I’ve never really understood how Vietnamese could be anyone’s favorite Asian cuisine. Sure, I always loved the standards — cha gio (fried spring rolls), bun, pho and green papaya salad — but, given the choice, I’d rather eat Korean or Japanese. That all changed the minute I experienced the expertly prepared wonders featured on Nam Phuong’s enormous 12-page menu. Beyond the nuoc cham (fish sauce-based dipping sauce), are more specialties and textures than I could have imagined. The only downside was the Norcross location, so you can imagine my recent excitement when I learned that another Nam Phuong was opening on Buford Highway.

After several stalkerish drive-bys, I found that the second Nam Phuong Restaurant (4051 Buford Highway, 404-633-2400. www.namphuongatlanta.com) had opened just across the street from Fiesta Plaza, smack-dab in the middle of Buford Highway’s unofficial Little Vietnam. The new, impeccably clean location greets you with a shiny new sign, leather-bound menus, and servers who operate with the same sense of professionalism and pride as the original — the mark of owners Tieng and David Nguyen’s extreme attention to detail.

And I’m happy to report that the food is even better here. After years of many sad cha gio, I’ve finally found a version worthy of the indulgence. Instead of being tough and greasy, these spring rolls are light and flaky with juicy ground-pork interiors. Within the menu’s “street food” section are specialties not often found in our many pho parlors, including immense crepes (banh xeo) made with rice flour, water and turmeric powder, then fried and filled with shrimp, slices of roast pork and mounds of bean sprouts.

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Skip the Cha Gio (spring rolls); they’re tough and have an interior that resembles minced hot dog and Spam. Start with a salad instead. We ordered three and were surprised at how distinctive each one tasted. In the Goi Xoai, julienned green mango so fresh it tasted like it was just picked dances with tough-as-jerky dried baby shrimp, coarsely chopped herbs and a drizzle of citrusy dressing hinting of fish sauce. The beef carpaccio or Bo Tai Chanh — a jumble of raw beef round tangled with shredded onions, slivers of lotus root and carrot, crushed peanuts and caramelized onions — comes predressed with fresh lime juice and a side of impossibly dark and funky sauce that miraculously mellows out once it’s mixed in. A more substantial offering, the duck salad or Goi Vit, comes with chopped up, poached, bone-in duck placed atop a mix of multicolored shredded cabbage and the usual suspects: caramelized shallots and fresh herbs. A remarkable dressing of copious fresh ginger, chilis and fish sauce adds a lot of brightness and heat to the otherwise tame dish.

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Late one night a couple of years ago, Wasabi owner Nhan Le poured sake for a group of lingering regulars. The Castleberry Hill sushi bar owner was in a talkative mood, and the conversation turned to dreams. Le explained that his ambition was to open an intown place where he could cook his native Vietnamese cuisine. Le wasn’t interested in anything fancy or hyperauthentic – just a small place serving pho and a handful of other dishes.

That dream is now a reality. When So Ba (560 Gresham Ave. 404-627-9911. soba-eav.com) opened, many East Atlanta Villagers made it an instant regular hangout, just as Castleberry Hill residents had embraced Wasabi.

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Dua Vietnamese Noodle Soup: Owners Mylinh Cao and her mother, Tham Mai, strive to bring a taste of Vietnam to downtown, and standard Vietnamese dishes — such as phở and cơm — abound. The bún dishes provide a refreshing spin on the average lunchtime salad. Chilled rice vermicelli noodles are loaded with your choice of meat (or tofu), shallots, ground peanuts, crunchy shreds of lettuce, fresh herbs and a hacked-up fried spring roll. The accompanying dish of sweet, spicy and tangy nước chấm (a concoction of fresh chilis, garlic and fish sauce) ties the whole thing together. 53 Broad St. 404-589-8889. www.yougotpho.com.

Co’m Vietnamese Grill Restaurant: After many years, Co’m is still going strong thanks to the superior quality of its grilled meats and seafood (lamb, beef, pork and shrimp), which you can enjoy in numerous styles of dishes including Bún. Click here to read the rest…

RESTAURANT REVIEW:

I have been a longtime fan of Pho Dai Loi#2 on Buford Highway ever since my sister turned me on to it. But, I had never visited the original location in Forest Park. My friend requested pho for lunch last week so we drove down instead of going North to BuHi. It only took us about 15 minutes to get down there from downtown and it was packed when we arrived. He ordered the pho with beef tendon and I got the bun tom thit nuong, which is a bowl full of Vietnamese rice noodles, shredded lettuce, pork, shrimp, ground peanuts, fried shallots, and nuoc cham. Can life get any better? My bun was great and just as good, if not better, than the #2 location. My friend’s pho was very good too. The broth was deep, balanced, and completely soothing. There was a bit of an oil slick on the top of the soup, but it did not take away from the dish at all. The fresh lemonade was the right mix tart and sweet. This is definitely going in my rotation and I am happy to have it close by. Good to know I don’t have to go to Buford Highway if I want some ethnic food. I think I may go again this week after I check out the new Super H Mart in Riverdale.

Toppings for pho

RESTAURANT INFORMATION:

Address:4061 Jonesboro Rd, 30297

Phone:(404) 363-2423

Here is my past week of eating out:

Tasty China: Seems that the chef has left the restaurant, but the quality has not gone downhill (yet). Here is the rundown of our meal last Monday: Hot and numbing beef rolls: Good. Maybe a bit more numbing than before, but still good. I don’t think I will ever get tired of these.
Hot and numbing dried beef: Not as dried as before, but just as flavorful.
Shan city chicken: Just as good as before if not better. The pieces of chicken were very crisp and the heat was still there. The heat was more manageable than before.
Noodles with meat sauce: New dish for us. Boiled noodles and bean spouts served in a bowl. A pork sauce with an underlying wine flavor served on the side. Would have like a bit more sauce to put on, but the flavor was there and quite good.
Dry-fried eggplant: Just as good as ever. Man, this dish is addictive.

Bone’s: We were craving a steak the other night, so we headed to Taurus because I had never been. We quickly made a bee-line for the door after we saw the menu and sat in that dining room which felt like a theme park. I like an old-school steak house that feels like a men’s club with leather, wood, and cigar smoke. I used to frequent a place in SF called Harris’ where I was the only woman there on many a night-loved it. Our meal at Bone’s was great and the service was exceptional. There menu has not changed one bit, but I still think it is one of Atlanta’s best steakhouses. Solid.

Huong Giang: Went with my sis and The Nibbler for dinner this past Saturday. My sis and I shared the beef cooked in vinegar, the lotus root salad, and the spring rolls. The Nibbler ordered a pork shank soup that she seemed to really like. My sister was not too crazy about the beef, but I liked it. The lotus root salad was, as my friend E. says, “addictive.” Good service. Not the best Vietnamese in Atlanta, but worth the visit if you like this cuisine. The pork paste bun is still my favorite dish on the menu.

South City Kitchen: I took a friend for brunch this past Sunday and boy, was it horrible. I ordered the biscuits and lobster gravy. What a mistake. The first attempt was cold, so I asked them to heat it up for me. When it finally came back with my poached eggs, I got a taste and realized the temperature did not matter. Salty, salty, salty. The lobster was mealy and it was basically inedible. They took it off our bill when the waitress saw I had not touched it. Nice service, but the kitchen had some serious problems. We were sitting on the balcony right over the kitchen and saw other dishes come back as well. Anyone have similar experiences there lately? I may have to withdraw my recommendation for their brunch…