Blue Hen (CLOSED)

This quirky little gem has been hidden in a strip mall for the last nine years as the businesses around it have come and gone. But Blue Hen has stayed true, with the same chef—she's 75-years-old now and still comes in every day to tend the pho broth— and a commitment to local farms and organic ingredients. The beef in the pho is thicker cut, and cradled by a soft nest of noodles; the broth is redolent with cinnamon, cloves and a pop of fish sauce—an umami punch that's nice to find in Eagle Rock. The organic chicken phở ga might be even better: rich, golden and comforting like a grandma's ginger-scented hug.