Di An Di

There’s something about Di An Di that makes you forget about the world just outside. Maybe it’s the subtropical colors (the sunset-evoking blue gradient on one wall) and verdant plants, hanging from the ceiling and out behind banquettes. Maybe it’s the way the long dining room stretches away from the street, and that when you’re in the back, operating on a Vietnamese “pizza” with a pair of gilded scissors, the only natural light that comes in is through the skylights. The classic soup pho is the main selling point, offered in five variations including a more delicate chicken pho ga and a beefy tribute to a Hanoi restaurant. The soups are satisfying, yes, but don’t let this distract you from the rest of the menu. Get the banh trang nuong (that “pizza”), grilled, wispy thin rice paper with egg, ground pork, hot sauce, and briny clams. Make it a theme night and order the rice paper salad, shot through with sweet chile dressing and the vivacious herb rau ram, an invigorating snack. The spring rolls are deliciously crispy, but you’ll find a favorite new bar snack in the crispy pig tails, lacquered in a sweet, sour, and spicy tamarind-chile sauce. Order them alongside a cocktail like the Passionate From Miles Away, a fruity gin concoction, and don’t worry about getting your glass’s stem sticky.