Fashionable, Wallet-Friendly Pho
Pho Lemon’s first foray into Beijing embodies the brand’s Hong Kong upbringing, capably meeting the upscale design, ambiance and service expectations of any China Central Place shopper. Bebel Gilberto’s smooth bossa accompanies attentive–but not pushy–servers in the Alice in Wonderland-esque setting of black and white floor tiling, mirrored walls and modernist white and metal furniture.

As for the food, don’t expect fusion-inspired exoticism: instead, you’ll find that minimalism-meets-mom with subtle, homey North Vietnamese flavors. The best should certainly not be saved for last: the massive appetizer mixed platter proffers six fresh “tapas” delectables, among them creative homemade prawn paste on sugar cane and fresh shrimp and classic grilled pork belly rice paper rolls (¥138). A grilled pomfret fish with lemon sauce (¥88) delivers a fleshy and fresh whole tilapia, once your chopsticks break through the deep-fried hard outer shell. Skip the tripe and meatball-heavy classic combination beef noodle soup (¥58)—more Beijing than Hanoi—for other noodle dishes.

Desserts offer a similar dose of reality (¥38-48), so consider the Vietnamese coffee a sweet solution (iced, ¥29; hot ¥26). The dishes more than deliver.

-Manuela Zoninsein