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It's all business at this spartan Vietnamese spot, so don't hold out for warm welcomes or friendly chit chat. Still, it's just what you want a business to be: fast, efficient and cost-effective and that explains why local students treat the blond wood and bamboo room as a cafeteria of sorts. A still young but more professional crowd gravitate to the Third Avenue branch with its sleeker, more modern décor and semi-circle banquettes. The menu at both spots spans from curries to traditional Pho soup to design-it-yourself noodles—straightforward, unsurprising fare, churned out with assembly-line swiftness. There are glimmers of TLC, however. How else to explain the lack of oil on the crunchy spring rolls or the freshness of summer rolls packed with shrimp and aromatic mint? It certainly would account for why the egg ribbons of the Saigon noodles are more lightly dressed than your usual slippery slop, with a sesame-soy tinge and plenty of crisp vegetables. Bo luc lac, rare-cooked beef cubes marinated in teriyaki, are juicy and tender, yet a basil chicken wasn't nearly as flavorful as the aromatic herb promises. Family style portions guarantee doggie bags on the way out; but don't be offended if no one bids farewell. It's nothing personal—everyone's just busy running the shop. — Kathleen Squires

Spring roll, $5.85; summer roll, $5.85; bo luc lac, $14.95