Pho Viet rr

Pho Viet rr

3513 14th St. NW. 202-629-2839. phovietdc.com. Appetizers $3.95 to $6.50, soup and rice plates $7 to $8.95.

The sign announcing Pho Viet quickens my pulse. That's because in a city that's rich with assets, Vietnamese cooking is not one of them. With few exceptions, if you're craving a good banh mi or vermicelli bowl, you need to head to the suburbs. Second, the name flags pho, the classic Vietnamese rice-noodle soup that's so beloved it can attract a crowd to a restaurant all by itself. Here, the soup gets prominent billing, with 10 varieties. The differences are mostly minor, involving cuts of beef and their degrees of doneness, although vegetarians will feel some love at the sight of a meatless broth. Entree No. 16, which fits in quartered beef meatballs, is as good as any pho here. It's pretty, too, with a snowy mound of vermicelli topped with rosy petals of raw beef tendon that darken and intensify in flavor as they make contact with the hot soup. What makes the broth from this kitchen so intoxicating is its clarity. Pho Viet's banh mi layers pink ham, fiery jalapenos, pickled carrot shreds, head cheese and cilantro on a crisp baguette slathered with butter. When banh mi is done right, there's no better sandwich on the planet. This version isn't the most memorable of my career, but it's plenty satisfying. There's a homey quality to much of Pho Viet. The vegetable garnishes are cut a little large, and the low-ceilinged space could easily pass for the residence it once was. The range isn't deep, but the standards are high. (Reviewed Dec. 26 in the Magazine)

Michel rr½

In the Ritz-Carlton, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean. 703-744-3999. michelrichardva.com. Lunch appetizers $8 to $16, entrees $15 to $27; dinner appetizers $12 to $32, entrees $26 to $40.

Like so much of what Michel Richard creates at his other restaurants, the first course at Michel Restaurant is described on the menu in just a few words, almost as if Richard hopes to keep secret its construction until it arrives. The snails on the escargot tart are served in thin slices rather than whole morsels, and they line a delicate pizza crust spread with a vibrant pesto and decorated with flossy greens. That tart is one of multiple dishes that can make a diner's heart race with excitement. One of the detractors is a school of shrimp with spiky coats of shredded phyllo. The seafood is fine, and the sound effects are fun. But why does the show sit on mute white flageolets? An entree of rockfish is bonded to a sliver of brioche, a clever technique marred by muddy-tasting fish and a crust that oozes grease with each bite. That still leaves lots to laud, especially among appetizers. Sauteed scallops put you right on Nantucket Bay with their ocean sweetness. The most novel start to dinner looks and tastes just like spaghetti carbonara, save for one detail: The "pasta" is actually long, white ribbons of onion, cooked al dente. The most fetching introduction is a vivid green cake of soft, sweet leeks shot through with red wine vinegar and a hint of hazelnut oil, served with a lacy pane of bread freckled with garlic and Parmesan. The eye, and the tongue, register brilliance. When Richard and crew are firing on all cylinders, there's no more joyful food to be found. (Reviewed Dec. 19 in the Magazine)

Coming Sunday: Tom reviews Ford's Fish Shack in Ashburn in The Washington Post Magazine.

See all of Tom's reviews online at goingoutguide.com.

r	Satisfactory
r r	Good
r r r	Excellent
r r r r	Superlative

Ratings are based primarily on food quality but take into account service and ambiance.