Pho Saigon seemed to go downhill a bit when it changed owners a couple years back, and it’s fallen off the rotation for some. Still, if you like your pho aromatic and heavily spiced, this may be your jam. The pho dac biet (special) has a good mix of meat, although their rare steak is not really served rare but fully cooked in the broth. For tendon fans, they do something magical to their tendon that renders it to a delightful gummy texture, with no off “barnyard” flavor.

The sign outside of Pho Xe Lua sports a kitschy steam train drawing, and the dark brown pho broth brings a freight train of beefy flavor to your mouth. Get the oxtail pho to up the bovine quotient and have fun picking the chewy meat nuggets off the bone. The spicing of the broth is subtle, for those who prefer more cow and less star anise in their pho.

It would be hard to determine which restaurant earns the title of “oldest continually operating Vietnamese restaurant in Sacramento,” but Pho Bolsa is certainly a contender. While they may have been the introduction to pho to many non-Viet Gen-Xers, these days they are mostly known for being one of the few places in Sac that serves cha ca la vong (a dish for two of grilled, turmeric-flavored catfish served with heaps of dill and scallion) and for their satisfying bun rieu. This noodle soup’s broth is flavored with tomato, and topped with succulent freshwater crab. It’s served with a plate of fine-chopped romaine lettuce; add the whole portion to lend a texturally contrasting crunch.

Eating at Quan Nem is best with two or more, because the roll-your-own spring rolls are interactive and meant to be a communal affair. The house special is what most order, and it comes with some of the tastiest nem nuong cuon (charbroiled ground pork skewers) around. Soak the rice paper in water until soft and fill with your choice of meat, herbs and vegetables, do chua (pickled daikon and carrot), vermicelli, and two tiny, precious nem chua (sour fermented pork sausage embedded with whole chilies and garlic cloves). The challenge is in trying to achieve the optimal combo of flavors in every bite while making a roll of manageable size and neatness. Pescatarians can order fish cakes with the special (rather than pork), and the banh beo (rice cake topped with dried shrimp) appetizers are a delicious starter.

Mi quang heo is a dish with a lot going on. There are soft, slippery textures (wide, flat turmeric noodles) and crispy crunch provided by peanuts and sesame rice crackers. The rich flavors of ground pork and shell-on shrimp are a contrast to fresh mint and raw, sliced banana blossom and cabbage. The small cup of hot pork broth served on the side is meant to be poured over, and binds it all into a dish that you’ll think about for days afterward. In addition to mi quang heo, fans of bun bo hue should get that too.

There’s really no need for a menu at Pho Anh Dao: Just get the pho ga (chicken pho) – either with white meat, dark or a combo. There is sometimes a wait for seating in the mornings, and occasionally the chicken pho runs out and they close early. The lovely, clear broth, swimming with scallion and woody cilantro, can be further brightened with a squeeze of lime, but no other flavoring is warranted. It is perfect, and perfectly nourishing. Cash only.

This banh mi cafe has mastered all things pork. The banh mi thit nuong (grilled pork) has got a smoky char to it and they sell house made pork liver pate in tubs from the deli case, along with tubs of golden butter. Go next level and order a banh mi with just pork, butter and veggies for a strong liver hit. Duc Huong is notable for having a regular foot-long size and also cute-as-a-button teeny sandwiches for only $2.25, and also for making a highly decent banh mi chay (veggie sandwich) with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and tofu skin.

This is the undisputed spot in Sac for silky, hand-rolled rice noodle sheets. The dac biet gives you a sampling of three different varieties (shrimp paste, pork-and-wood ear mushroom, plain), which you can dunk in or douse with nuoc mam (sweetened, tangy fish sauce). It also boasts banh tom khoai chien (shredded sweet potato and shrimp fritters), cake-y mung bean fritters, and an uber-tasty, sour nugget of fermented pork sausage studded with whole peppercorns.

Lengthy lines for banh mi, catered to with brisk efficiency, are the norm at lunch time at Huong Lan. The secret is to grab a table, order from a server, and eat your sandwich at leisure. The ultra-sweet, lusciously fatty grilled pork at Huong Lan is unique to them and either loved or loathed for the marbled fattiness, but the quality of the bread and distribution of toppings for the banh mi can be uneven.  Grab a banh mi at Duc Huong or Long Sandwich and order banh hoi thit nuong (grilled pork over rice noodles) at Huong Lan. It’s the same pork that goes in the sandwiches, on noodles with salad, herbs and fish sauce dressing.

This is one of those liquid nitrogen-cooled rolled ice cream spots, but it also serves fresh-squeezed nuoc mia (sugar cane juice), either plain for jazzed up with fruit. Nuoc mia is a common roadside treat in Vietnam, and it’s frothy and only lightly sweet, with a pleasant vegetal undertone. Try it with an add-in of lime, durian or, best of all, kumquat. It’s a cooling treat to combat blazing (though less humid than Vietnam) Sacramento summers.

Boiling Crab was founded by Dada Ngo and Sinh Nguyen in Garden Grove, and now has 19 locations, including two in Sacramento. These types of restaurants tend to emphasize quantity over quality, and Boiling Crab is no exception. It’s more about gathering with friends and family to get messy and peel heavily seasoned crawdads than worrying about what’s fresh/seasonal/local, but fresh Dungeness and crawfish can be found when in season.