Pho So 1

The undisputed pho king of the greater San Fernando Valley (with a stray location in the South Bay), this neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant offers the 818's best beef noodle soup and a plethora of other solid menu items, including hard-to-find rice porridge and traditional sweet iced drinks. Transparent slices of onion, strips of beef brisket and glistening cubes of beef tendon mark Pho So 1's delicious, murky broth with notes of charred onion and cloves. The meal is completed by a plate of garnishes that catches the light like an herbaceous still life, if you sit by the window at the right time of day.