Saigon Bowl

Saigon Bowl (also known as Dong Khanh Restaurant), in the Far East Center, is one of the city’s best Vietnamese restaurants. It’s a showcase for bright and fresh mounds of herbs; deep, complex broths and sauces; and the nearly infinite variety possible in the simple combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy that makes Vietnamese cuisine profoundly sophisticated while still grounded in humble roots. The banh xeo, or sizzling pancake (a vegetable-filled rice-flour crepe), the squid appetizer, and the duck-and-cabbage salad are highlights, but grilled dishes — like shrimp wrapped in marinated beef — offer just the right amount of char.