"Dipping Tiger (from the folks behind Tiger Den) is one of many Chinatown phở specialists, but it’s the only one that feels like a small cafe holed up inside a 1920s subway station. The windowless dining room with dark wood details, an ornate kitchen metal gate, and moody tiles is a great place to indulge in a quiet, slow bowl of phở. And you can engage in something analog, like reading a Dostoyevsky novel, while enjoying a hefty bowl of herb-packed clarified consomme perfumed with lemongrass and ginger." - chelsea thomas