Dong Ba

You’ve done pho, now make a beeline for this tiled and mirrored no-frills space where the speciality is bun bo hue. This noodle soup - made with lots of lemongrass and mam ruoc (Vietnamese shrimp paste) - has spicy gusto and an accompanying salad of soft lettuce leaves, purple cabbage, sprouts and mint. It’s the go-to dish for most at Dong Ba, but the menu also features grilled meats (pork in lemongrass and chilli is good) and banh can (soup with fat ‘rice strip’ noodles). The dry noodle dishes with vermicelli, pork and spring rolls are winners, as are avocado shakes and fresh longan drinks.