Golden Deli

This San Gabriel institution always seems to have a crowd waiting out front, and with good reason: Many Angelenos had their first sip of pho here, and the menu reads like a phone book primer of Vietnamese cuisine. If you order the phođặc biệt, your final treasure hunt for the last bits of meat, tendon and tripe at the bottom of the bowl will reap big rewards—these are generous servings. Don't miss the cha gio, Vietnamese egg rolls made the traditional way: with rice paper that crackles and crunches with every bite.