Café Nhan

"The noodle soups are generously loaded with meats and toppings at Café Nhan, a South Philly comfort food spot run by Nhan Vo and her son Andrew Dinh Vo. Don’t miss the bun bo hue dac biet, a spicy bowl with tender pieces of beef brisket, pig feet, velvety blood cubes, and slices of pork roll. For the table, order banh mi ca ri ga, a chicken curry with french bread to rip and dip, and take home a loaded banh mi for lunch the next day." - Ella Lilja Peterson

"Cafe Nhan feels like less of a restaurant than it does a religion. Come to this West Passyunk daytime spot on a Monday at 2pm and you'll see restaurant industry people, bands on tour, college students, and everyone else in South Philly who knows what's good for them. If you're looking for some classic phở, get the version with oxtail. But Nhan's specialty is the spicier bún bò huế, a classic, bright-red soup from the owner's hometown. Each bowl balances pungent star anise, lemongrass, fish sauce, and Sichuan chilis, with fatty brisket, pig's feet, and housemade blood cubes." - candis mclean, alison kessler

"Come to this West Passyunk Vietnamese daytime spot on a Monday at 2pm and you'll see a room full of restaurant industry people, bands on tour, college students, and everyone else in South Philly who knows the power of Nhan's bún bò huế. The classic, bright-red soup from the owner's hometown balances pungent star anise, lemongrass, fish sauce, and Sichuan chilis, with fatty brisket, pig's feet, and housemade blood cubes. Throw in a limeade and an order of crispy chicken wings, and you'll be converted to a regular in no time." - alison kessler, candis mclean

"Cafe Nhan feels like less of a restaurant than it does a religion. Come to this West Passyunk daytime spot on a Monday at 2pm and you'll see restaurant industry people, bands on tour, college students, and everyone else in South Philly who knows what's good for them. If you're looking for some classic phở, get the version with oxtail. But Nhan's specialty is the spicier bún bò huế, a classic, bright-red soup from the owner's hometown. Each bowl balances pungent star anise, lemongrass, fish sauce, and Sichuan chilis, with fatty brisket, pig's feet, and housemade blood cubes. " - alison kessler

" Bun Bo Hue and Chicken Wings Full disclosure: we came here for the pho. And while the pho is very good, it was the deep red bun bo hue dac biet and chicken wings on literally every table that made us realize we didn’t order properly. Thankfully, we copied our neighbors, added to our order, and ended up with a meal we can’t stop thinking about. The bun bo hue is rich and spicy, packed with beef, pork, and chewy vermicelli noodles, and layered with a pungent mix of herby, umami flavor. We took breaks from the soup for bites of the crunchy golden chicken wings, fried crispy but not at all greasy, the perfect complement to pho’s spicy cousin. It’s Vietnamese comfort food at its absolute best." - alison kessler, candis mclean