Phodown

Then came the pho, approximately a quart of luxurious, barely sweet beef stock, as carefully nuanced as a fine consommé. Turtle Tower regulars may miss fresh rice noodles -- Vietnam II offers only the standard dried version -- but no reasonable human being could object to the beef combo's array of well-done flank steak and brisket, rare eye round, meatballs, tripe, and (bless me) strips of tendon, whose texture might best be described as a cross between chewing gum and al dente pasta. Garnishes included the standard chilies, bean sprouts, basil, and lime, as well as refreshing sprigs of mint and a heap of crunchy shredded cabbage. The last two ingredients (rarities in these parts) had also charmed me in Honolulu -- a place that smacks more of paradise than the TL, but has nothing on us when it comes to pho.