Where some places are famous for pho and others best for banh mi, Huynh is a more comprehensive Vietnamese experience, conveniently located right on the edge of downtown. We think the execution’s seen better days, but even having slipped from being in the top five of its cuisine, it’s still very solid and delightful. The spacious, sparse interior is prettier than that of other Vietnamese restaurants, making it ideal for dates and business lunches. The low lighting, avocado-green walls, and smattering of Southeast Asian art translates to a contemporary coolness that, thankfully, doesn’t reflect upon the staff: they’re warm and helpful as ever.

We order pork spring rolls, served in opaque white rice paper that’s much more toothsome than the translucent, thin kind found in ordinary spring rolls; plus, the char-grilled pork is more flavorful and less dry than elsewhere. A cha gio roll’s wrapper appears to have been shredded before it was fried, resulting in an intriguing crunchiness and cleaner taste. Bun bo Hue is authentic and deeply flavorful, with homemade noodles. We also love goi vit (duck salad), and grilled beef short ribs, cross-cut so each slice is marbled beautifully and charred to a crisp on the edges.

Best of all, prices are still in line with those of its inferiors, and a $2 per drinking person corkage is, like Huynh, abundantly hospitable.