Vietnam Grill

Fresh, pungent herbs, pronounced spices, big plates and lovely service are the hallmarks of Vietnam Grill, a busy strip-mall scene-stealer on Federal Boulevard that, like its neighboring competition, is all bright lights and no-frills decor. But this isn't a see-and-be-seen joint: You come here for the dazzling, adventurous food — and you keep returning because the menu is larded with dozens and dozens of dishes that you didn't get to try the first time, or the second...or the third. Yes, there's pho — plenty of it — and the broths are refreshingly subtle. But the board extends far beyond the traditional Vietnamese soup: buttered quail with caramelized garlic; rice-flour custard cups crowned with shrimp festooned with coconut flakes and spring onions; frog legs prepared every which way; and a remarkable lamb curry garnished with cilantro and peanuts. In a word: un-pho-gettable.