A Vietnamese staple in downtown San Jose for more than 20 years.

by Contributor

A Vietnamese staple in downtown San Jose for more than 20 years.

The Food
There are great vermicelli dishes, picture-perfect rice paper-rolled spring rolls and a lovely variety of pho, the Vietnamese national breakfast. It's an ideal quick and healthy lunch for one. The word means "your own bowl," and once you've seasoned it with basil and cilantro fronds, rounds of jalapeno and lemon to suit your taste and begun to noisily suck up the noodles and broth, no one really wants to share yours anyway.

The Scene
Get your head out of the gutter. That's not how you pronounce it. Not exactly. Let's just call it D.P. They jam at lunchtime, service is consequently brusque, bordering on unpleasant. Most days they won't accept takeout orders at lunchtime, so you have to eat in the charmless dining room. Despite the grim picture painted thus far, D.P. is worth a visit.

—Laura Reiley



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