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Chef An Nguyen Xuan pops up in Bedford Avenue's Simple Café space Monday, Thursday, and Friday nights to offer Vietnamese home-style staples. On those nights, the lights are dimmed and chopsticks appear on each table. Bep's appetizer rolls are plump, with a thin transparent wrapping allowing a view of the colorful vegetables accompanying shrimp and/or pork. The crispy wontons are tasty, but their dryness benefits from some added hot sauce, conveniently provided on every tabletop, alongside decorative flowers. Pork banh mi sandwiches are stuffed with carrots, daikon, cucumbers, cilantro and peppers in a baguette, but a traditional diner may miss the absent pate (though admittedly, many with Americanized palates will not). Authentic pho drowns thinly cut beef in a flavorful broth, filling a large bowl, accompanied by bean sprouts and sliced jalapeno peppers. For a refreshing (and not overly sweet) twist on the Arnold Palmer, try their Vietnamese version, which combines jasmine tea with lime juice. — Daniel Benjamin

Pho, $9; grilled pork banh mi, $6