Kim Anh is the city's best maker of pho--the famous Vietnamese beef and noodle soup. And given all the pho shops that have opened around the New Orleans area in recent years, that's saying something. The key is the broth, which is purer and better-tasting than any other I've tried.

Backstory
The history of this restaurant is tragic and inspiring. In 1995, two members of Kim Anh's owning Vu family were gunned down at their New Orleans East restaurant by a rogue policewoman. They later reopened in the old neighborhood, only to be destroyed by the Katrina. The Vus persevered, moved the restaurant to Harahan, and press on with faith and terrific cooking.

Dining Room
It's a minuscule restaurant, with just a dozen tables, in an unexpected location: Harahan, never known for high adventure in its few restaurants. Nevertheless, Kim Anh is always busy, enough so that you'd think they'd keep the place open later than eight in the evening, or on weekends.

For Best Results
They sometimes get so busy at lunch that you might have to wait for a place to sit down. It's less congested earlier in the morning (like many Vietnamese places, they open rather early, at 10 a.m.)

-The New Orleans Menu