Behold the beginning of our annual 100 Favorite Dishes countdown! Every day until the publication of our fantabulous Best Of Issue, we'll list our favorite meals this year in descending order. Enjoy, pass it on, and tune in daily!
Have I ever told ustedes how much I love bò kho, and how much I think it's an unappreciated Vietnamese soup? Of course I have–every time I mention the damn meal, I point that out. Just like I did a couple of weeks ago, when I reviewed Song Long Restaurant in Little Saigon for Eat This Now, and just like I'm doing right now.
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Here's the proof from my Eat This Now:
It remains one of Little Saigon's most criminally underappreciated meals, probably because it's so unassuming. The beef stew doesn't have the electricity of bún bò Hue, the notoriety of bún rieu, or the ubiquity of pho; its mixture of beef, carrots, cinnamon and a slice of bread on the side is so downhome that they could've served it in Iowa during the Great Depression. But Song Long's take is the homiest, like the Vietnamese grandma you never had. Visit this place before it's gone, though, because sometimes what we take for granted turns into the umpteenth Kickin' Crab ripoff.
Now, go get it!
The List:
98. Pancake Sandwich at Willowick Golf Course
99. Tahdig at Tanor Fresh Mediterranean Grill
100. Quatro Formaggi Panini at Old Vine Cafe
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