May Hong

May Hong is a Vietnamese tea house serving excellent pho soups in the middle of the convivial Galerie d’Olympiades, a bustling centre for Asian produce. Open only in the daytime, its big bay windows look out onto the esplanade, giving it a warm and tranquil atmosphere even in winter. The short menu sticks to a few standard dishes, done well: papaya salad, spring rolls, banh cuon, banh beo tom (€6 to €7.50), rice and meat mains (€7 to €10) and traditional soups (the famous chicken or beef pho, perhaps the best in Paris). Of the desserts at €3.90, we enjoyed the ‘délice’ of longan (a close relative of the lychee) and lotus seeds, an interesting and not unpleasant mixture of textures and flavours. Another great discovery is the salted lemon juice drink. In sum, delicious classic cooking in a welcoming atmosphere, without frills.