Golden Deli Review: This Legendary Vietnamese Restaurants Has the Best Pho | Eater LA

"Despite being open for 40 years, there’s always a line outside this casual, family-run Vietnamese restaurant in San Gabriel, and the popularity is understandable. The selection of comforting bowls of phở, crackly egg rolls, and other Vietnamese classics is the best in the San Gabriel Valley, and the crowd ranges from Vietnamese grandmothers to college students and young families — meaning there’s a table for everyone. Every table seems to have the chả giò: deep-fried egg rolls with blistered skin that shatters to a savory minced pork filling; wrap each roll with Vietnamese perilla and lettuce and dunk it in the accompanying nước chấm. There are various phở combinations — you can’t really go wrong — though a favorite is the no. 7 with thin slices of ribeye, brisket, and feathery tripe. The bánh mì makes a great to-go order, with barbecue pork and pork loaf arriving tender and a baguette generously swiped with mayonnaise, pâté, and dashes of Maggi seasoning sauce. To drink, the soda chanh (Vietnamese lime soda) cuts through the heaviness of deep-fried appetizers and particularly rich dishes; for those who prefer limeades on the sour side, this is the superlative version. Visit during off hours between lunch and dinner for the shortest wait, or venture inside and sign up for the waitlist via Yelp." - Kat Thompson