5 Stars Hue

As a funkier, spicier alternative, many pho shops offer bun bo hue, a pungent, offal-studded red soup originally from Hue, a city in central Vietnam. Few in L.A. do it as well as this food court vendor inside Thuan Phat, a longtime Vietnamese grocery store in South El Monte. Tricked out with herbs, lime and raw onion, the lemongrass-heavy broth here tastes flavorful and bright—not exactly an easy task in a dish incorporating oxtail, pork hocks and pork blood. 5 Stars Hue also offers other regional delicacies like banh beo (steamed rice cakes) and banh ram it  (glutinous rice dumplings set atop fried dough); if you’ve never had these khai vi, they also offer a combination plate of all five hard-to-find savory rice-based treats. We also enjoyed the nem lui: Thai satay-like pork skewers paired with a rich peanut sauce, pickled veggies, cucumbers and a mess of herbs.