More pho less...

For a less hole-in-the-wall, not so eye-of-round Vietnamese experience, you could head to Nha Trang in Chinatown (87 Baxter Street). I'm all for the pho (without the extra bits of cow this time, certainly lacking some of the taste), but they have an extensive menu of rice and noodle dishes, and spring rolls and all that jazz. The ambience is even genuinely Vietnamese (?), with waiters spinning round to the sounds of classic rock and Perry Como tunes - all that's missing are some US marines......

Or if Perry Como's not quite your thing, you could go next door to the New Pasteur, which has a similar menu with somewhat less grumpy service (and my thanks to our colleagues at NYCDOHMH for this one). And at $4.50 for a bowl of pho, this must be one of the cheapest lunches in town. Of course, if you're a glutton like me, you'll be wanting some of those summer rolls too....