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Heinwai
I don't think Pho Van is a BAD choice, just a very safe choice and reeks of people expressing what they've heard of and been to without acknowledging that they haven't been to much. It's like putting Bewon as first in the Korean category. I don't think it's as bad a choice as some might, but it's definitely a safe choice and I would question whether anyone putting it as number one has been to the litany of Beaverton Korean joints.I don't know that I could easily rank the Vietnamese in town. Each is best at different things. However, places such as Bun Bo Hue, Ngoc Han Bun Bo Hue, Yen Ha, Pho Oregon, Pho An Sandy, HA&VL, Bun Bo Hue Minh, Quan Hue, Binh Minh, Best Baguette, An Xuyen, Pho Van 82nd/Silk, Hanoi Kitchen, and even places like Bui and Thanh Son Tofu could stake a claim. I hear there are a couple good ones in Beaverton, too, which I haven't eaten enough at to judge.My personal three would probably be:1. Pho An Sandy: Excellent pho, bun rieu, and banh mi bo kho, plus very good bun thit nuong and banh hoi dac biet. Good range of dishes with most things among the top versions in town. Pho Oregon would be second in this style of place, which makes sense since they used to be sister restaurants and have largely the same menu.2. HA&VL: The banh mi they put in their name is just okay, but every soup I've had there has been very good, with some items not just probably the best in town, but easily the best in town, like their hu tieu nam vang or bun moc.3 (Tie). Yen Ha: Oldest of the existing Vietnamese restaurants and other than their mediocre pho, the menu has a lot of highlights, like their goi ga rau ram, mi vit tiem, bun rieu, and bo tai chanh. Huge menu and it's impressive how many dishes are really tasty.3 (Tie). Bun Bo Hue: I go back and forth on which of the bun bo hue specialists is the best. Quan Hue also has a very good version. All of them offer banana blossom in the soup, which is usually a good sign. I think Bun Bo Hue is a little more consistent across the menu, though, but it is the smallest place with the smallest menu. They have some tasty fried chicken wings, too. Ngoc Han has been my favorite, but I think due to some cost cutting a couple of their soups, especially my favorite, the bun nuoc leo, has gone a little downhill.I defer to people like Polloelastico and Philthyanimal, though, to set me straight since they've been eating this food since birth.
