Green Leaf is an I.D. favorite. When it opened, it filled a void between pricey Tamarind Tree and the hole-in-the-wall pho and banh mi joints. It’s hard to find an unkind word about the place because almost nothing on the menu disappoints.

The pho is really good, with ideally cooked vermicelli noodles and great toppings. They don’t skimp on the fresh herbs and greens in anything—bowls of pho and spring rolls both have so much foliage that they look like terrariums. However, you can get decent pho all over town, so most of us stop at Green Leaf when we want quality mains like lemongrass chicken, which has a wonderfully strong, bright taste; or bun (vermicelli with choice of meat and a fried egg roll). Banh xeo (savory rice-flour pancakes) and the lotus root salads, particularly the version with papaya and mango, are not to be missed.

The downstairs is cramped but cute, looking slightly more stylish than the average I.D. eatery, with soft lighting at dinner bouncing off light green walls to give the place a nice glow. There’s more space upstairs, but it’s more kitschy, with tables carved to look like the back of traditional wagons (the arm rests are the crests of big wooden wheels). Need we say more?