"If you haven't been to this longtime Columbia City Vietnamese spot yet, you likely know it from hushed, excited local chatter. Maybe your friend heard from a coworker about the legendary fish-sauce wings, or a tipsy private chef at an omakase bar said it was their favorite meal of the year (okay, that last second one happened to us). But the praise is warranted. Billiard Hoang is a bonafide classic that hasn’t missed a beat over the years. Almost everything at this bare-bones pool hall with a large dining room is phenomenal—and under $20. Artistically assembled lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowls could feed you for lunch and dinner, rice plates with char-marked short ribs rival those of a fancy steakhouse, and those buzzed-about crispy fish sauce-slicked wings continue to be among the best of the best. Billiard Hoang also holds up at the intersection of excellence and ease. There's always a table available, whether that’s for an early lunch with the soundtrack of pool table clanking or a weeknight dinner with a big group of friends. And you know that, no matter what time you go, there will be outstanding Vietnamese dishes waiting for you—and maybe an intense game of nine-ball, too. Food Rundown photo credit: Nate Watters Cánh Gà Chiên / Fish Sauce Chicken Wings These excellent sticky and sweet fish sauce wings come only in a two-pound order. That may seem daunting—until you try them. The wings are caramelized with a gloss so shiny that you can practically use them as a pocket mirror. And even without any breading, these flats still have an extreme crunch, thanks to a shake of cornstarch. photo credit: Makena Yee Bún Gà Xào Sả Ớt / Lemongrass Chicken Vermicelli Always get this bowl loaded with bouncy rice noodles and juicy lemongrass-stained chicken. It's got bell pepper sauteed until silky, lots of fresh herbs, peanuts, and tangy daikon. The whole thing comes together beautifully like a cast of unsupervised children in almost any heartwarming early ‘90s movie. Pair it with an order of shatteringly crunchy chả giò on the side to soak up the sauce that pools at the bottom of the bowl. photo credit: Makena Yee Cơm Sườn Bò / Grilled Beef Short Ribs Rice Plate The rice plates here are simple, yet delicious. Particularly the one with meaty chunks of grilled short rib that pull right off the bone—no stringy pieces or tug-of-war with your teeth here. Cà Phê Sữa Đá If you're starting to fall into an afternoon lull, this strong iced Vietnamese will pep you right back up. It’s a deep caramel color with sweetness from condensed milk, but lots of nuttiness from the phin-dripped coffee." - Kayla Sager-Riley
