good vietnamese in brooklyn?

[missmasala]

ate today at Ti An, or Cho Lon, on 8th and 56th in Sunset Park which had been recommended by a few posters on this board. I found the food severely lacking: greasy, dull-tasting, not super fresh--in a word, mediocre.

I would really like to find a vietnamese place that I like in brooklyn. There was one I went to a few years ago in bensonhurst that was okay, but none of the sunset park ones have been too good.

Decent pho, but more important, fresh, well-grilled meats on rice thread squares, with fresh pickled veggies and a plate of fresh lettuce and more than one herb. Where can i get that?

For comparison, my favorite rendition of the rice square dishes was at the pho bang on mott street in the late 80s/early 90s. Unfortunately, it's a shadow of its former self today.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[prunefeet]

I have been dreaming of that dish at Pho Bang, and you tell me it is a shadow of it's former self? There used to be a pickled garlic clove tucked inside the meat chunks... Have not had it since the 80s...ah well, too bad. I guess I'm better off dreaming.

[missmasala]

Yes, that's the grilled beef on rice thread squares, with the garlic in the middle. (btw, i'm always arguing with my SO about that pickled garlic. I actually think it's not garlic, but the bottoms of the scallions that they pickle. anyone got a definitive answer?)

anyway, pho bang still has the grilled pork and the grilled beef, but it's just not as good and, depending on the day/time/whatever, the greens can be less than fresh and inspiring. it's a bit of a crapshoot, but in the late 80s we ate there like twice a week and it was always great.

[jen kalb]

aargh, yikes, as a recommender, I am sorry. Was it the pho that was greasy?

I cant think offhand of any NY vietnamese rest that brings out more than one herb on its pho garnish plate, but usually if you order more than one dish calling for such items, you will get the asian basil on one and mint on the other,a and often there is cilantro in the pho.

[prunefeet]

Jen, I think the herbs were included with the grilled meat dish, not the pho.

[jen kalb]

they will bring out a plate of herbs/bean sprouts/lemon with the pho and then the leaf lettuce and herbs, as well as the pickled garlic, pickled carrots and cukes and nuoc cham with the grilled meat.

[prunefeet]

Right. That's what I meant. Yum!