Saigon Eden

This restaurant with outposts in Alhambra and San Gabriel traces its culinary lineage to Pho 79, the James Beard Award-winning eatery down in Orange County. Run by another branch of the Tran family, Saigon Eden offers a bright, clear beef pho simmered for 12 hours—and so much more. The dizzying all-day menu offers a breadth of well-executed Vietnamese cuisine you won’t find outside of the 626, but you can winnow your focus with a few of our personal favorites: the banh cuon, which folds springy wood ear mushrooms and ground pork into steamed rice paper crepes; the bun rieu—a northern tomato-rich broth full of shrimp and crab; and a solid version of bright yellow banh xeo. Unlike other spots around town, Saigon Eden also serves chao—a simple, nourishing rice porridge perfect for sick days or cold weather.