi-like steamed and fried banh it ram, while the eye-popping banh beo chen steamed rice cakes in tiny circular saucers are lowkey showstoppers. A basic rice plate of braised fish, caramelized pork sparerib, and shrimp, served with suon tom rim, is also excellent.

Location: 14072 Magnolia St Ste 107, Westminster, CA 92683

Website: ngubinh.com