The most dressed-up Vietnamese place in Ballard, Monkey Bridge is a lesson in why one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover—the food here is far better than it is at almost all the lovable grungy neighborhood joints. The quality of the pho is still up for debate—it has many fans, but can still be a bit too sweet for our tastes—and until Than Brothers completely declines in quality, you’re probably better off slurping soup there.

But the rest of Monkey Bridge’s menu has plenty of praiseworthy favorites like spring rolls bursting with fresh vegetables, banh xeo with prawns, seared bacon, and bean sprouts, and well-proportioned bun (rice noodle) dishes that don’t skimp on the nicely marinated meats.

The place isn’t going to win any major design awards, but it is proof that all you need to make an eatery even moderately pleasant is a little eggplant paint on the walls, a few boxy red lanterns, a cute bar area, and pop art that doesn’t suck. This is one of the most date-night-worthy Vietnamese restaurants in the city whose menu still sticks closely to tradition.